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Title: Geological and geometrical constraints on reconstructions of Gondwana: implications for the derivation of Gondwanan fragments in Asia

Abstract

The relative positions of east (India, Madagascar, Antarctica, Australia, etc.) and west (Africa, S. America, Arabia) Gondwana remains controversial. The authors present a new reconstruction based on (1) tight fit of Madagascar within the Somalian embayment which satisfies both sea-floor spreading data, and Karoo and older geology: (2) a tight fit of India against a reconstructed Africa-Arabian margin, such that the east stepping margin south of Socotra is matched with the east stepping re-entrant of the Suliaman Range east of Quetta; (3) a two-phase motion history of east and west Gondwana characterized by initial NW-SE spreading, followed by essentially N-S motion parallel with the Davies Ridge. Although rifting occurred episodically within Gondwana from the Carboniferous onwards, sea floor spreading did not occur until early late Jurassic and was characterized by long right lateral transform-short ridge geometry. Break-up of E and W Gondwana succeeded early Middle Jurassic spreading along the northern margin of Gondwana from at least Oman to New Guinea. Spreading directions preserved off northwest Australia suggest that motions of the rifted fragments was directed toward the northwest into Tethys. This suggests that the Lhasa, central Pamir, Sistan, Lut (.), and Central Iranian Plateau blocks which collided with Asia aftermore » the Jurassic were derived from the southeast, as opposed to the SW as generally portrayed.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Chicago, IL (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6198127
Report Number(s):
CONF-8510489-
Journal ID: CODEN: GAAPB
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; EARTH PLANET; PLATE TECTONICS; SEA-FLOOR SPREADING; GEOLOGIC MODELS; HISTORICAL ASPECTS; ASIA; GEOGRAPHY; GEOLOGIC HISTORY; GEOMETRY; GLOBAL ASPECTS; RIFT ZONES; GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES; MATHEMATICS; PLANETS; TECTONICS; 580201* - Geophysics- Seismology & Tectonics- (1980-1989)

Citation Formats

Rowley, D B, Ziegler, A M, Sahagian, D, Nie, S Y, Lottes, A L, Jacobs, D, and Hulver, M. Geological and geometrical constraints on reconstructions of Gondwana: implications for the derivation of Gondwanan fragments in Asia. United States: N. p., 1985. Web.
Rowley, D B, Ziegler, A M, Sahagian, D, Nie, S Y, Lottes, A L, Jacobs, D, & Hulver, M. Geological and geometrical constraints on reconstructions of Gondwana: implications for the derivation of Gondwanan fragments in Asia. United States.
Rowley, D B, Ziegler, A M, Sahagian, D, Nie, S Y, Lottes, A L, Jacobs, D, and Hulver, M. 1985. "Geological and geometrical constraints on reconstructions of Gondwana: implications for the derivation of Gondwanan fragments in Asia". United States.
@article{osti_6198127,
title = {Geological and geometrical constraints on reconstructions of Gondwana: implications for the derivation of Gondwanan fragments in Asia},
author = {Rowley, D B and Ziegler, A M and Sahagian, D and Nie, S Y and Lottes, A L and Jacobs, D and Hulver, M},
abstractNote = {The relative positions of east (India, Madagascar, Antarctica, Australia, etc.) and west (Africa, S. America, Arabia) Gondwana remains controversial. The authors present a new reconstruction based on (1) tight fit of Madagascar within the Somalian embayment which satisfies both sea-floor spreading data, and Karoo and older geology: (2) a tight fit of India against a reconstructed Africa-Arabian margin, such that the east stepping margin south of Socotra is matched with the east stepping re-entrant of the Suliaman Range east of Quetta; (3) a two-phase motion history of east and west Gondwana characterized by initial NW-SE spreading, followed by essentially N-S motion parallel with the Davies Ridge. Although rifting occurred episodically within Gondwana from the Carboniferous onwards, sea floor spreading did not occur until early late Jurassic and was characterized by long right lateral transform-short ridge geometry. Break-up of E and W Gondwana succeeded early Middle Jurassic spreading along the northern margin of Gondwana from at least Oman to New Guinea. Spreading directions preserved off northwest Australia suggest that motions of the rifted fragments was directed toward the northwest into Tethys. This suggests that the Lhasa, central Pamir, Sistan, Lut (.), and Central Iranian Plateau blocks which collided with Asia after the Jurassic were derived from the southeast, as opposed to the SW as generally portrayed.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6198127}, journal = {Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 17,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985}
}

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