Geomorphology and sedimentology of the continental shelf adjacent to Mac Robertson Land, East Antarctica: A scalped shelf

During the Quaternary, the Mac. Robertson shelf of East Antarctica was deeply eroded by glaciers and currents exposing the underlying basement, resulting in a scalped shelf. Major geomorphic zones are: (1) high-relief, ridge and valley topography (200-1400 m); (2) smooth sea floors associated with low-energy, depositional shelf valleys and basins (400-800 m); (3) low-relief, planated bank-tops (100-200 m); and (4) iceberg gouged and current reworked seaward-bank margins and upper slope (200 to <630 m). About 90% of the shelf's surface has net erosional conditions and about 10% is net depositional. The sedimentary processes and deposits may be common to large areas of the East Antarctic margin.