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Extensive ice coverage largely prevents investigations of Antarctica’s unglaciated past. Knowledge about environmental and tectonic development before large-scale glaciation, however, is important for understanding the transition into the modern icehouse world. We report geochronological and sedimentological data from a drill core from the Amundsen Sea shelf, providing insights into tectonic and topographic conditions during the Eocene (~44 to 34 million years ago), shortly before major ice sheet buildup. Our findings reveal the Eocene as a transition period from >40 million years of relative tectonic quiescence toward reactivation of the West Antarctic Rift System, coinciding with incipient volcanism, rise of the Transantarctic Mountains, and renewed sedimentation under temperate climate conditions. The recovered sediments were deposited in a coastal-estuarine swamp environment at the outlet of a >1500-km-long transcontinental river system, draining from the rising Transantarctic Mountains into the Amundsen Sea. Much of West Antarctica hence lied above sea level, but low topographic relief combined with low elevation inhibited widespread ice sheet formation.

Extensive ice coverage largely prevents investigations of Antarctica’s unglaciated past. Knowledge about environmental and tectonic development before large-scale glaciation, however, is important for understanding the transition into the modern icehouse world. We report geochronological and sedimentological data from a drill core from the Amundsen Sea shelf, providing insights into tectonic and topographic conditions during the Eocene (~44 to 34 million years ago), shortly before major ice sheet buildup. Our findings reveal the Eocene as a transition period from >40 million years of relative tectonic quiescence toward reactivation of the West Antarctic Rift System, coinciding with incipient volcanism, rise of the Transantarctic Mountains, and renewed sedimentation under temperate climate conditions. The recovered sediments were deposited in a coastal-estuarine swamp environment at the outlet of a >1500-km-long transcontinental river system, draining from the rising Transantarctic Mountains into the Amundsen Sea. Much of West Antarctica hence lied above sea level, but low topographic relief combined with low elevation inhibited widespread ice sheet formation.

To provide insights into glacier-climate dynamics of the South Shetland Islands (SSI), NW Antarctic Peninsula, we present a new deglaciation and readvance model for the Bellingshausen Ice Cap (BIC) on Fildes Peninsula and for King George Island/Isla 25 de Mayo (KGI) ~62°S. Deglaciation on KGI began after c. 15 cal. ka BP and had progressed to within present-day limits on the Fildes Peninsula, its largest ice-free peninsula, by c. 6.6–5.3 cal. ka BP. Probability density phase analysis of chronological data constraining Holocene glacier advances on KGI revealed up to eight 95% probability ‘gaps’ during which readvances could have occurred. These are grouped into four stages – Stage 1: a readvance and marine transgression, well-constrained by field data, between c. 7.4 and 6.6 cal. ka BP; Stage 2: four probability ‘gaps’, less well-constrained by field data, between c. 5.3 and 2.2 cal. ka BP; Stage 3: a well-constrained but restricted ‘readvance’ between c. 1.7 and 1.5 cal. ka BP; Stage 4: two further minor ‘readvances’, one less well-constrained by field data between c. 1.3 and 0.7 cal. ka BP (68% probability), and a ‘final’ well-constrained ‘readvance’ after <0.7 cal. ka BP. The Stage 1 readvance occurred as colder and more negative Southern Annular Mode (SAM)-like conditions developed, and marginally stronger/poleward shifted westerly winds led to more storms and precipitation on the SSI. Readvances after c. 5.3 cal. ka BP were possibly more frequent, driven by reducing spring/summer insolation at 62°S and negative SAM-like conditions, but weaker (equatorward shifted) Westerlies over the SSI led to reduced storminess, restricting readvances within or close to present day limits. Late Holocene readvances were anti-phased with subaquatic freshwater moss layers in lake records unaffected by glaciofluvial inputs. Retreat from ‘Neoglacial’ glacier limits and the recolonisation of lakes by subaquatic freshwater moss after 1950 CE is associated with recent warming/more pos

The timing and impact of deglaciation and Holocene readvances on the terrestrial continental margins of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) have been well-studied but are still debated. Potter Peninsula on King George Island (KGI) (Isla 25 de Mayo), South Shetland Islands (SSI), NW Antarctic Peninsula, has a detailed assemblage of glacial landforms and stratigraphic exposures for constraining deglacial landscape development and glacier readvances. We undertook new morphostratigraphic mapping of the deglaciated foreland of the Warszawa Icefield, an outlet of the Bellingshausen (Collins) Ice Cap on Potter Peninsula, using satellite imagery and new lithofacies recognition and interpretations, combined with new chronostratigraphic analysis of stratigraphic sections, lake sediments, and moraine deposits. Results show that the deglaciation on Potter Peninsula began before c. 8.2 ka. Around c. 7.0 ka, the Warszawa Icefield and the marine-facing Fourcade Glacier readvanced across Potter Peninsula and to the outer part of Potter Cove. Evidence of further readvances on Potter Peninsula was absent until the Warszawa Icefield margin was landward of its present position on three occasions: c. 1.7–1.4 ka, after c. 0.7 ka (most likely c. 0.5–0.1 ka), and by 1956 CE. The timing of Holocene deglaciation and glacier fluctuations on Potter Peninsula are broadly coeval with other glacier- and ice-free areas on the SSI and the northern AP and likely driven by interactions between millennial–centennial-scale changes in solar insolation and irradiance, the southern westerlies, and the Southern Annular Mode.

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT; ~34.4–33.7 Ma) was a major shift in Earth’s long-term climatic evolution, marking the cooling from the early Paleogene greenhouse to the icehouse regime that has prevailed from the Oligocene until today. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were already covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (EOGM; ~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation immediately following the EOT. The scarcity of earliest Oligocene climate records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions hitherto prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the EOGM. Such constraints, however, are critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during the early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first shallow-marine drill-core record of earliest Oligocene environmental conditions in West Antarctica’s Pacific sector. It comprises marine mudstones documenting the presence of a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a marine archipelago at 73.5°S palaeolatitude. Any evidence for marine-terminating glaciers is lacking, thus no land-based ice or only small ice caps existed in West Antarctica during the EOGM. Our new EOGM temperature and topographical constraints allow for more reliable verification of a fully-coupled Earth System Model. It simulates a large East Antarctic ice sheet already during the EOGM. However, West Antarctica does not glaciate until ~26 Ma, thereby illustrating the significance of asymmetric Antarctic ice sheet response during initial Cenozoic glaciation and highlighting the importance of differential regional response for future cryospheric change.

