AFI 01/27_01 - Dyke intrusions as tracers of continental break-up processes - Rock samples collected in Dronning Maud Land in 2000/2001

The style and volume of magmatism varies between margins from large volume flood basalts such as the Parana or Deccan provinces to less volumetric margins such as the southern part of the South Atlantic. This CASE (Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering) studentship was intended to provide support to study the evolution of the break-up of Africa and East Antarctica which occurred in the early Jurassic. An extended period of magmatism has been suggested for this margin associated with complex extensional tectonics. A combined geochronological / geochemical approach was used to understand the evolution of the crust and sub-continental lithospheric mantle during the break-up of one central portion of the Gondwana super continent. Igneous dykes and sills were collected in Dronning Maud Land during the field season 2000/01. The aim was to measure ages of volcanism during flood basalt events in Dronning Maud Land associated with the breakup of Gondwana.