Interplay of turbidite and contourite deposition along the Cosmonaut Sea/Enderby Land margin, East Antarctica

Cenozoic environmental changes along the East Antarctic continental margin inferred from regional seismic stratigraphy

“…Horizon CS4 corresponds to the reflector P1 identified by Kuvaas and Leitchenkov (1992) in the Cooperation Sea and can probably be correlated with WL-U4 of DeSantis et al (2003) on the eastern Wilkes Land margin. This horizon also correlates with "regional reflector CS-4" recognized by Kuvaas et al (2005) in the Cosmonaut Sea at the "stratigraphic level at which channelized activity" is initiated.…”

“…3). Kuvaas et al (2005) interpreted large lens-shaped mounds on the Enderby Land margin as slope-plastered drifts formed under the influence of broad non-focused bottom currents flowing westward along the continental rise.…”

“…Multiform sediment mounds and zones of wavy reflectors (mud waves) above horizon "5" are interpreted as contourite drifts that mostly formed as a result of interaction between active along-slope bottom currents and down-slope turbidite flows (Kuvaas et al, 2005). Thus, widespread development of current-controlled drifts above horizon "5" indicates that since the Early Miocene, west-flowing bottom currents have been prevalent possibly due to active Antarctic Bottom Water formation.…”

Chapter 5 Cenozoic Climate History from Seismic Reflection and Drilling Studies on the Antarctic Continental Margin

“…PB-2, Foldouts PB-1 and PB-2; Mizukoshi et al, 1986, Stagg et al, 2004a. The lowermost seismic stratigraphic unit has parallel, mostly continuous reflectors typical of deep-ocean deposition that probably occurred during pre-ice-sheet times (Mizukoshi et al, 1986;Kuvaas and Leitchenkov, 1992;Kuvaas et al, 2005).…”

“…These regions include similar geomorphic and stratigraphic features. Although we do not include them in the discussion below due to space considerations, we include here representative citations to some of the studies published for the Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas Tucholke and Houtz, 1976;Tucholke, 1977;Kimura, 1982;Yamaguchi et al, 1988;Cunningham et al, 1994Cunningham et al, , 2002Gohl et al, 1997Gohl et al, , 2007Nitsche et al, 1997Nitsche et al, , 2000Wellner et al, 2001Wellner et al, , 2006Lowe and Anderson, 2002;Ó Cofaigh et al, 2005;Dowdeswell et al, 2006;Evans et al, 2006;Scheuer et al, 2006a, b;Larter et al, 2007;Uenzelmann-Neben et al, 2007) and for offshore areas of Queen Maud Land and Enderby Land (Kuvaas et al, 2004a(Kuvaas et al, , b, 2005Hinz et al, 2005;Stagg et al, 2004a, b;Leitchenkov et al, 2007;Solli et al, 2007a, b, c).…”