Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 11:10 AM
4.A.B-4
Aeromagnetic anomaly patterns reveal buried faults along the eastern margin of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin (East Antarctica)
Egidio Armadillo1, F. Ferraccioli2, Andrea Zunino1, and Emanuele Bozzo1. (1) DIPTERIS, Università di Genova, V.le Benedetto XV,5, Genova, Italy, (2) Geological Sciences Division, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
The Wilkes Subglacial Basin (WSB) is the major morphological feature recognized in the hinterland of the Transantarctic Mountains. The origin of this basin is still contentious and relatively poorly understood due to the lack of extensive geophysical exploration. We present a new aeromagnetic anomaly map over the transition between the Transantarctic Mountains and the WSB for an area adjacent to northern Victoria Land. The aeromagnetic map reveals the existence of subglacial faults along the eastern margin of the WSB. These inferred faults connect previously proposed fault zones over Oates Land with those mapped along the Ross Sea Coast. Specifically we suggest a link between the Matusevich Frature Zone and the Priestley Fault. The new evidence for structural control on the eastern margin of the WSB implies that a purely flexural origin for the basin is unlikely.