Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Litholog and structure of the Grenville-aged (≈1.1 Ga) basement of heimefrontfjella (East Antarctica)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Geologische Rundschau Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Heimefrontfjella mountains, Western Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica), are dominantly composed of Grenville-aged (≈ 1.1 Ga) rocks, which were reworked during the Pan -African orogeny at ≈500 Ma. Three discontinuity-bounded Grenville-aged terranes have been recognized namely (from north to south) the Kottas, Sivorg and Vardeklettane terranes. The terranes contain their own characteristic lithological assemblages, although each is made up of an early supracrustal sequence of metavolcanic and/or metasedimentary gneisses, intruded by various (predominantly granitoid) suites. No older basement upon which the protoliths of these older gneisses were deposited has been recognized. In each terrane the older layered gneisses were intruded by various plutonic suites ranging in age from ≈ 1150 to ≈1000 Ma. The Vardeklettane terrane is characterized by abundant charnockites and two-pyroxene granulite facies parageneses in metabasites, whereas the Sivorg and Kottas terranes were metamorphosed to amphibolite facies grade. P-T estimates show that peak metamorphic conditions changed from ≈600°C at 8 kbar in the south, to ≈700 °C at 4 kbar in the northern Sivorg terrane. Regional greenschist retrogression of high-grade assemblages may be of Pan-African age. The Heimefrontfjella terranes were juxtaposed and pervasively deformed during a complex and protracted period of E-W collision orogenesis in a transpressive regime at ≈ 1.1 Ga. This is manifest as early, gently dipping thrust-related shear fabrics (D1), succeeded by the initiation of an important (D2) steep dextral shear zone (Heimefront shear zone, HSZ), during which the early fabrics and structures were steepened and rotated in an anticlockwise sense. The HSZ is a curvilinear structure which changes from a dextral oblique strike-slip lateral ramp in the north to a steep dip-slip frontal ramp in the south, where it forms the boundary between the Sivorg and Vardeklettane terranes. The Pan-African event is manifested as discrete, low- to medium-temperature ductile to brittle shears (D3) and numerous K/Ar cooling ages.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arndt N, Drücker C, Fielitz W, Hungeling E, Lippmann H, Miller H, Patzelt G, Sälzle A, Spaeth G, Tapfer M, Walter C, Weber K (1987) Die 2. Neuschwabenland-Expedition in die Kottas-Berge. Ber Polarf 3:134–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Arndt NT, Todt W, Chauvel C, Tapfer M, Weber K (1991) U-Pb zircon age and Nd isotopic composition of granitoids, charnockites and supracrustal rocks from Heimefrontfjella, Antarctica. Geol Rundsch 80:759–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer W (1995) Strukturentwicklung und Petrogenese des metamorphen Grundgebirges der nördlichen Heimefrontfjella (westliches Dronning Maud Land/Antarktika). Ber Polarf 171:1–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauer W, Jacobs J, Patzelt G, Siegesmund S, Spaeth G, Thomas RJ, Weber K, Wohltmann H (1996) Geologische Expedition in die Heim efrontfjella. Ber Polarf 188:78–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Bücksteeg A, Bauer W, Spaeth G (1995) Typologic studies of zircon populations from gneisses of the northern Heimefrontfjella (Antarctica). N Jahrb Geol Paläontol Abh 197:253–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Daziel IWD (1991) Pazific margins of Laurentia and East Antarctica-Australia as a conjugate rift pair: evidence and implications for an Eocambrian supercontinent. Geology 19:598–601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fielitz W, Spaeth G (1991) A structural survey of Precambrian rocks, Heimefrontfjella, western Neuschwabenland, with special reference to the basic dykes. In: Thomson MRA, Crane JA, Thomson JW (eds) Geological evolution of Antarctica. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 67–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Grantham GH, Groenewald PB, Hunter DR (1988) Geology of the northern H.U. Sverdrupfjella, western Dronning Maud Land and implications for Gondwana reconstructions. S Afr J Antarct Res 18:2–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Grantham GH, Storey BC, Thomas RJ, Jacobs J (1995) The prebreak-upposition of Haag Nunataks within Gondwana: possible correlatives in Dronning Maud Land and Natal. VII Int Symp Antarctic Earth Sciences (abstract), Siena, Italy, p. 169

  • Groenewald PB, Grantham GH, Watkeys MK (1991) Geological evidence for a Proterozoic to Mesozoic link between southeastern Africa and Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. J Geol Soc Lond 148:1115–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halpern M (1970) Rubidium-Strontium date of possibly three billion years for a granite rock from Antarctica. Science 169:977–978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman PF (1991) Did the breakout of Laurentia turn Gondwanaland inside out? Science 252:1409–1412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoppe G (196) Die Verwendbarkeit morphologischer Erscheinungen an akzessorischen Zirkonen für petrogenetische Auswertungen. Abh Dt Akad Wiss Berlin 1:1–131

  • Hotten R (1993) Die mafischen Gänge der Shackelton Range/ Antarktika: Petrographie, Geochemie, Isotopengeochemie und Paläomagnetik. Ber Polarf 118:1–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson C, Jacobs J (1995) Reconciliation of the kinematics and timing of deformation in contrasting structural domains within the 1.1 Ga terrains of western Dronning Maud Land. VII Int Symp Antarctic Earth Sciences (abstract), Siena, Italy, p. 208

  • Jackson C, Corner B, Ferrar G, Grantham GH, Groenewald GB, Harris PD, Krynauw JR (1993) Structural evolution of the Kirwanveggen and HU Sverdrupfjella, western Dronning Maud Land. Int Symp on the Tectonics of East Antarctica (abstract), Utrecht

