Late Cretaceous–Paleocene evolution of the East Gondwana margin, a new dynamic model for the formation of marginal basins

• Main Authors: P. F Rey, R. D. Müller
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Byrd; Indian; Marie Byrd Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.582.6209; http://www.earthbyte.org/people/dietmar/Pdf/Rey_Muller_East_Gondwana_margin_evolution_EABS2008.pdf

Late Cretaceous–Paleocene evolution of the east Gondwana margin Plate reconstructions in a mantle reference frame show that from 140 to 105 Ma Gondwana moved eastward toward the Pacifi c Plate. This convergence was largely accommodated by the subduction of the Pacifi c Plate under Gondwana. Between 120 to 105 Ma, the deep continental crust of the east Gondwana cordillera was largely melted as indicated by a dominantly felsic volcanic province which extends from eastern Australia and Lord Howe Rise, to Marie Byrd Land. From 105 to 95 Ma, Gondwana remained stationary; subsequently, Australia started moving away from Antarctica in a northwesterly direction, resulting in an oblique opening of the early southeast Indian Ocean. This path suggests that, at around 100 Ma, the basal traction that produced and sustained the east Gondwana cordillera decreased signifi cantly