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT; ~34.4–33.7 Ma) was a major shift in Earth’s long-term climatic evolution, marking the cooling from the early Paleogene greenhouse to the icehouse regime that has prevailed from the Oligocene until today. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were already covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (EOGM; ~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation immediately following the EOT. The scarcity of earliest Oligocene climate records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions hitherto prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the EOGM. Such constraints, however, are critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during the early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first shallow-marine drill-core record of earliest Oligocene environmental conditions in West Antarctica’s Pacific sector. It comprises marine mudstones documenting the presence of a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a marine archipelago at 73.5°S palaeolatitude. Any evidence for marine-terminating glaciers is lacking, thus no land-based ice or only small ice caps existed in West Antarctica during the EOGM. Our new EOGM temperature and topographical constraints allow for more reliable verification of a fully-coupled Earth System Model. It simulates a large East Antarctic ice sheet already during the EOGM. However, West Antarctica does not glaciate until ~26 Ma, thereby illustrating the significance of asymmetric Antarctic ice sheet response during initial Cenozoic glaciation and highlighting the importance of differential regional response for future cryospheric change.

The Eocene–Oligocene Transition (~34.4–33.7 Ma) marks a major step in the long-term evolution from the greenhouse climate of the Early Palaeogene to the icehouse regime of the Late Neogene and Quaternary. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation inferred from deep-sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records that immediately follows the Eocene-Oligocene Transition. The scarcity of Late Eocene and Early Oligocene continental and shallow-marine records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions has prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the Early Oligocene, which is critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first Early Oligocene shallow-marine record from the Pacific margin of West Antarctica, recovered from the central Amundsen Sea Embayment shelf on RV Polarstern expedition PS104 at Site 21. Marine mudstones recovered at this site document the presence of a vegetated archipelago at a palaeo-latitude of 73.5°S. Pollen assemblages and organic biomarker proxies indicate a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a productive marine archipelago. No evidence for marine terminating ice was detected in the cores from Site 21, thus indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was small or entirely absent during the Early Oligocene.

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (~34.4–33.7 Ma) marks a major step in the long-term evolution from the greenhouse climate of the Early Palaeogene to the icehouse regime of the Late Neogene and Quaternary. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation inferred from deep-sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records that immediately follows the Eocene-Oligocene Transition. The scarcity of Late Eocene and Early Oligocene continental and shallow-marine records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions has prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the Early Oligocene, which is critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first Early Oligocene shallow-marine record from the Pacific margin of West Antarctica, recovered from the central Amundsen Sea Embayment shelf on RV Polarstern expedition PS104 at Site 21. Marine mudstones recovered at this site document the presence of a vegetated archipelago at a palaeo-latitude of 73.5°S. Pollen assemblages and organic biomarker proxies indicate a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a productive marine archipelago. No evidence for marine terminating ice was detected in the cores from Site 21, thus indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was small or entirely absent during the Early Oligocene.

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (~34.4–33.7 Ma) marks a major step in the long-term evolution from the greenhouse climate of the Early Palaeogene to the icehouse regime of the Late Neogene and Quaternary. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation inferred from deep-sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records that immediately follows the Eocene-Oligocene Transition. The scarcity of Late Eocene and Early Oligocene continental and shallow-marine records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions has prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the Early Oligocene, which is critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first Early Oligocene shallow-marine record from the Pacific margin of West Antarctica, recovered from the central Amundsen Sea Embayment shelf on RV Polarstern expedition PS104 at Site 21. Marine mudstones recovered at this site document the presence of a vegetated archipelago at a palaeo-latitude of 73.5°S. Pollen assemblages and organic biomarker proxies indicate a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a productive marine archipelago. No evidence for marine terminating ice was detected in the cores from Site 21, thus indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was small or entirely absent during the Early Oligocene.

The Eocene-Oligocene Transition (~34.4–33.7 Ma) marks a major step in the long-term evolution from the greenhouse climate of the Early Palaeogene to the icehouse regime of the Late Neogene and Quaternary. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation inferred from deep-sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records that immediately follows the Eocene-Oligocene Transition. The scarcity of Late Eocene and Early Oligocene continental and shallow-marine records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions has prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the Early Oligocene, which is critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first Early Oligocene shallow-marine record from the Pacific margin of West Antarctica, recovered from the central Amundsen Sea Embayment shelf on RV Polarstern expedition PS104 at Site 21. Marine mudstones recovered at this site document the presence of a vegetated archipelago at a palaeo-latitude of 73.5°S. Pollen assemblages and organic biomarker proxies indicate a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a productive marine archipelago. No evidence for marine terminating ice was detected in the cores from Site 21, thus indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was small or entirely absent during the Early Oligocene.

The Eocene–Oligocene Transition (~34.4–33.7 Ma) marks a major step in the long-term evolution from the greenhouse climate of the Early Palaeogene to the icehouse regime of the Late Neogene and Quaternary. However, it remains uncertain which landmasses were covered by ice sheets during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma), an interval of peak glaciation inferred from deep-sea benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope records that immediately follows the Eocene-Oligocene Transition. The scarcity of Late Eocene and Early Oligocene continental and shallow-marine records in both Arctic and Antarctic regions has prevented the reconstruction of environmental conditions and ice-sheet extent during the Early Oligocene, which is critical for assessing ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions during early stages of the Cenozoic icehouse. Here, we present the first Early Oligocene shallow-marine record from the Pacific margin of West Antarctica, recovered from the central Amundsen Sea Embayment shelf on RV Polarstern expedition PS104 at Site 21. Marine mudstones recovered at this site document the presence of a vegetated archipelago at a palaeo-latitude of 73.5°S. Pollen assemblages and organic biomarker proxies indicate a cool-temperate Nothofagus-dominated forest situated within a productive marine archipelago. No evidence for marine terminating ice was detected in the cores from Site 21, thus indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was small or entirely absent during the Early Oligocene.

