55
data, Phartiyal et al. (2011) inferred that Schirmacher Oasis was dominated by glacial lakes between 12.5 and 13 K years. Phartiyal (2014), using environmental magnetic characteristics of sedimentary deposits of Schirmacher Oasis described six
phases of climatic fluctuations between 13 and 3 k years BP. Warrier et al. (2014)
and Mahesh et al. (2015) have reconstructed palaeoclimatic variation over past
42.5 K and 48 K years BP from the study of sediment particle size and productivity
respectively, with a strong correlation between the two results. In a study of sediments from two different lakes, Srivastava et al. (2018) have highlighted different
phases of warmer and cooler intervals by the fluctuation patterns in different sedimentological and statistical parameters concluding that warming of the region
began much before LGM.
11 Conclusion
The unassorted sediments of glacial and fluvio-glacial origin indicate differential
transportation, in a glacial and periglacial environment, essentially by the glacial
agency. The angularities of the edges are still preserved and the sub-rounding to
rounding of the grains, typical of the fluvial action, is seen only in case of channel
deposit. The quartz grains bear imprints of high energy, multiple source erosion.
The sedimentological studies and surface textures on quartz grain indicate that the
sediments are mostly of quartzose provenance. The Oasis has seen several alternating phases of warmer and colder climate.
References
Achyuthan H, Asthana R, Ravindra R, Eastoe C (2008) Radiocarbon dates and sedimentation
within the Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica. Abstract SCAR’s Open Science Congress, St.
Petersburg
Asthana R, Chaturvedi A (1998) The grain size behaviour and morphoscopy of supraglacial sediments south of Schirmacher Oasis East Antarctica. J Geol Soc India 52:557–568
Asthana R, shrivastava PK, Beg MJ, Shome S, Kachroo K (2009) Surface microtextures of quartz
grains from glaciolacustrine sediment core from Priyadarshini Lake, Schirmacher Oasis, East
Antarctica as revealed under scanning electron microscope. Indian J Geosci 63(2):205–214
Asthana R, Beg MJ, Swain AK, Dharwadkar A, Roy SK, Srivastava HB (2013) Sedimentary processes in two different polar periglacial environments: examples from Schirmacher Oasis and
Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 381:411–427
Baba S, Owada M, Grew ES, Shirajshi K (2006) Granulite from Schirmacher Hills, central
Dronning Land. In: Fütterer DK, Damaske D, Kleinschmidt G, Miller H, Tessensohn F (eds)
Antarctic contributions to global Earth science. Springer, Berlin
Bardin VJ (1971) Moraines of Antarctica. In: Adie RJ (ed) Antarctic geology and geophysics.
Universitetes for laget, Oslo, pp 663–667
Bera SK (2004) Late Holocene palaeo-winds and climatic changes in Eastern Antarctica as indicated by long distance transported pollen-spores and local microbiota in polar lake core sediments. Curr Sci 86(11):1485–1488
Glacial Sediments of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica and their Characteristics
data, Phartiyal et al. (2011) inferred that Schirmacher Oasis was dominated by glacial lakes between 12.5 and 13 K years. Phartiyal (2014), using environmental magnetic characteristics of sedimentary deposits of Schirmacher Oasis described six
phases of climatic fluctuations between 13 and 3 k years BP. Warrier et al. (2014)
and Mahesh et al. (2015) have reconstructed palaeoclimatic variation over past
42.5 K and 48 K years BP from the study of sediment particle size and productivity
respectively, with a strong correlation between the two results. In a study of sediments from two different lakes, Srivastava et al. (2018) have highlighted different
phases of warmer and cooler intervals by the fluctuation patterns in different sedimentological and statistical parameters concluding that warming of the region
began much before LGM.
11 Conclusion
The unassorted sediments of glacial and fluvio-glacial origin indicate differential
transportation, in a glacial and periglacial environment, essentially by the glacial
agency. The angularities of the edges are still preserved and the sub-rounding to
rounding of the grains, typical of the fluvial action, is seen only in case of channel
deposit. The quartz grains bear imprints of high energy, multiple source erosion.
The sedimentological studies and surface textures on quartz grain indicate that the
sediments are mostly of quartzose provenance. The Oasis has seen several alternating phases of warmer and colder climate.
References
Achyuthan H, Asthana R, Ravindra R, Eastoe C (2008) Radiocarbon dates and sedimentation
within the Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica. Abstract SCAR’s Open Science Congress, St.
Petersburg
Asthana R, Chaturvedi A (1998) The grain size behaviour and morphoscopy of supraglacial sediments south of Schirmacher Oasis East Antarctica. J Geol Soc India 52:557–568
Asthana R, shrivastava PK, Beg MJ, Shome S, Kachroo K (2009) Surface microtextures of quartz
grains from glaciolacustrine sediment core from Priyadarshini Lake, Schirmacher Oasis, East
Antarctica as revealed under scanning electron microscope. Indian J Geosci 63(2):205–214
Asthana R, Beg MJ, Swain AK, Dharwadkar A, Roy SK, Srivastava HB (2013) Sedimentary processes in two different polar periglacial environments: examples from Schirmacher Oasis and
Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 381:411–427
Baba S, Owada M, Grew ES, Shirajshi K (2006) Granulite from Schirmacher Hills, central
Dronning Land. In: Fütterer DK, Damaske D, Kleinschmidt G, Miller H, Tessensohn F (eds)
Antarctic contributions to global Earth science. Springer, Berlin
Bardin VJ (1971) Moraines of Antarctica. In: Adie RJ (ed) Antarctic geology and geophysics.
Universitetes for laget, Oslo, pp 663–667
Bera SK (2004) Late Holocene palaeo-winds and climatic changes in Eastern Antarctica as indicated by long distance transported pollen-spores and local microbiota in polar lake core sediments. Curr Sci 86(11):1485–1488
Glacial Sediments of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica and their Characteristics