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Professor Andy Carter’s latest publication reveals history of South Georgia microcontinent

Professor Carter's recent open access article sheds light on the formation of this key microcontinent.

In a recent open access article [Cenozoic tectonic history of the South Georgia microcontinent and potential as a barrier to Pacific-Atlantic through flow], Professor Carter and his colleagues, Dr Mike Curtis of the British Antarctic Survey, and Dr James Schwanethal of the Department of Earth Sciences, UCL, report their findings. Until this project, the geological history of the formation of the ridge was unknown. Using geochronology and thermochronometry data the team were able to define when the microcontinent was formed and whether it was once part of the South America plate.

Today, the North Scotia ridge constricts the flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and keeps Antarctica isolated from warmer ocean waters, an important factor in maintaining a stable environment in the region.

You can read the full open access article here.

Cumberland Bay South Georgia cropped

[Photo: Thatcher Peninsular, Cumberland Bay, South Georgia. Courtesy of Dr Mike Curtis.]

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