The mid-Cretaceous was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years (Myr) driven by atmospheric CO2 levels around 1000 ppmv. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it remains disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we present results from a unique sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf. This by far southernmost Cretaceous record contains an intact ~3 m-long network of in-situ fossil roots. The roots are embedded in a mudstone matrix bearing diverse pollen and spores, indicative of a temperate lowland rainforest environment at a palaeolatitude of ~82°S during the Turonian–Santonian (93–83 Myr). A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric CO2 contents of 1120–1680 ppmv and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo in high-CO2 climate worlds.

The mid-Cretaceous period was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years, driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of around 1,000 parts per million by volume. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it is disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we use a sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf—the southernmost Cretaceous record reported so far—and show that a temperate lowland rainforest environment existed at a palaeolatitude of about 82° S during the Turonian–Santonian age (92 to 83 million years ago). This record contains an intact 3-metre-long network of in situ fossil roots embedded in a mudstone matrix containing diverse pollen and spores. A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of 1,120–1,680 parts per million by volume and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo under high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The mid-Cretaceous period was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years1,2,3,4,5, driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of around 1,000 parts per million by volume6. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it is disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we use a sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf—the southernmost Cretaceous record reported so far—and show that a temperate lowland rainforest environment existed at a palaeolatitude of about 82° S during the Turonian–Santonian age (92 to 83 million years ago). This record contains an intact 3-metre-long network of in situ fossil roots embedded in a mudstone matrix containing diverse pollen and spores. A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of 1,120–1,680 parts per million by volume and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo under high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The mid-Cretaceous period was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years, driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of around 1,000 parts per million by volume. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it is disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we use a sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf—the southernmost Cretaceous record reported so far—and show that a temperate lowland rainforest environment existed at a palaeolatitude of about 82° S during the Turonian–Santonian age (92 to 83 million years ago). This record contains an intact 3-metre-long network of in situ fossil roots embedded in a mudstone matrix containing diverse pollen and spores. A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of 1,120–1,680 parts per million by volume and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo under high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The mid-Cretaceous was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years (Myr) driven by atmospheric CO2 levels around 1000 ppmv. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it remains disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we present results from a unique sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf. This by far southernmost Cretaceous record contains an intact ~3 m-long network of in-situ fossil roots. The roots are embedded in a mudstone matrix bearing diverse pollen and spores, indicative of a temperate lowland rainforest environment at a palaeolatitude of ~82°S during the Turonian–Santonian (93–83 Myr). A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric CO2 contents of 1120–1680 ppmv and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo in high-CO2 climate worlds.

The mid-Cretaceous period was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years1,2,3,4,5, driven by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of around 1,000 parts per million by volume6. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it is disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we use a sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf—the southernmost Cretaceous record reported so far—and show that a temperate lowland rainforest environment existed at a palaeolatitude of about 82° S during the Turonian–Santonian age (92 to 83 million years ago). This record contains an intact 3-metre-long network of in situ fossil roots embedded in a mudstone matrix containing diverse pollen and spores. A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations of 1,120–1,680 parts per million by volume and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo under high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The area to the northwest of Svalbard was repeatedly affected by tectono-magmatic events during the opening of the Arctic Ocean including the formation of the Cretaceous High Arctic Large Igneous Province, the Late Cretaceous/early Cenozoic birth of the Eurasian Basin, and the establishment of a full seafloor-spreading regime along the Lena Trough/Fram Strait in the middle Miocene. These processes also affected the Sophia Basin located between the Yermak Plateau and the northern Svalbard Shelf. In 2013 a piece of basalt was dredged from the southern flank of the Mosby Seamount, the central landmark within the Sophia Basin. According to Ar–Ar dating on fresh plagioclase the basalt erupted at ~ 13 Ma, contemporaneous with incipient seafloor spreading in the nearby Lena Trough and volcanic activity on northern Svalbard. If the dredged basalt is temporally related to sediment-covered lava flows and sill intrusions around Mosby Seamount, which were revealed by seismic reflections, then the age of the sedimentary cover must be middle Miocene or younger. This finding will improve the regional seismo-stratigraphy.

The mid-Cretaceous was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years (Myr) driven by atmospheric CO2 levels around 1000 ppmv. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it remains disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we present results from a unique sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf. This by far southernmost Cretaceous record contains an intact ~3 m-long network of in-situ fossil roots. The roots are embedded in a mudstone matrix bearing diverse pollen and spores, indicative of a temperate lowland rainforest environment at a palaeolatitude of ~82°S during the Turonian–Santonian (92–83 Myr). A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric CO2 contents of 1120–1680 ppmv and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo in high-CO2 climate worlds.

West Antarctica hosts one of the largest continental rift systems on earth. Due to the extensive ice cover and the lack of exposed sedimentary rocks, little is known about the detailed geological and climatic evolution of West Antarc- tica. Here we present initial geochronologic, petrographic, stratigraphic, palynologic and clay mineralogy data of the first drill cores from the Amundsen Sea, off West Antarctica. The drilled succession revealed fine-grained, plant- bearing sediments of late Cretaceous age (∼93 to 85 Ma), deposited during continental stretching and breakup between West Antarctica and New Zealand. The Cretaceous deposits are separated by a peat layer from coarse- grained sandstones, which contain zircon and apatite yielding U-Pb ages of ca. 46-39 Ma. This implies a hiatus of at least 40 Myr between the fine-grained Cretaceous deposits and the overlying sandstones, which is in agreement with the absence of in-situ or reworked Paleocene to early/mid-Eocene palynomorphs. We tentatively interpret this hiatus as reflecting tectonic quiescence and slow downwearing, or non-deposition. This interpretation supports our previous thermochronological data from the onshore realm, which show that extension-related exhumation ceased at the end of the Cretaceous. We interpret renewed deposition during the upper Eocene to Oligocene to reflect renewed rapid exhumation along the West Antarctic Rift System and the rise of the Transantarctic Mountains. As well as the Eocene dates, the Eocene to Oligocene sandstones contain Cambro-Silurian, Permo-Triassic, Early Jurassic and Cretaceous apatite U-Pb age groups, which we interpret as derived from the Transantarctic Moun- tains (igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Cambro-Ordovician Ross Orogeny, and volcanic rocks related to the Early Jurassic Ferrar volcanic event) and Marie Byrd Land / West Antarctica (Permo-Triassic magmatic arc and widespread Cretaceous batholiths). Unusual for this kind of lithology, the sandstones’ apat

