Friday, 31 August 2007 - 1:30 PM
5.P1.C-1

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Ikaite Crystals in Antarctic Glacial Marine Sediments

Eugene W. Domack1, Galen Halverson2, Veronica Willmott1, Amy Leventer3, S. Brachfeld4, and Scott E. Ishman5. (1) Department of Geosciences, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13323, (2) School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, North Terrace, 5005, Australia, (3) Geology Department, Colgate University, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346, (4) Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, (5) Geology, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Parkinson Lab 303, Mail Code 4324, Carbondale, IL 62901

Summary
     Ikaite formation in Antarctic glacial marine muds is spatially limited to regions of the NW Weddell Sea (Vega Dift) and Eastern Bransfield Basin. The conditions providing this limited occurrence are related to the high regional productivity and very cold outflow of waters derived from  the Weddell Sea. Early diagenetic conditions contributing to the formation and preservation of abundant Ikaite in the Vega Drift are as yet unknown although preliminary geochemical indices on degraded ikaite (calcite) indicate that alternate carbonate phases (other than ikaite) are not yet stable to depths of 10’s of meters and the alkalinity is derived from microbial degradation of organic matter within the surrounding sediment, rather than methanogenesis at depth.

[Manuscript]

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