Earth: Day Zero • Paper 198 of 512
Aurora Subglacial Basin Observations
The Aurora Subglacial Basin is a major buried basin system within East Antarctica.
Regional Geological Context
The basin is located beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet inland from the Wilkes Land and Aurora Coast regions of Antarctica.
Relevant institutions include Australian Antarctic Division, Tasmania, Australia; University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York, United States.
Observation
The basin preserves buried topography, subglacial relief, sedimentary potential, and structural information hidden beneath ice cover.
Constraint Analysis
Subglacial basins may preserve geological information that is unavailable through surface mapping alone.
Open Questions
How much of the Aurora Subglacial Basin record reflects ancient continental structure versus later glacial and tectonic modification?