The first low‐temperature thermochronological data from Thurston Island, West Antarctica, provide insights into the poorly constrained thermo‐tectonic evolution of the paleo‐Pacific margin of Gondwana since the Late Paleozoic. Here we present the first apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite (U‐Th‐Sm)/He (AHe) data from Carboniferous to mid‐Cretaceous (meta‐) igneous rocks from the Thurston Island area. Thermal history modeling of AFT dates of 145–92 Ma and AHe dates of 112–71 Ma, in combination with kinematic indicators, geological information and thermobarometrical measurements, indicate a complex thermal history with at least six episodes of cooling and reheating. Thermal history models are interpreted to reflect Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic tectonic uplift of pre‐Jurassic arc sequences, prior to the formation of an extensional Jurassic–Early Cretaceous back‐arc basin up to 4.5 km deep, which was deepened during intrusion and rapid exhumation of rocks of the Late Jurassic granite suite. Overall Early to mid‐Cretaceous exhumation and basin inversion coincided with an episode of intensive magmatism and crustal thickening and was followed by exhumation during formation of the Zealandia‐West Antarctica rift and continental break‐up. Final exhumation since the Oligocene was likely triggered by activity of the West Antarctic rift system and by glacial erosion.

The mid-Cretaceous was one of the warmest intervals of the past 140 million years (Myr) driven by atmospheric CO2 levels around 1000 ppmv. In the near absence of proximal geological records from south of the Antarctic Circle, it remains disputed whether polar ice could exist under such environmental conditions. Here we present results from a unique sedimentary sequence recovered from the West Antarctic shelf. This by far southernmost Cretaceous record contains an intact ~3 m-long network of in-situ fossil roots. The roots are embedded in a mudstone matrix bearing diverse pollen and spores, indicative of a temperate lowland rainforest environment at a palaeolatitude of ~82°S during the Turonian–Santonian (92–83 Myr). A climate model simulation shows that the reconstructed temperate climate at this high latitude requires a combination of both atmospheric CO2 contents of 1120–1680 ppmv and a vegetated land surface without major Antarctic glaciation, highlighting the important cooling effect exerted by ice albedo in high-CO2 climate worlds.

The area to the northwest of Svalbard was repeatedly affected by tectono-magmatic events during the opening of the Arctic Ocean including the formation of the Cretaceous High Arctic Large Igneous Province, the Late Cretaceous/early Cenozoic birth of the Eurasian Basin, and the establishment of a full seafloor-spreading regime along the Lena Trough/Fram Strait in the middle Miocene. These processes also affected the Sophia Basin located between the Yermak Plateau and the northern Svalbard Shelf. In 2013 a piece of basalt was dredged from the southern flank of the Mosby Seamount, the central landmark within the Sophia Basin. According to Ar–Ar dating on fresh plagioclase the basalt erupted at ~ 13 Ma, contemporaneous with incipient seafloor spreading in the nearby Lena Trough and volcanic activity on northern Svalbard. If the dredged basalt is temporally related to sediment-covered lava flows and sill intrusions around Mosby Seamount, which were revealed by seismic reflections, then the age of the sedimentary cover must be middle Miocene or younger. This finding will improve the regional seismo-stratigraphy.

West Antarctica hosts one of the largest continental rift systems on earth. Due to the extensive ice cover and the lack of exposed sedimentary rocks, little is known about the detailed geological and climatic evolution of West Antarc- tica. Here we present initial geochronologic, petrographic, stratigraphic, palynologic and clay mineralogy data of the first drill cores from the Amundsen Sea, off West Antarctica. The drilled succession revealed fine-grained, plant- bearing sediments of late Cretaceous age (∼93 to 85 Ma), deposited during continental stretching and breakup between West Antarctica and New Zealand. The Cretaceous deposits are separated by a peat layer from coarse- grained sandstones, which contain zircon and apatite yielding U-Pb ages of ca. 46-39 Ma. This implies a hiatus of at least 40 Myr between the fine-grained Cretaceous deposits and the overlying sandstones, which is in agreement with the absence of in-situ or reworked Paleocene to early/mid-Eocene palynomorphs. We tentatively interpret this hiatus as reflecting tectonic quiescence and slow downwearing, or non-deposition. This interpretation supports our previous thermochronological data from the onshore realm, which show that extension-related exhumation ceased at the end of the Cretaceous. We interpret renewed deposition during the upper Eocene to Oligocene to reflect renewed rapid exhumation along the West Antarctic Rift System and the rise of the Transantarctic Mountains. As well as the Eocene dates, the Eocene to Oligocene sandstones contain Cambro-Silurian, Permo-Triassic, Early Jurassic and Cretaceous apatite U-Pb age groups, which we interpret as derived from the Transantarctic Moun- tains (igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Cambro-Ordovician Ross Orogeny, and volcanic rocks related to the Early Jurassic Ferrar volcanic event) and Marie Byrd Land / West Antarctica (Permo-Triassic magmatic arc and widespread Cretaceous batholiths). Unusual for this kind of lithology, the sandstones’ apat

The first low‐temperature thermochronological data from Thurston Island, West Antarctica, provide insights into the poorly constrained thermo‐tectonic evolution of the paleo‐Pacific margin of Gondwana since the Late Paleozoic. Here we present the first apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite (U‐Th‐Sm)/He (AHe) data from Carboniferous to mid‐Cretaceous (meta‐) igneous rocks from the Thurston Island area. Thermal history modeling of AFT dates of 145–92 Ma and AHe dates of 112–71 Ma, in combination with kinematic indicators, geological information and thermobarometrical measurements, indicate a complex thermal history with at least six episodes of cooling and reheating. Thermal history models are interpreted to reflect Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic tectonic uplift of pre‐Jurassic arc sequences, prior to the formation of an extensional Jurassic–Early Cretaceous back‐arc basin up to 4.5 km deep, which was deepened during intrusion and rapid exhumation of rocks of the Late Jurassic granite suite. Overall Early to mid‐Cretaceous exhumation and basin inversion coincided with an episode of intensive magmatism and crustal thickening and was followed by exhumation during formation of the Zealandia‐West Antarctica rift and continental break‐up. Final exhumation since the Oligocene was likely triggered by activity of the West Antarctic rift system and by glacial erosion.

