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南极地质和地球物理项目提供，为研究费拉尔岩浆区提供资金，以了解该岩浆区的形成及其在冈瓦纳超大陆分裂中的作用。冈瓦纳古陆的解体是中生代最大的超大陆解体事件之一。断裂与一个横跨卡鲁河的非常大的侏罗纪镁铁质火成岩省的侵位有关（南部非洲），Ferrar（南极洲）和塔斯曼（澳大利亚）地区，包括大陆溢流玄武岩和广泛的侵入性粗玄岩。模型连接的发展，3,000公里的费拉尔省的地幔柱，一个主要的岩浆管道，或多个来源，对费拉尔省内的岩浆运输模式做出可检验的预测。该项目是一个试点研究，使用几种不同的技术，旨在评估这些模型，并提供了更好的了解侵位机制，流动方向和岩浆结构与费拉尔镁铁质侵入省南部维多利亚土地。我们的研究工具将包括基于构造场研究和地球化学对比技术绘制侵入体几何形状。将使用磁化率的各向异性以及介观和岩组流动指标来评估侵入杂岩内的岩浆流动方向。这些结果将有助于解决有关几何形状，传播和流动模式的岩浆在侵位的岩床和岩脉在基性岩大火成岩省突出的问题。它还将提供对地幔柱、玄武岩浆活动和大陆裂解之间关系的更深入理解。

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.