A 2.3 m-long core obtained from Marian Cove, King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica shows clues to the glaciomarine sedimentation during the Holocene. The lower part below 115cm-deep of the core is predominated by coarser ma...
A 2.3 m-long core obtained from Marian Cove, King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica shows clues to the glaciomarine sedimentation during the Holocene. The lower part below 115cm-deep of the core is predominated by coarser material such as diamictons compared with the higher part above 105cm dominated by finer material (rhythmite and massive muds). Based on the granulometric features the coarse materials are generally supposed to be glacially-driven and basal tills, whereas the fine materials appear to originate from various sources such as meltwater-supplied, glacially-supplied, wind-blown, and organic origins. However, the presence of erratic coarse particles in the finer materials suggests the ice-rafted origin of the relevant materials. The lower part below 105cm-deep of the core was characterized by lower TN, TC, and TOC contents, and by higher TS and CaCO$_3$ contents compared with its upper part. No significant changes in C/N ratio were shown throughout the core. The ice cliff along the east side of Marian Cove seemed to locate to the west by 1.6km at 8,300 years B. P. on the basis of the repetitive occurrence of rhythmite and diamicton. Since the retreat of ice cliff in 7,970${\pm}$70 years B. P. the sediments of Marian Cove were dominated by fine materials and ice-rafted materials. The abrupt increase of coarse materials in 175cm-4 deep seems to result from supply of coarse materials due to earthquake or other drastic phenomena.