Non-glaciated mountain headwater catchments feature high-resolution geomorphic archives, which provide important insight into erosive processes and sediment dynamics in mountain ranges. As such the Valle de la Fueva catchments in the southern Pyrenees present high-lying talus remnants, extensive denudation surfaces (pediments), deeply incised tributary ravines, and low-lying fluvial-cut terraces. Based on geomorphic analyses and absolute dating using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides and optically stimulated luminescence, a (late stage) catchment erosion model for the Valle de la Fueva was elaborated and indicates successive development stages of (i) lasting pedimentation under cold-climate conditions during Marine Isotope Stages 4−2, (ii) rapid fluvial dissection, sediment remobilization and downcutting of ravines in response to the last major climate transition and establishing interglacial conditions, and (iii) late stage fluvial incision after 3−4 ka due to regionally increased flood magnitudes, and/or intensification of agriculture and forest management. Valle de la Fueva headwater catchment analysis indicated that the styles and magnitudes of basin surface processes were directly correlated with the amplitude and nature of paleoclimatic changes, modified by the interplay of environmental parameters. In contrast to large-scale fluvial systems, mountain headwater catchments seemed to be less afflicted with temporal and spatial averaging biases. They are thus useful targets for investigating direct climate change effects, surface process coupling, and non-linear response mechanisms in Quaternary fluvial systems.

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the least understood rift systems on earth, but displays a unique coupled relationship between tectonic processes and ice sheet dynamics. Geothermal heat flux is a poorly constrained parameter in Antarctica and suspected to affect basal conditions of ice sheets, i.e., basal melting and subglacial hydrology. Thermomechanical models demonstrate the influential boundary condition of geothermal heat flux for (paleo-)ice sheet stability. Young, continental rift systems are regions with significantly elevated geothermal heat flux, because the transient thermal perturbation to the lithosphere caused by rifting requires ~100 Ma to reach long-term thermal equilibrium. We discuss airborne, high-resolution magnetic anomaly data from the Amundsen Sea sector to provide additional insight into deeper crustal structures related to the West Antarctic Rift System in the Amundsen Sea sector. Using depth-to-the-bottom of the magnetic source (DBMS) estimates, we reveal spatial changes at the bottom of the igneous crust and the thickness of the magnetic layer, which can be further incorporated into tectonic interpretations and which is used to derive geothermal heat flux, supplemented by heat flux derived from measured temperature gradients in shelf sediments. We relate the distribution of geothermal heat flux to paleo and present ice sheet flow conditions.

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the least understood rift systems on earth, but displays a unique coupled relationship between tectonic processes and ice sheet dynamics. Geothermal heat flux is a poorly constrained parameter in Antarctica and suspected to affect basal conditions of ice sheets, i.e., basal melting and subglacial hydrology. Thermomechanical models demonstrate the influential boundary condition of geothermal heat flux for (paleo-)ice sheet stability. Young, continental rift systems are regions with significantly elevated geothermal heat flux, because the transient thermal perturbation to the lithosphere caused by rifting requires ~100 Ma to reach long-term thermal equilibrium. We discuss airborne, high-resolution magnetic anomaly data from the Amundsen Sea sector to provide additional insight into deeper crustal structures related to the West Antarctic Rift System in the Amundsen Sea sector. Using depth-to-the-bottom of the magnetic source (DBMS) estimates, we reveal spatial changes at the bottom of the igneous crust and the thickness of the magnetic layer, which can be further incorporated into tectonic interpretations and which is used to derive geothermal heat flux, supplemented by heat flux derived from measured temperature gradients in shelf sediments. We relate the distribution of geothermal heat flux to paleo and present ice sheet flow conditions.

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the least understood rift systems on earth, but displays a unique coupled relationship between tectonic processes and ice sheet dynamics. Geothermal heat flux (GHF) is a poorly constrained parameter in Antarctica and suspected to affect basal conditions of ice sheets, i.e., basal melting and subglacial hydrology. Thermomechanical models demonstrate the influential boundary condition of geothermal heat flux for (paleo) ice sheet stability. Young, continental rift systems are regions with significantly elevated geothermal heat flux (GHF), because the transient thermal perturbation to the lithosphere caused by rifting requires ~100 Ma to reach long-term thermal equilibrium. We discuss airborne, high-resolution magnetic anomaly data from the Amundsen Sea Sector, to provide additional insight into deeper crustal structures related to the West Antarctic Rift System in the Amundsen/Bellingshausen sector. With the depth-to-the-bottom of the magnetic source (DBMS) estimates we reveal spatial changes at the bottom of the igneous crust and the thickness of the magnetic layer, which can be further incorporated into tectonic interpretations. The DBMS also marks an important temperature transition zone of approximately 580°C and therefore serves as a boundary condition for our numerical FEM thermal models in 2D and 3D.

The area to the northwest of Svalbard was affected by repeated tectono-magmatic processes starting from the Cretaceous formation of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, to Late Cretaceous/early Cenozoic birth of the Eurasian Basin towards the establishment of a full seafloor-spreading regime along the Lena Trough/Fram Strait in Middle Miocene. These processes also affected the Sophia Basin located in-between the Yermak Plateau and the northern Svalbard Shelf. In 2013 a little piece of basalt could be dredged from the southern flank of the Mosby Seamount, the central landmark within the Sophia Basin. Geochemical analyses support our assumption that the rock fragment has a local origin and that it was not rafted towards the sample site by ice. The trace element composition implies that the basalt had incorporated marine sediments and also Fe-Mn crusts or nodules. According to geochronological data the basalt erupted ~13 Ma, contemporaneous to incipient seafloor spreading in the nearby Lena Trough and volcanic activity in northern Svalbard. Assuming a link of the dredged basalt with seismic indication of sediment covered lava flows and sill intrusion around Mosby Seamount, its middle Miocene age can be used to better constrain the regional seismo-stratigraphy.

