An Introduction to Glaciated Margins: The Sedimentary and Geophysical Archive

A glaciated margin is a continental margin that has been occupied by a large ice mass, such that glacial processes and slope processes conspire to produce a thick sedimentary record. Ice masses take an active role in sculpting, redistributing and reorganising the sediment that they erode on the continental shelf, and act as a supply route to large fan systems (e.g. trough mouth fans, submarine fans) on the continental slope and continental rise. To many workers, the term “glaciated margin” is synonymous with modern day areas fringing Antarctica and the Arctic shelf systems, yet the geological record contains ancient examples ranging in age from Precambrian to Cenozoic. In some of these older (i.e. Pre-Pleistocene) records, recognition of such margins may be more complex, with a tendency for the configuration of the tectonic plates to become increasingly obscure with the age of the glacial record. For instance, in the Neoproterozoic record, not all researchers agree on the location of rift margins, and some fundamental continental boundaries remain unclear. Given the above, this introductory paper has two simple aims: (i) to provide a brief commentary of relevant Geological Society publications on glaciated margins, with landmark papers highlighted and (ii) to explain the contents of this volume.