  • Jacobs J (1991) Strukturelle Entwicklung und Abkühlungsgeschichte der Heimefrontfjella (Westliches Dronning Maud Land/Antarktika). Ber Polarf 97: 1–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs J, Thomas RJ (1994) Oblique collision at about 1.1 Ga along the southern margin of the Kaapvaal continent, southeast Africa. Geol Rundsch 83:322–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs J, Weber K (1993) Geologische Karte (Luftbildkarte) 1: 25000 Scharffenbergbotnen 1118 W 74 7. Ed. IfAG, Frankfurt/M

  • Jacobs J, Ahrendt H, Kreutzer H, Weber K (1995) K-Ar,40Ar-39Ar and apatite fission track evidence for Neoproterozoic and Mesozoic basement rejuvenation events in the Heimefrontfjella and Mannfallknausane (East Antarctica). Precamb Res 75:251–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs J, Kaul N, Weber K (1996) The history of denudation and resedimentation at the continental margin of western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, during break-up of Gondwana. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 108:191–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs J, Kreutzer S, Schnellbach U, Schulze P, Spaeth G, Zarske G (1991) Geologische Kartierung in der Heimefrontfjella. Ber Polarf 89:93–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs J, Thomas RJ, Weber K (1993) Accretion and indentation tectonics at the southern edge of the Kaapvaal craton during the Kibaran (Grenville) orogeny. Geology 21:203–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juckes LM (1972) The geology of north-eastern Heim efrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land. Br Ant Surv Sci Rep 65:1–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall J (1994) The Falkland Islands: a key element in Gondwana palaeogeography. Tectonics 13:499–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin AK, Hartnady CJH (1986) Plate tectonic development of the south west Indian Ocean: a revised reconstruction of East Antarctica and Africa. J Geophys Res 91(135):4767–4778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maslanyj MP, Storey BC (1990) Regional aeromagnetic anomalies in Ellesworth Land: crustal structure and Mesozoic microplate boundaries within West Antarctica. Tectonics 9:1515–1532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moores EM (1991) Southwest U.S. — East Antarctica (SWEAT) connection: a hypothesis. Geology 19:425–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moyes AB, Barton JM (1990) A review of isotopic data from western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Zbl Geol Paläon-tol Teil I, 1 (2):19–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyes AB, Barton JM, Groenewald PB (1993) Late Proterozoic to Early Palaeozoic tectonism in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica: supercontinental fragmentation and amalgamation. J Geol Soc 150:833–842

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pupin JP (1980) Zircon and granite petrology. Contrib Mineral Petrol 7:207–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze P (1992) Petrogenese des metamorphen Grundgebirges der zentralen Heimefrontfjella (westliches Dronning Maud Land/Antarktis). Ber Polarf 117:1–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Spaeth G, Fielitz W (1987) Structural investigations in the Precambrian of western Neuschwabenland, Antarctica. Polarforsch 57:71–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Storey BC, Pankhurst RJ, Johnson AC (1994) The Grenville Province within Antarctica: a test for the SWEAT hypothesis. J Geol Soc Lond 151:1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RJ (1989) A tale of two tectonic terranes. S Afr J Geol 92:306–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RJ, Eglington BM (1990) A Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and U-Pb zircon isotopic study of the Mzumbe suite, the oldest intrusive granitoid in southern Natal, South Africa. South Afr J Geol 93:761–765

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RJ, Du Plessis A, Fitch F, Marshall CGA, Miller JA, Brunn V von, Watkeys MK (1992) Geological studies in southern Natal and Transkei: implications for the Cape Drogen. In: De Wit MJ, Ransome IGD (eds) Inversion tectonics of the Cape Fold Belt, Karoo and Cretaceous basins of southern Africa. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 229–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas RJ, Jacobs J, Weber K (1995) Geology of the Mesoproterozoic Cape Meredith Complex, West Falkland. VII Int Symp on Antarctic Earth Sciences (abstract), Siena, Italy, p.

  • Weber K, Arndt N, Jacobs J, Peters M (1990) The Proterozoic evolution of New Schwabenland and its correlation with the southern part of Africa. Geodät Geophys Veröff Reihe 1 (15): 62–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Wemmer K (1991) K/Ar-Altersdatierungsmöglichkeiten für retrograde Deformationsprozesse im spröden und duktilen Bereich — Beispiele aus der KTB-Vorbohrung (Oberpfalz) und dem Bereich der Insubrischen Linie (N-Italien). Göttinger Arb Geol Paläontol 51: 1–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkler HGF (1974) Petrogenesis of metamorphic rocks. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wolmarans LG, Kent LE (1982) Geological investigations in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica: a synthesis. South Afr J Antarct Res (Suppl) 2:1–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Worsfold RJ (1967) The geology of southern Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land. Ph.D. thesis, University of Birmingham, 176 pp

  • Yardley BWD (1989) An introduction to metamorphic petrology. Longmann, Harlow

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universität Bremen, FB5-Geowissenschaften, Postfach 330440, D-28334, Bremen, Germany

    J. Jacobs

  2. Endogene Dynamik der RWTH Aachen, Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Geologie, Lochnerstr. 4-20, D-52056, Aachen, Germany

    W. Bauer & G. Spaeth

  3. Council for Geoscience, P.O. Box 900, 3200, Pietermaritzburg, RSA

    R. J. Thomas

  4. Institut für Geologie und Dynamik der Lithosphäre, Goldschmidtstr. 3, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany

    K. Weber

Authors
  1. J. Jacobs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. Bauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. Spaeth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. J. Thomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. Weber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jacobs, J., Bauer, W., Spaeth, G. et al. Litholog and structure of the Grenville-aged (≈1.1 Ga) basement of heimefrontfjella (East Antarctica). Geol Rundsch 85, 800–821 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02440112

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02440112

Keywords

Search

Navigation