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the least understood rift systems on earth, but displays a unique coupled relationship between tectonic processes and ice sheet dynamics. Geothermal heat flux (GHF) is a poorly constrained parameter in Antarctica and suspected to affect basal conditions of ice sheets, i.e., basal melting and subglacial hydrology. Thermomechanical models demonstrate the influential boundary condition of geothermal heat flux for (paleo) ice sheet stability. Young, continental rift systems are regions with significantly elevated geothermal heat flux (GHF), because the transient thermal perturbation to the lithosphere caused by rifting requires ~100 Ma to reach long-term thermal equilibrium. We discuss airborne, high-resolution magnetic anomaly data from the Amundsen Sea Sector, to provide additional insight into deeper crustal structures related to the West Antarctic Rift System in the Amundsen/Bellingshausen sector. With the depth-to-the-bottom of the magnetic source (DBMS) estimates we reveal spatial changes at the bottom of the igneous crust and the thickness of the magnetic layer, which can be further incorporated into tectonic interpretations. The DBMS also marks an important temperature transition zone of approximately 580°C and therefore serves as a boundary condition for our numerical FEM thermal models in 2D and 3D.

The area to the northwest of Svalbard was affected by repeated tectono-magmatic processes starting from the Cretaceous formation of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, to Late Cretaceous/early Cenozoic birth of the Eurasian Basin towards the establishment of a full seafloor-spreading regime along the Lena Trough/Fram Strait in Middle Miocene. These processes also affected the Sophia Basin located in-between the Yermak Plateau and the northern Svalbard Shelf. In 2013 a little piece of basalt could be dredged from the southern flank of the Mosby Seamount, the central landmark within the Sophia Basin. Geochemical analyses support our assumption that the rock fragment has a local origin and that it was not rafted towards the sample site by ice. The trace element composition implies that the basalt had incorporated marine sediments and also Fe-Mn crusts or nodules. According to geochronological data the basalt erupted ~13 Ma, contemporaneous to incipient seafloor spreading in the nearby Lena Trough and volcanic activity in northern Svalbard. Assuming a link of the dredged basalt with seismic indication of sediment covered lava flows and sill intrusion around Mosby Seamount, its middle Miocene age can be used to better constrain the regional seismo-stratigraphy.

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the largest continental rifts on Earth. Because it is obscured by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, its evolution is still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land, an area that stretches ~ 1000 km along the rift system, in order to shed light on its development. Furthermore, we petrographically analysed glacially transported detritus deposited in the marine realm, offshore Marie Byrd Land, to augment the data available from the limited terrestrial exposures. Our data provide information about the subglacial geology, and the tectonic and morphologic history of the rift system. Dominant lithologies of coastal Marie Byrd Land are igneous rocks that intruded (presumably early Paleozoic) low-grade meta-sedimentary rocks. No evidence was found for un-metamorphosed sedimentary rocks exposed beneath the ice. According to the thermochronology data, rifting occurred in two episodes. The earlier occurred between ~ 100 and 60 Ma and led to widespread tectonic denudation and block faulting over large areas of Marie Byrd Land. The later episode started during the Early Oligocene and was confined to western Pine Island Bay area. This Oligocene tectonic activity may be linked kinematically to previously described rift structures reaching into Bellingshausen Sea and beneath Pine Island Glacier, all assumed to be of Cenozoic age. However, our data provide the first direct evidence for Cenozoic tectonic activity along the rift system outside the Ross Sea area. Furthermore, we tentatively suggest that uplift of the Marie Byrd Land dome only started at ~ 20 Ma; that is, nearly 10 Ma later than previously assumed. The Marie Byrd Land dome is the only extensive part of continental West Antarctica elevated above sea level. Since the formation of a continental ice sheet requires a significant area of emergent land, our data, although only based on few samples, imply that extensive gl

The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the largest continental rifts on Earth. Because it is obscured by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, its evolution is still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land, an area that stretches ~ 1000 km along the rift system, in order to shed light on its development. Furthermore, we petrographically analysed glacially transported detritus deposited in the marine realm, offshore Marie Byrd Land, to augment the data available from the limited terrestrial exposures. Our data provide information about the subglacial geology, and the tectonic and morphologic history of the rift system. Dominant lithologies of coastal Marie Byrd Land are igneous rocks that intruded (presumably early Paleozoic) low-grade meta-sedimentary rocks. No evidence was found for un-metamorphosed sedimentary rocks exposed beneath the ice. According to the thermochronology data, rifting occurred in two episodes. The earlier occurred between ~ 100 and 60 Ma and led to widespread tectonic denudation and block faulting over large areas of Marie Byrd Land. The later episode started during the Early Oligocene and was confined to western Pine Island Bay area. This Oligocene tectonic activity may be linked kinematically to previously described rift structures reaching into Bellingshausen Sea and beneath Pine Island Glacier, all assumed to be of Cenozoic age. However, our data provide the first direct evidence for Cenozoic tectonic activity along the rift system outside the Ross Sea area. Furthermore, we tentatively suggest that uplift of the Marie Byrd Land dome only started at ~ 20 Ma; that is, nearly 10 Ma later than previously assumed. The Marie Byrd Land dome is the only extensive part of continental West Antarctica elevated above sea level. Since the formation of a continental ice sheet requires a significant area of emergent land, our data, although only based on few samples, imply that extensive gl

