From Active to Passive Margins : The Basin and Highland Evolution of the Weddell Sea Sector, East Antarctica

Abstract

The thesis deals with the long-term thermal development and landscape evolution on two representative highlands near the passive continental margins of E-Antarctica. The Weddell Sea sector was placed in the gore of the former active continental margin and the interior of Gondwana. Here, the final amalgamation plus the initial break-up of Gondwana occurred. Nevertheless, the dynamic- and landscape development prior, whilst and after the Gondwana breakup near the margins is still rough or inconsistent. The thesis provides new insights into the landscape evolution and its response to tectonic and climatic changes. An interdisciplinary approach was applied including thermochronological applications as main methods with additional methods combining geology and morphological information. Resulting thermal histories imply cooling and reheating episodes. The Weddell Sea Sector was most of the time characterized by sediment basins, whereas high-elevated landscapes were comparatively short-lived.