The surface sedimentary record from six sediment cores collected from beneath the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, provides a unique view of the sedimentary and oceanographic processes in this sub-ice shelf setting. The composition and age of the surface sediments indicate spatial variations in ice shelf cavity-ocean interaction, which are consistent with patterns of ocean inflow and outflow modelled and observed beneath the ice shelf. Sediments within 100 km of the ice shelf front (site AM01b) show the greatest open ocean influence with a young surface age and the highest total diatom abundance, compared to older ages and lower diatom abundances at sites deeper in the cavity (AM03 to AM06). The variable marine influence between sites determines the nature of benthic communities, with seabed imagery indicating the existence of sessile suspension feeders in areas of strong marine inflow (site AM01b), while grazers, deposit feeders and a few suspension feeders occur at sites more distal from the shelf calving front where the food supply is lower (sites AM03 and AM04). Understanding the sedimentary and oceanographic processes within the sub-ice shelf environment allows better constraint of interpretations of down core sediment records, an improved understanding of the nature of biological communities in sub-ice shelf environments, and a baseline for determining the sensitivity of the system to any future changes in ocean dynamics.

Legacy product - no abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

Hemipelagic, sediment drift deposits have been discovered and mapped on the Antarctic Peninsula shelf in 300-500 m water depth. The drift located adjacent to Andvord Bay covers 44.5 km2 and exhibits continuous and discontinuous parallel reflections that conform to peaks and valleys in the acoustic basement as observed in deep-tow boomer and sparker seismic records. This style of drift deposit is a common feature of deep oceanic sediments, but is not normally found in continental shelf environments.

Geoscience Australia distributes a range of Antarctica maps and images at various scales and currency, on behalf of Australian Antarctic Division. These products are very diverse and include topographic maps and satellite images, ranging from landscape specific (1:1,000 scale) to regional (1:20,000,000) scale.

Legacy product - no abstract available

Legacy product - no abstract available

During the Quaternary, the Mac. Robertson shelf of East Antarctica was deeply eroded by glaciers and currents exposing the underlying basement, resulting in a scalped shelf.

Legacy product - no abstract available