Highlights • First fission track and (U-Th-Sm)/He data from eastern Marie Byrd Land • First direct dating of Cenozoic WARS activity outside the Ross Sea area • Structural model kinematically linking areas of extended crust within the WARS • Data on paleotopographic evolution providing boundary conditions for glaciation Abstract The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the largest continental rifts on Earth. Because it is obscured by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, its evolution is still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land, an area that stretches ~ 1000 km along the rift system, in order to shed light on its development. Furthermore, we petrographically analysed glacially transported detritus deposited in the marine realm, offshore Marie Byrd Land, to augment the data available from the limited terrestrial exposures. Our data provide information about the subglacial geology, and the tectonic and morphologic history of the rift system. Dominant lithologies of coastal Marie Byrd Land are igneous rocks that intruded (presumably early Paleozoic) low-grade meta-sedimentary rocks. No evidence was found for un-metamorphosed sedimentary rocks exposed beneath the ice. According to the thermochronology data, rifting occurred in two episodes. The earlier occurred between ~ 100 and 60 Ma and led to widespread tectonic denudation and block faulting over large areas of Marie Byrd Land. The later episode started during the Early Oligocene and was confined to western Pine Island Bay area. This Oligocene tectonic activity may be linked kinematically to previously described rift structures reaching into Bellingshausen Sea and beneath Pine Island Glacier, all assumed to be of Cenozoic age. However, our data provide the first direct evidence for Cenozoic tectonic activity along the rift system outside the Ross Sea area. Furthermore, we tentatively suggest that uplift of the Marie Byrd Land dome only started at ~ 2

Highlights • First fission track and (U-Th-Sm)/He data from eastern Marie Byrd Land • First direct dating of Cenozoic WARS activity outside the Ross Sea area • Structural model kinematically linking areas of extended crust within the WARS • Data on paleotopographic evolution providing boundary conditions for glaciation Abstract The West Antarctic Rift System is one of the largest continental rifts on Earth. Because it is obscured by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, its evolution is still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land, an area that stretches ~ 1000 km along the rift system, in order to shed light on its development. Furthermore, we petrographically analysed glacially transported detritus deposited in the marine realm, offshore Marie Byrd Land, to augment the data available from the limited terrestrial exposures. Our data provide information about the subglacial geology, and the tectonic and morphologic history of the rift system. Dominant lithologies of coastal Marie Byrd Land are igneous rocks that intruded (presumably early Paleozoic) low-grade meta-sedimentary rocks. No evidence was found for un-metamorphosed sedimentary rocks exposed beneath the ice. According to the thermochronology data, rifting occurred in two episodes. The earlier occurred between ~ 100 and 60 Ma and led to widespread tectonic denudation and block faulting over large areas of Marie Byrd Land. The later episode started during the Early Oligocene and was confined to western Pine Island Bay area. This Oligocene tectonic activity may be linked kinematically to previously described rift structures reaching into Bellingshausen Sea and beneath Pine Island Glacier, all assumed to be of Cenozoic age. However, our data provide the first direct evidence for Cenozoic tectonic activity along the rift system outside the Ross Sea area. Furthermore, we tentatively suggest that uplift of the Marie Byrd Land dome only started at ~ 2

TheWest Antarctic Rift System is one of the largest continental rifts on Earth. Because theWest Antarctic Ice Sheet mostly covers it, its evolution is still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land, an area that stretches 1000 km along the rift system. Furthermore, we petrographically analysed glacially transported detritus deposited in the marine realm offshore Marie Byrd Land. Our data provide information about the subglacial geology, and the tectonic and morphologic history of the rift system. Dominant lithologies of coastal Marie Byrd Land are igneous rocks that intruded (presumably early Paleozoic) low-grade meta-sediments. No evidence was found for un-metamorphosed sedimentary rocks exposed beneath the ice. According to the thermochronology data, rifting occurred in two episodes. The earlier occurred between 100 and 60 Ma and led to widespread tectonic denudation and block faulting over large areas of Marie Byrd Land. The later started during the Early Oligocene and was confined to western Pine Island Bay area. This Oligocene structure may kinematically be linked to previously described rift structures reaching into Bellingshausen Sea and beneath Pine Island Glacier, which were also assumed to be of Cenozoic age. However, our data provide the first direct evidence for Cenozoic tectonic activity along the rift system outside the Ross Sea area. Furthermore, our data suggest that uplift of the Marie Byrd Land dome only started at �20 Ma; that is, nearly 10 Ma later than previously assumed. The Marie Byrd Land dome is the only extensive part of West Antarctica elevated above sea level. Since the formation of a continental ice sheet requires a significant area of emergent land, our data imply that initiation of extensive glaciation of this part of West Antarctica may only have started since the early Miocene.

Due to extensive glacial cover, the evolution or the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) and the proto- Pacific margin of Gondwana are still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area. The goal of our study is to decipher the long-term thermotectonic evolution of this area, infer its denudation history, and to provide estimates for paleotopography and potential links to the glaciation history. Our data show that during early and mid-Cretaceous subduction along the proto-Pacific margin, all of Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area experienced rapid exhumation. This rapid exhumation continued for about 25 Myr after subduction stopped, presumably driven by tectonic denudation related to continental breakup between Zealandia and West Antarctica and rifting activity of the WARS. This late Cretaceous extension period was related to rapid topography reduction, as expressed by the formation of the West Antarctic erosion surface close to sea level, and was probably related to free-boundary gravitational collapse of the Gondwanide orogen. By ~60 Ma, rapid exhumation stopped, which we interpret as cessation of the first WARS rifting period. Cretaceous rapid exhumation was followed by very low exhumation rates throughout the Cenozoic, which we explain by tectonic quiescence and subdued topography. After ~30 Ma, and restricted to the western Pine Island Bay area, rapid exhumation resumed, presumably coeval with large-scale crustal tilting of the eastern Pine Island Bay area towards the Pine Island trough. We interpret this as indicating renewed activity of the WARS, (i) suggesting that Cenozoic rifting activity was much more localized than Cretaceous rifting, and (ii) corroborating previous assumptions that the WARS branches from the continental interior into the Amundsen Sea. Our structural model, based on the thermochronology data, kinematically links the rift branches reachi

The West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) is one of the largest continental rifts globally, but its lateral extent, distribution of local rifts, timing of rifting phases, and mantle processes are still largely enigmatic. It has been presumed that the rift and its crustal extensional processes have widely controlled the history and development of West Antarctic glaciation with an ice sheet of which most is presently based at sub-marine level and which is, therefore, likely to be highly sensitive to ocean warming. While the western domain of the WARS in the Ross Sea has been studied in some detail, only recently have various geophysical and geochemical/thermochronological analyses revealed indications for its eastern extent in the Amundsen Sea and Bellingshausen Sea sectors of the South Pacific realm. The current model, based on these studies and additional data, suggests that the WARS activity included tectonic translateral, transtensional and extensional processes from the Amundsen Sea Embayment to the Bellingshausen Sea region of the southern Antarctic Peninsula. We present the range of existing hypotheses regarding the extent of the eastern WARS as well as published and yet unpublished data that support a conceptual WARS model for the eastern West Antarctica with implications for glacial onset and developments.

