Geological Evolution of Antarctic Orogenic Systems
Summary
The Antarctic continent preserves a complex record of orogenic processes that shaped Gondwana and its margins from the Neoproterozoic through the Cenozoic. Major belts such as the Ross and Delamerian orogens record cycles of subduction, terrane accretion and continental collision along the palaeo-Pacific margin. Metamorphic facies range from blueschist and eclogite in Ross orogenic complexes to amphibolite and granulite in interior shields, reflecting burial–exhumation histories and crustal thickening. Arc magmatism and episodic alkaline intraplate magmatic events contributed to crustal growth and modification. Flanking sedimentary basins record shifting provenance, basin segmentation and glacial–interglacial cycles, illuminating the interplay between tectonics, climate and erosion. Advances in detrital geochronology, isotope systems and high-pressure petrology have refined the timing, kinematics and palaeogeography of Antarctic orogenic systems. These insights improve reconstructions of supercontinent assembly, inform models of crustal dynamics and have applications in mineral exploration and palaeoclimate studies by linking tectonic uplift with sedimentary and glacial records.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have applied detrital garnet Lu–Hf geochronology to modern sands and Permo-Carboniferous glacial strata, revealing an Ediacaran orogeny hidden beneath ice-covered East Antarctica. Garnet populations dated at ca. 590 Ma, absent from regional zircon records, trace back to convergent-margin metamorphism along Gondwana’s palaeo-Pacific margin. This work uncovers the inception of crustal reworking in East Antarctica, providing a new chronometer for deep-time orogenic events and refining the timeline of continental growth during Gondwanan assembly.
Geological Evolution of Antarctic Orogenic Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in geological evolution of antarctic orogenic systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Orogeny: A mountain-building event driven by plate convergence, crustal thickening and deformation.
Detrital Garnet Geochronology: Dating of transported garnet grains to reconstruct metamorphic and tectonic histories.
Lu–Hf Dating: A radiometric method using lutetium decay to hafnium in minerals to determine metamorphic ages.
Blueschist Facies: A high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphic regime typical of subduction zones.
Eclogite Facies: A very high-pressure metamorphic condition forming dense, garnet-omphacite assemblages in subducted crust.
Back-arc Setting: A region behind a volcanic arc where extension and basin formation occur due to retreat of the subducting plate.
References
- An Ediacaran orogeny in subglacial East Antarctica is uncovered by detrital garnet geochronology. Communications Earth & Environment (2024).
- Sedimentary protolith and high-P metamorphism of oxidized manganiferous quartzite from the Lanterman Range, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. European Journal of Mineralogy (2024).
- Geochemistry and zircon U–Pb ages of early Ordovician syenites from the Inexpressible Island, Antarctica and tectonic implications. Frontiers in Earth Science (2023).
- Nilsen Plateau, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica: an update on the Gondwana stratigraphy and structure. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics (2024).
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