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Regional Structures and Geodynamic Evolution of North Greenwich (Fort Williams Point) and Dee Islands, South Shetland Islands

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Antarctica

Abstract

Morphological and structural studies of the Fort Williams Point area (Greenwich and Dee Islands) reveal two regional trends, NE-SW and NW-SE. Detailed field observations show that the NWSE structural direction is associated with dykes and fractures resulting from a NW-SE shortening. This shortening is interpreted as related to active basaltic volcanism during the Mesozoic “Andean” history of the area. The NE-SW structural trend is associated with NE-SW trending sinistral faults post-dating the Cretaceous volcanic units. Kinematic analysis shows a roughly N-S trending shortening. This event is interpreted as related to the opening of the Bransfield Basin located to the south-east.

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Dumont, J.F., Santana, E., Hervé, F., Zapata, C. (2006). Regional Structures and Geodynamic Evolution of North Greenwich (Fort Williams Point) and Dee Islands, South Shetland Islands. In: Fütterer, D.K., Damaske, D., Kleinschmidt, G., Miller, H., Tessensohn, F. (eds) Antarctica. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-32934-X_31

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