The opening of the Indian Ocean: what is the consequence on theformation of the East African, Madagascar and Antarctic margins, andwhat are the origins of the aseismic ridges?

• Main Authors: thompson, joseph, Moulin, Maryine, Aslanian, Daniel, Guillocheau, François, Clarens, philippe de
• Other Authors: Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Géosciences Rennes (GR), Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Total EP (Total EP), Total EP, European Geosciences Union
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.TE]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Tectonics; Antarctic; Indian; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01520859

International audience Palinspatic reconstructions of the Indian Ocean presents lots of challenges and problems,occasioned mostly as a result of a number of unanswered scientific questions in the ocean dueto inadequate data, and in some cases lack of consensus on the interpretation of available data;resulting in kinematic reconstruction model proposals which are inconsistent and incoherentwith current data interpretations and independently modeled motions of neighboring plates.Such models are largely characterized by gaps and overlaps in the full-fit reconstruction.Although, there is published significant scientific knowledge and data that confirmsGondwana and the Wilson cycle, a crucial scientific question that still remain unanswered is:what was the true geometry of Gondwana and how has its plates evolved through time?This is a very crucial question which is very critical in deciphering how we position the platesrelative to each other. Although there has been a number of attempts to answer this questionover several decades, answers so far provided differ widely, and currently there is noconsensus on the true answer.We present here a new initial fit of East Gondwana within the framework of the PassiveMargin Exploration Laboratories (PAMELA) project, through the adoption of a multifacetedapproach by analysis and interpretation of onshore and offshore geophysical (Seismic, gravity,magnetic, and bathymetry) and geological (Stratigraphic, geochemical and geochronogicaldata from the plate basement and the Karoo volcanics and sediments) data, to have a betterunderstanding of the history of all the events and processes, and to present a global picture bycomparing with events in neighboring oceans.The PhD thesis of Joseph Offei Thompson is co-funded by TOTAL and IFREMER as part ofthe PAMELA (Passive Margin Exploration Laboratories) scientific project