New evidence of a Campanian age for the Cretaceous fossil-bearing strata of Cape Marsh, Robertson Island, Antarctica

• Published in: Cretaceous research 2020-04, Vol.108, p.104313, Article 104313
• Main Authors: Tobin, Thomas S., Roberts, Eric M., Slotznick, Sarah P., Biasi, Joseph A., Clarke, Julia A., O'Connor, Patrick M., Skinner, Steven M., West, Abagael R., Snyderman, Lucia S., Kirschvink, Joseph L., Lamanna, Matthew C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antarctica; Biostratigraphy; Campanian; Cretaceous; Detrital zircon; James Ross Basin
• ISSN: 0195-6671; 1095-998X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104313

Cape Marsh, located on the eastern end of Robertson Island to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula, exposes an isolated outcrop of Upper Cretaceous sedimentary strata. The outcrop is approximately 120 km southwest of the much better-studied exposures of similar age on and around James Ross Island (JRI); as such, its remoteness has complicated logistical access to the site and hindered geologic correlations on a regional scale. Here we present the results of fieldwork conducted in 2016 that yielded a more diverse invertebrate fossil assemblage than had been previously recognized, in addition to new U–Pb detrital zircon and magnetostratigraphic data. The invertebrate fauna, particularly the ammonites and inoceramids, support a biostratigraphic correlation of the upper Cape Marsh strata to Ammonite Assemblage 7 previously established on JRI. Detrital zircon U–Pb analysis conducted on a sandstone sample from the same strata indicates a maximum depositional age of 74.2 ± 1.1 Ma, and magnetostratigraphic interpretation of the lower strata suggest a normal magnetochron. These results are all consistent with a Campanian age for the deposition of the upper strata at Cape Marsh, and deposition during magnetochron C33N for the lower layers. However, a slight age inconsistency between the biostratigraphic correlation and the detrital zircon-derived maximum depositional age may imply that the fossils are reworked. Regardless, these new data allow us to correlate the strata at Cape Marsh to the Santa Marta and Rabot formations (or possibly the lower part of the Snow Hill Island Formation) in the northern part of the James Ross Basin. •Campanian-aged strata at Cape Marsh on Robertson Island investigated for first time in ~35 years.•Molluscan taxa allow biostratigraphic correlations to the rest of the James Ross Basin.•U–Pb detrital zircon geochronology provides maximum depositional age of 74.2 ± 1.1 Ma.•Paleomagnetic analyses suggest lower strata are likely C33N.•Fossil taxa may be older than U–Pb age, suggesting they are reworked.