POWRE: Palynological Survey of Sirius Group and Related Neogene Sediments, Transantarctic Mountains

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9753000 Askin This award supports a palynological survey of previously collected Neogene sediments from the Transantarctic Mountains and Ross Sea margin. Because terrestrial vegetation history is intimately linked to climatic and tectonic history, this survey will provide valuable information for tracing environmental trends through this important interval of geologic time. The survey will include many of the Sirius Group strata cropping out in the Transantarctic Mountains, and subsurface sediments encountered in drillholes from McMurdo Sound and the McMurdo Dry Valleys. These Neogene sediments (Miocene through Pliocene) include glacial, fluvioglacial, glaciolacustrine, and glaciomarine facies. Age control is from marine microfossil assemblages (mainly diatoms) and radiometric dates. Palynomorphs, and wood and leaves at one locality (Oliver Bluffs) have been reported from the Sirius Group. Although relatively rare, the previously recovered spores and pollen illustrate the potential for useful paleoenvironmental information from a broader survey. Specific objectives include a palynological survey of Sirius and other Neogene sediments to determine presence or absence of spores and pollen and any other plant remains derived from contemporaneous vegetation. If sufficient spores and pollen can be recovered from independently dated samples, trends in vegetation composition, diversity, distribution and extinction, might be identifiable. Patterns of presence vs. absence, composition and diversity will be used to help interpret Antarctic climatic, cryospheric and tectonic evolution. If present, recycled palynomorphs from older sediments will be used to help identify provenance of the sediments. Some marine units will be sampled, and search for marine palynomorphs (dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs) will be included in the survey, as these have great biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental potential. This award is supported by the Office of Polar Programs under the National Science Foundation program entitled Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE). This POWRE award affords the investigator an opportunity to broaden her research career to include a significantly different interval of geologic time.