Fission-track geochronology, tectonics and structure of the transantarctic mountains in Northern Victoria land, antarctica

Abstract

A regional fission-track dating study in northern Victoria Land (NVL) provides information on the amount, timing and variable rates of uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) at their northernmost extent. Apatite ages increase systematically with elevation and together with confined track length distributions, define a two-stage uplift history, although a variety of thermal histories, resolvable by use of confined track length distributions, exist for different parts of NVL. A pronounced "break in slope" in the apatite age-elevation profile for results from most of NVL occurs at ∼ 50 Ma, approximating the start of uplift of the mountains. This marks the base of an uplifted apatite annea..