Seismic-Reflection Signature of Cretaceous Continental Breakup on the Wilkes Land Margin, Antarctica

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Eittreim, Stephen L., Hampton, Monty A., Childs, Jonathan R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1985
• Subjects: Wilkes Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.229.4718.1082; https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.229.4718.1082

The passive (rifted) continental margin of Wilkes Land, Antarctica, is characterized on seismic reflection records by (i) in the south, a block-faulted sequence of highly stratified continental beds overlain by two distinct unconformities; (ii) a transitional, greatly thinned continental crust overlain by material interpreted to be flood basalt; and (iii) in the north, oceanic crust with a boundary ridge at its edge. The Mohorovičić discontinuity can be followed across the continent-ocean boundary and shows a progressive thinning of continental crust to a minimum of 2.5 kilometers at its northern edge.