Global continental and ocean basin reconstructions since 200 Ma

Global continental and ocean basin reconstructions since 200 Ma

Received 16 March 2011; Accepted 2 March 2012; Available online 15 March 2012 | M. Seton, R.D. Müller, S. Zahirovic, C. Gaina, T. Torsvik, G. Shephard, A. Talsma, M. Gurnis, M. Turner, S. Maus, M. Chandler
This paper presents a new global plate motion model that extends over hundreds of millions of years, from the break-up of Pangaea (~200 Ma) to the present. The model is designed to provide a spatial and temporal framework for geological data, addressing the limitations of existing models that either lack sufficient temporal coverage or fail to treat tectonic plates in a self-consistent manner. The authors construct a set of continuously-closing topological plate polygons with associated plate boundaries and velocities, using a hybrid absolute reference frame that combines a moving hotspot model for the last 100 Ma and a true-polar wander corrected paleomagnetic model for 200 to 100 Ma. Regional geological and geophysical observations are used to constrain plate boundary inception and cessation, and time-dependent geometry. The model is intended to serve as a reference for geodynamic studies and to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of spatio-temporal data in various fields. The paper also includes detailed regional continental and ocean floor reconstructions for the Atlantic and Arctic, Pacific and Panthalassa, Tethys and Indian/Southern Ocean, and marginal and back-arc basins.This paper presents a new global plate motion model that extends over hundreds of millions of years, from the break-up of Pangaea (~200 Ma) to the present. The model is designed to provide a spatial and temporal framework for geological data, addressing the limitations of existing models that either lack sufficient temporal coverage or fail to treat tectonic plates in a self-consistent manner. The authors construct a set of continuously-closing topological plate polygons with associated plate boundaries and velocities, using a hybrid absolute reference frame that combines a moving hotspot model for the last 100 Ma and a true-polar wander corrected paleomagnetic model for 200 to 100 Ma. Regional geological and geophysical observations are used to constrain plate boundary inception and cessation, and time-dependent geometry. The model is intended to serve as a reference for geodynamic studies and to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of spatio-temporal data in various fields. The paper also includes detailed regional continental and ocean floor reconstructions for the Atlantic and Arctic, Pacific and Panthalassa, Tethys and Indian/Southern Ocean, and marginal and back-arc basins.
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