Due to extensive glacial cover, the evolution or the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) and the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana are still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area. The goal of our study is to decipher the long-term thermotectonic evolution of this area, infer its denudation history, and to provide estimates for paleotopography and potential links to the glaciation history. Our data show that during early and mid-Cretaceous subduction along the proto-Pacific margin, all of Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area experienced rapid exhumation. This rapid exhumation continued for about 25 Myr after subduction stopped, presumably driven by tectonic denudation related to continental breakup between Zealandia and West Antarctica and rifting activity of the WARS. This late Cretaceous extension period was related to rapid topography reduction, as expressed by the formation of the West Antarctic erosion surface close to sea level, and was probably related to free-boundary gravitational collapse of the Gondwanide orogen. By ~60 Ma, rapid exhumation stopped, which we interpret as cessation of the first WARS rifting period. Cretaceous rapid exhumation was followed by very low exhumation rates throughout the Cenozoic, which we explain by tectonic quiescence and subdued topography. After ~30 Ma, and restricted to the western Pine Island Bay area, rapid exhumation resumed, presumably coeval with large-scale crustal tilting of the eastern Pine Island Bay area towards the Pine Island trough. We interpret this as indicating renewed activity of the WARS, (i) suggesting that Cenozoic rifting activity was much more localized than Cretaceous rifting, and (ii) corroborating previous assumptions that the WARS branches from the continental interior into the Amundsen Sea. Our structural model, based on the thermochronology data, kinematically links the rift branches reachin

The West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) is one of the largest continental rifts globally, but its lateral extent, distribution of local rifts, timing of rifting phases, and mantle processes are still largely enigmatic. It has been presumed that the rift and its crustal extensional processes have widely controlled the history and development of West Antarctic glaciation with an ice sheet of which most is presently based at sub-marine level and which is, therefore, likely to be highly sensitive to ocean warming. While the western domain of the WARS in the Ross Sea has been studied in some detail, only recently have various geophysical and geochemical/thermochronological analyses revealed indications for its eastern extent in the Amundsen Sea and Bellingshausen Sea sectors of the South Pacific realm and in the eastern Marie Byrd Land, Ellsworth Land, Thurston Island and Antarctic Peninsula crustal blocks. One of the current models, based on these studies and additional data, suggests that the WARS activity included tectonic translateral, transtensional and extensional processes from the Amundsen Sea Embayment to the Bellingshausen Sea region of the southern Antarctic Peninsula, basically following the eastward migrating collision of the Phoenix Plate with the Antarctic Plate. We present the range of existing and novel hypotheses regarding the extent of the eastern WARS as well as published and yet unpublished data that support a conceptual WARS model for West Antarctica with implications for glacial onset and developments.

Due to extensive glacial cover, the evolution or the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) and the proto- Pacific margin of Gondwana are still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area. The goal of our study is to decipher the long-term thermotectonic evolution of this area, infer its denudation history, and to provide estimates for paleotopography and potential links to the glaciation history. Our data show that during early and mid-Cretaceous subduction along the proto-Pacific margin, all of Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area experienced rapid exhumation. This rapid exhumation continued for about 25 Myr after subduction stopped, presumably driven by tectonic denudation related to continental breakup between Zealandia and West Antarctica and rifting activity of the WARS. This late Cretaceous extension period was related to rapid topography reduction, as expressed by the formation of the West Antarctic erosion surface close to sea level, and was probably related to free-boundary gravitational collapse of the Gondwanide orogen. By ~60 Ma, rapid exhumation stopped, which we interpret as cessation of the first WARS rifting period. Cretaceous rapid exhumation was followed by very low exhumation rates throughout the Cenozoic, which we explain by tectonic quiescence and subdued topography. After ~30 Ma, and restricted to the western Pine Island Bay area, rapid exhumation resumed, presumably coeval with large-scale crustal tilting of the eastern Pine Island Bay area towards the Pine Island trough. We interpret this as indicating renewed activity of the WARS, (i) suggesting that Cenozoic rifting activity was much more localized than Cretaceous rifting, and (ii) corroborating previous assumptions that the WARS branches from the continental interior into the Amundsen Sea. Our structural model, based on the thermochronology data, kinematically links the rift branches reachi

Due to extensive glacial cover, the evolution or the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS) and the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana are still poorly understood. Here we present the first low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area. The goal of our study is to decipher the long-term thermotectonic evolution of this area, infer its denudation history, and to provide estimates for paleotopography and potential links to the glaciation history. Our data show that during early and mid-Cretaceous subduction along the proto-Pacific margin, all of Marie Byrd Land and the Pine Island Bay area experienced rapid exhumation. This rapid exhumation continued for about 25 Myr after subduction stopped, presumably driven by tectonic denudation related to continental breakup between Zealandia and West Antarctica and rifting activity of the WARS. This late Cretaceous extension period was related to rapid topography reduction, as expressed by the formation of the West Antarctic erosion surface close to sea level, and was probably related to free-boundary gravitational collapse of the Gondwanide orogen. By ~60 Ma, rapid exhumation stopped, which we interpret as cessation of the first WARS rifting period. Cretaceous rapid exhumation was followed by very low exhumation rates throughout the Cenozoic, which we explain by tectonic quiescence and subdued topography. After ~30 Ma, and restricted to the western Pine Island Bay area, rapid exhumation resumed, presumably coeval with large-scale crustal tilting of the eastern Pine Island Bay area towards the Pine Island trough. We interpret this as indicating renewed activity of the WARS, (i) suggesting that Cenozoic rifting activity was much more localized than Cretaceous rifting, and (ii) corroborating previous assumptions that the WARS branches from the continental interior into the Amundsen Sea. Our structural model, based on the thermochronology data, kinematically links the rift branches reachin