Seismic and Stratigraphic Data Acquisition and Integration for Cenozoic Tectonic and Paleoenvironmental Analysis in McMurdo Sound

该奖项由极地项目办公室提供，允许一名美国研究人员加入由南极洲新西兰（新西兰国家南极项目）和新西兰地球物理与核科学研究所赞助的地质实地小组，在具有潜在重要的古环境条件沉积记录和邻近山脉构造隆起的地区收集地震数据。由于目前的冰层覆盖，南极洲新生代地层的暴露程度很低，因此需要从岩心中收集地质数据。地震数据对于未来钻探的正确选址是必要的，并提供了一种了解钻探地点沉积环境的手段。在过去的20年里，通过DSDP、ODP以及DVDP、MSSTS、CIROS和Cape Roberts项目钻孔的快冰和陆地钻探，我们学到了很多东西。一项新的国际钻井计划ANDRILL正处于早期开发阶段，最初的重点是在McMurdo海湾地区，使用经过验证的Cape Roberts项目钻井技术。该奖项为ANDRIL三个目标区域的现场调查工作提供支持，这些工作将产生新的地震信息，以解决构造、盆地历史和古环境问题。在2001-2002年的南部野外季节，首席研究人员被邀请与新西兰地震小组合作，并加入与英国和新西兰的国际合作努力，从麦克默多海湾地区的海冰和冰架收集和解释地震数据。美国的参与将使地震项目涵盖美国相当感兴趣的地区。美国的纽港（NH）、新西兰的无风湾（WB）和英国的南麦克默多冰架（SMIS）负责为三个目标区域的地震数据采集提供财政支持。该项目最初是WB和SMIS在新西兰和英国合作的2年项目。在ANDRILL研讨会（牛津大学4/2001）上，很明显，在新港地区提出的钻孔可以成为ANDRILL的初始目标，因为现有的钻孔系统几乎不需要修改，而且科学目标需要相对较少的投资来获得新的现场调查数据。我们向美国发出了加入这一合作努力的邀请，以便在该项目的第一年在新港收集数据。除了必要的现场调查工作外，地震数据将有助于解决以下问题：(1)沉积序列的几何形状，这将为有关维多利亚陆地盆地发展的竞争理论提供见解，以及邻近的横贯南极山脉的成因和隆升历史；(2)费拉尔河谷和泰勒河谷的地层历史对比；(3)在过去2000万年的寒冷极地气候下，干谷景观的假定稳定性。新的地震信息还将使现有岩心数据扩展到更广泛的地层框架中。通过罗伯茨角项目发展起来的国际合作精神，以及继续与ANDRILL合作的精神，将在所有三个目标领域的后续研究期间促进科学交流。麦克默多海湾/干谷地区现有的12个钻孔，结合该项目和海洋船只获得的新地震数据，以及未来的钻孔，将使该地区成为未来南极大陆架年代地层对比的重点。

0128782HarwoodThis award, provided by the Office of Polar Programs, allows a US investigator to join a geological field team sponsored by Antarctica New Zealand (the New Zealand national Antarctic program) and the Institute of Geophysical and Nuclear Sciences of New Zealand to gather seismic data over regions that have potentially important sedimentary records of paleoenvironmental conditions and tectonic uplift of the adjacent mountains. The paucity of exposures of Cenozoic strata in Antarctica, due to the present ice cover, requires the collection of geological data from drill cores. Seismic data are necessary for proper site selection toward future drilling and provide a means of understanding the depositional context of the drill sites. Much has been learned over the last 20 years of drilling by the DSDP, ODP and via the fast-ice and on-land drilling of the DVDP, MSSTS, CIROS and Cape Roberts Project drill holes. A new international drilling initiative, ANDRILL, is in an early stage of development, with an initial focus in the McMurdo Sound area using the proven Cape Roberts Project drilling technology. This award provides support for site survey work in three ANDRIL target areas that will result in new seismic information to address tectonic, basin history, and paleoenvironmental questions. The Principal Investigators have been invited to collaborate with a New Zealand seismic team during the 2001-2002 austral field season, and join an international collaborative effort with the United Kingdom and New Zealand to collect and interpret seismic data from the sea-ice and ice shelf in the McMurdo Sound region. US participation would allow the seismic program to include areas with considerable US interest. Financial support to enable the acquisition of seismic data in three target areas is the responsibility of the United States for New Harbour (NH), of New Zealand for Windless Bight (WB), and of the United Kingdom for Southern McMurdo Ice Shelf (SMIS). This project began initially as a 2-year NZ and UK collaborative project for WB and SMIS. At the ANDRILL Workshop (4/2001 at Oxford University) it became apparent that drill holes proposed in the New Harbour area could be the initial targets of ANDRILL because the extant drilling system would require little modification and because scientific targets require relatively modest investments in new site survey data. An invitation for the US to join this collaborative effort was extended to enable the collection of data in New Harbour during the first year of this project. In addition to the requisite site survey work, the seismic data will help address current questions regarding: (1) the geometry of sedimentary sequences that will provide insight on competing theories regarding development of the Victoria Land Basin, as well as cause and uplift history of the adjacent Transantarctic Mountains; (2) the contrasting stratigraphic history recorded in the Ferrar and Taylor valleys; (3) the postulated stability of the Dry Valley landscape under a cold, polar climate for the last 20 million years. The new seismic information will also enable the extension of existing drill core data into a broader stratigraphic framework. The spirit of international collaboration developed through the Cape Roberts Project and continuing with ANDRILL will result in scientific exchange during the follow-up studies of all three target areas. The existence of 12 drill holes in the McMurdo Sound/Dry Valleys region, combined with new seismic data to be acquired by this project and from marine vessels, and future drill holes, will make this region a focus of future chronostratigraphic correlation on the Antarctic continental shelf.