Collaborative Research - Emplacement of the Ferrar Mafic Igneous Province: A Pilot Study of Intrusive Architecture and Flow Directions in Southern Victoria Land.

该奖项由极地项目办公室的南极地质和地球物理项目提供，为研究费拉尔岩浆省提供资金，以了解该省的形成及其在冈瓦纳超大陆分裂中的作用。冈瓦纳的分散代表了显生宙最大的超大陆分裂事件之一。分裂与一个非常大的侏罗纪基性火成岩省的侵位有关，该火成岩省横跨Karoo（非洲南部）、Ferrar（南极洲）和Tasman（澳大利亚）地区，包括大陆洪水玄武岩和广泛的侵入白云岩。将3000公里的费拉尔省的发展与地幔柱、主要岩浆管道或多个来源联系起来的模型，对费拉尔省的岩浆运输模式做出了可测试的预测。该项目是一项试点研究，使用了几种不同的技术，旨在评估这些模型，并更好地了解与维多利亚州南部费拉尔基性侵入省相关的侵位机制、流动方向和岩浆结构。我们的研究工具将包括基于构造野外研究和地球化学对比技术的侵入性几何制图。利用磁化率各向异性、介观和岩组构流动指标评价岩浆在侵入杂岩体内的流动方向。这些结果将有助于解决基性大火成岩省岩脉侵位过程中岩浆的几何、传播和流动模式等突出问题。它还将对地幔柱、玄武岩岩浆活动和大陆分裂之间的关系提供更深入的了解。

This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, provides funds for a study to investigate the Ferrar magmatic province toward understanding of the formation of this province and its role in the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent. The dispersal of Gondwana represents one of the largest supercontinent breakup events in the Phanerozoic. Breakup was associated with the emplacement of a very large Jurassic mafic igneous province extending across the Karoo (southern Africa), Ferrar (Antarctica), and Tasman (Australia) regions, comprising continental flood basalts and extensive intrusive dolerites.Models linking development of the 3,000 km Ferrar province to a mantle plume, a major magma conduit, or multiple sources, make testable predictions about magma transport patterns within the Ferrar province. This project is a pilot study using several different techniques aimed at evaluating these models and providing a greater understanding of the emplacement mechanisms, flow directions, and magmatic architecture associated with the Ferrar mafic intrusive province in southern Victoria Land. Our research tools will include mapping intrusive geometry based on structural field studies and geochemical correlation techniques. Magma flow directions within the intrusive complex will be evaluated using anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, and mesoscopic and petrofabric flow indicators. These results will help resolve outstanding questions concerning the geometry, propagation, and flow patterns of magma during emplacement of sills and dikes in mafic large igneous provinces. It will also provide a deeper understanding of the relationships between mantle plumes, basaltic magmatism and continental breakup.