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A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene

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A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene. / Zundel, Maximilian; Spiegel, Cornelia; Mark, Chris et al.
In: Science Advances, Vol. 10, No. 23, 07.06.2024.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Zundel, M, Spiegel, C, Mark, C, Millar, I, Chew, D, Klages, J, Gohl, K, Hillenbrand, C-D, Najman, Y, Salzmann, U, Ehrmann, W, Titschack, J, Bauersachs, T, Uenzelmann-Neben, G, Bickert, T, Müller, J, Larter, R, Lisker, F, Bohaty, S & Kuhn, G 2024, 'A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene', Science Advances, vol. 10, no. 23. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn6056

APA

Zundel, M., Spiegel, C., Mark, C., Millar, I., Chew, D., Klages, J., Gohl, K., Hillenbrand, C.-D., Najman, Y., Salzmann, U., Ehrmann, W., Titschack, J., Bauersachs, T., Uenzelmann-Neben, G., Bickert, T., Müller, J., Larter, R., Lisker, F., Bohaty, S., & Kuhn, G. (2024). A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene. Science Advances, 10(23). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn6056

Vancouver

Zundel M, Spiegel C, Mark C, Millar I, Chew D, Klages J et al. A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene. Science Advances. 2024 Jun 7;10(23). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn6056

Author

Zundel, Maximilian ; Spiegel, Cornelia ; Mark, Chris et al. / A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene. In: Science Advances. 2024 ; Vol. 10, No. 23.

Bibtex

@article{e9d1260869f94000be541173f8149d07,
title = "A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene",
abstract = "Extensive ice coverage largely prevents investigations of Antarctica{\textquoteright}s unglaciated past. Knowledge about environmental and tectonic development before large-scale glaciation, however, is important for understanding the transition into the modern icehouse world. We report geochronological and sedimentological data from a drill core from the Amundsen Sea shelf, providing insights into tectonic and topographic conditions during the Eocene (~44 to 34 million years ago), shortly before major ice sheet buildup. Our findings reveal the Eocene as a transition period from >40 million years of relative tectonic quiescence toward reactivation of the West Antarctic Rift System, coinciding with incipient volcanism, rise of the Transantarctic Mountains, and renewed sedimentation under temperate climate conditions. The recovered sediments were deposited in a coastal-estuarine swamp environment at the outlet of a >1500-km-long transcontinental river system, draining from the rising Transantarctic Mountains into the Amundsen Sea. Much of West Antarctica hence lied above sea level, but low topographic relief combined with low elevation inhibited widespread ice sheet formation.",
author = "Maximilian Zundel and Cornelia Spiegel and Chris Mark and Ian Millar and David Chew and Johann Klages and Karsten Gohl and Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand and Yani Najman and Ulrich Salzmann and Werner Ehrmann and J{\"u}rgen Titschack and Thorsten Bauersachs and Gabriele Uenzelmann-Neben and Torsten Bickert and Juliane M{\"u}ller and Rober Larter and Frank Lisker and Steve Bohaty and Gerhard Kuhn",
year = "2024",
month = jun,
day = "7",
doi = "10.1126/sciadv.adn6056",
language = "English",
volume = "10",
journal = "Science Advances",
issn = "2375-2548",
publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
number = "23",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A large-scale transcontinental river system crossed West Antarctica during the Eocene

AU - Zundel, Maximilian

AU - Spiegel, Cornelia

AU - Mark, Chris

AU - Millar, Ian

AU - Chew, David

AU - Klages, Johann

AU - Gohl, Karsten

AU - Hillenbrand, Claus-Dieter

AU - Najman, Yani

AU - Salzmann, Ulrich

AU - Ehrmann, Werner

AU - Titschack, Jürgen

AU - Bauersachs, Thorsten

AU - Uenzelmann-Neben, Gabriele

AU - Bickert, Torsten

AU - Müller, Juliane

AU - Larter, Rober

AU - Lisker, Frank

AU - Bohaty, Steve

AU - Kuhn, Gerhard

PY - 2024/6/7

Y1 - 2024/6/7

N2 - Extensive ice coverage largely prevents investigations of Antarctica’s unglaciated past. Knowledge about environmental and tectonic development before large-scale glaciation, however, is important for understanding the transition into the modern icehouse world. We report geochronological and sedimentological data from a drill core from the Amundsen Sea shelf, providing insights into tectonic and topographic conditions during the Eocene (~44 to 34 million years ago), shortly before major ice sheet buildup. Our findings reveal the Eocene as a transition period from >40 million years of relative tectonic quiescence toward reactivation of the West Antarctic Rift System, coinciding with incipient volcanism, rise of the Transantarctic Mountains, and renewed sedimentation under temperate climate conditions. The recovered sediments were deposited in a coastal-estuarine swamp environment at the outlet of a >1500-km-long transcontinental river system, draining from the rising Transantarctic Mountains into the Amundsen Sea. Much of West Antarctica hence lied above sea level, but low topographic relief combined with low elevation inhibited widespread ice sheet formation.

AB - Extensive ice coverage largely prevents investigations of Antarctica’s unglaciated past. Knowledge about environmental and tectonic development before large-scale glaciation, however, is important for understanding the transition into the modern icehouse world. We report geochronological and sedimentological data from a drill core from the Amundsen Sea shelf, providing insights into tectonic and topographic conditions during the Eocene (~44 to 34 million years ago), shortly before major ice sheet buildup. Our findings reveal the Eocene as a transition period from >40 million years of relative tectonic quiescence toward reactivation of the West Antarctic Rift System, coinciding with incipient volcanism, rise of the Transantarctic Mountains, and renewed sedimentation under temperate climate conditions. The recovered sediments were deposited in a coastal-estuarine swamp environment at the outlet of a >1500-km-long transcontinental river system, draining from the rising Transantarctic Mountains into the Amundsen Sea. Much of West Antarctica hence lied above sea level, but low topographic relief combined with low elevation inhibited widespread ice sheet formation.

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.adn6056

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.adn6056

M3 - Journal article

VL - 10

JO - Science Advances

JF - Science Advances

SN - 2375-2548

IS - 23

ER -