Grant Award View - GA66321
The Rayner Complex, a hot piece in the Rodinia puzzle
- GA66321-V1 - Project completion date has been extended. (17-Mar-2022 )
The Rayner Complex in East Antarctica exposes rocks that formed deep in the Earth’s crust. These rocks are part of a larger terrane that is one of the largest and longest-lived ultra-high temperature (>1000 °C) metamorphic terranes on Earth. The geodynamic setting in which this terrane evolved is poorly understood, but the timing of metamorphism corresponds to the final stages of formation of the Rodinia supercontinent over one billion years ago. Understanding the location of the Rayner Complex within Rodinia is pivotal for reconstructing the geological evolution of the Antarctic continent. In this project we will apply state-of-the-art microanalysis tools to sample the lower crust, now exposed in the Rayner Complex, to answer fundamental questions on mountain-building processes and the role of East Antarctica in the Rodinia supercontinent. In doing so we will leverage a valuable legacy collection of rock samples collected over some 40 years of AAD supported research.