Chemical composition of rocks and minerals from the Weddell Sea

The study of rock samples collected from the sea floor showed that a heterogeneous structure of the Weddell Sea was formed by spatiotemporal combination of destruction of the continental crust, progressive thalassogenesis (oceanization-taphrogenesis), and rifting, as opposed to spreading origin.

High post-consolidation mobility during the destruction stage led to areal dismembering and high permeability of the continental crust, as well as to tectonomagmatic activation. The main mechanism of re-working of the continental crust is recognized to be magmatic replacement by basic-ultrabasic mantle material with formation of the secondary oceanic crust and preservation of relics of the continental crust. The Earth's endogenous activity was driven by transmagmatic fluid flows, which ascended from the melted core and caused transformation of the Earth's crust and mantle.