Geomorphic evolution of Schirmacher Oasis, central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Lake Untersee is the largest ice-covered freshwater lake in the interior of East Antarctica. The mountain oasis is situated around it in the Gruber Mts. of the Wohlthat Massif. For approximately 7,000 years the area has been free of ice and the local climate relatively stable. It is very severe, cold, and windy and dominated by intense evaporation and sublimation but with little melt. Relative humidity averages only 37%. Vegetation is sparse in the oasis and previously only poorly investigated. Two lichen species and no bryophytes were known from the area. In November-December 2018, a survey of terrestrial flora and vegetation was made. The list of lichens was completed for the area, bryophytes were found for the first time, and some terrestrial algae were collected. In total, 23 lichen species, 1 lichenicolous fungus, 1 moss, and 18 terrestrial algae were discovered for the locality. The abundance of each species within their habitats was also evaluated. The lichen flora of the Untersee Oasis is typical for continental oases and similar to other previously investigated internal territories of Dronning Maud Land, except for the very rich lichen flora of the Schirmacher Oasis.

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Geology of Gjelsvikfjella and western Mühlig-Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land, east Antarctica

Polar Research ◽

10.3402/polar.v8i2.6808 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 99-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Y. Ohta ◽

B. O. Tørudbakken ◽

K. Shiraishi

Keyword(s):

East Antarctica ◽

Dronning Maud Land

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Evidence for physical and chemical stratification in Lake Untersee (central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica)

Antarctic Science ◽

10.1017/s0954102097000060 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 43-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

U. Wand ◽

G. Schwarz ◽

E. Brüggemann ◽

K. Bräuer

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Dissolved Oxygen ◽

Water Column ◽

Water Body ◽

East Antarctica ◽

Bacterial Sulphate Reduction ◽

Chemical Stratification ◽

Dronning Maud Land ◽

Physical And Chemical ◽

Vertical Gradients

Lake Untersee is the largest freshwater lake in the interior of East Antarctica. It is a perennially ice-covered, max. 169 m deep, ultra-oligotrophic lake. In contrast to earlier studies, we found clear evidence for physical and chemical stratification in the summer of 1991–92. However, the stratification was restricted to a trough, c. 500 m wide and up to 105 m deep, in the south-western part of the lake. There, the water body was distinctly stratified as indicated by sharp vertical gradients of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity. The water column was anoxic below 80 m. The chemical stratification is also indicated by changes of ionic ratios. Moreover, there was some evidence for methanogenesis and bacterial sulphate reduction in Lake Untersee.

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Rare and new for Antarctica species of algae from the continental waterbodies of Schirmacher Oasis

Novosti sistematiki nizshikh rastenii ◽

10.31111/nsnr/2021.55.2.335 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 335-347

Author(s):

S. V. Smirnova ◽

T. V. Safronova ◽

A. F. Luknitskaya ◽

O. N. Boldina

Keyword(s):

East Antarctica ◽

Algal Flora ◽

Schirmacher Oasis ◽

The Antarctic

One rare (Dinobryon cylindricum) and two new (Gonium pectorale, Staurastrum orbiculare) for the Antarctic algal flora species were found in the waterbodies of Schirmacher Oasis (East Antarctica). Their locations are described. Data on morphology, ecology and distribution of the recorded species are summarized.

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Holocene paleoclimatic variation in the Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica: A mineral magnetic approach

Polar Science ◽

10.1016/j.polar.2014.06.001 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 357-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Binita Phartiyal

Keyword(s):

East Antarctica ◽

Schirmacher Oasis ◽

Mineral Magnetic

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Meltwater flux and climate change record of last 18.5 ka from Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica

Polar Science ◽

10.1016/j.polar.2018.05.001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 135-141 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Pawan Govil ◽

Abhijit Mazumder ◽

Raghu Ram ◽

Dhruv Sen Singh ◽

Syed Azharuddin

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

East Antarctica ◽

Schirmacher Oasis

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Controlling factor for nature, pattern and accumulation of the glacial sediments of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica: Comments on paleoclimatic condition

Polar Science ◽

10.1016/j.polar.2018.05.004 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 ◽

pp. 113-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A.K. Srivastava ◽

P.S. Ingle ◽

N. Khare

Keyword(s):

East Antarctica ◽

Controlling Factor ◽

Glacial Sediments ◽

Schirmacher Oasis

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Newly found Tonian metamorphism in Akebono Rock, eastern Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Gondwana Research ◽

10.1016/j.gr.2021.09.009 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sotaro Baba ◽

Kenji Horie ◽

Tomokazu Hokada ◽

Mami Takehara ◽

Atsushi Kamei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

East Antarctica ◽

Dronning Maud Land

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Tectono-magmatic evolution of the Karoo and Kerguelen plumes and their impact onto magmatism of the East Antarctica

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5128 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nadezda Sushchevskaya ◽

German Leitchenkov ◽

Boris Belyatsky

Keyword(s):

Melting Process ◽

Oceanic Lithosphere ◽

East Antarctica ◽

Igneous Provinces ◽

Igneous Province ◽

Dronning Maud Land ◽

Tectonic Development ◽

Characteristic Features ◽

Intrusive Activity ◽

Lambert Glacier

The Mesozoic Karoo-Maud and Kerguelen plumes had a significant influence on Gondwana and the oceanic lithosphere. Jurassic magmatism, formed under the influence of a huge Karoo plume at 184&#8211;178 Ma ago, covered large areas of the Dronning Maud Land in East Antarctica. Later, 130 &#8211; 0 m.y. ago, under the influence of the Kerguelen plume, magmatism formed in the area of the Lambert glacier, and the Gaussberg volcano (Quaternary time) appeared, located on the coast opposite the Kerguelen archipelago. We assume that the Karoo mantle plume initiated the formation of a &#8220;mega-apophyses&#8221; from the main plume manifestation area within the Karoo province in the southeastern African continet (ca. 2000 km in diameter). These mega-apophyses are represented by the Ferrar Igneous Province (ca. 3000 km long area of intrusive activity along the Transantarctic Mountains) and a supposed igneous province (ca. 1500 km long) covering the East Antarctic coast between the Lazarev and Cosmonauts Seas. Based on petrological and geochemical studies, the characteristic features of magmas of the Karoo, Dronning Maud Land, and Ferrar igneous provinces have been determined, which indicate that for all magmas associated with Karoo and Kerguelen plumes, the main source of melt enrichment is a mantle source with characteristics of the EM-II component (most typically for magmas of the Ferrar Province). It reflects the properties of an enriched, fluid-rich, ancient continental mantle, metasomatized at the early stages of the tectonic development of the region and involved in the melting process. A rarer admixture of the ancient lithospheric component (EM-I, with 206Pb/204Pb = 16.5 and 143Nd/144Nd = 0.5122) was revealed in both plumes. The existence of mantle plumes in the Southern Hemisphere and their long-term development had a significant impact on the structure and evolution of the East Antarctica.

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