Scratching the surface: a new marine sediment provenance record from the continental slope of central Wilkes Land, East Antarctica

A principally igneous source is revealed with dominant age populations between c. 1200-1100 Ma and c. 1600-1300 Ma, characteristic of the proximal Banzare, Nuyina and Wilkes Provinces. The detrital geochronology suggests no change in sediment provenance over the last 23.5 ka, despite major ice sheet retreat during this time. A minor c. 700-500 Ma detrital age population unknown from the central Wilkes region was likely transported westward via icebergs to the core site.

These findings broadly correspond with earlier interpretations of the subglacial geology and erosion rates at the base of the ice sheet predicted from two ice sheet models, demonstrating the value of sediment provenance studies for uncovering proximal subglacial geology and reconstructing past ice sheet configurations.