Kinematic Plate Models of the Neoproterozoic
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Open Access
Type
ThesisThesis type
Doctor of PhilosophyAuthor/s
Merdith, AndrewAbstract
Plate tectonic reconstructions traditionally use a combination of palaeomagnetic and geological data to model the changing positions of continents throughout Earth history. Plate reconstructions are particularly useful because they provide a framework for testing a range of hypotheses ...
See morePlate tectonic reconstructions traditionally use a combination of palaeomagnetic and geological data to model the changing positions of continents throughout Earth history. Plate reconstructions are particularly useful because they provide a framework for testing a range of hypotheses pertaining to climate, seawater chemistry, evolutionary patterns and the relationship between mantle and surface. During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic these are underpinned by data from the ocean basins that preserve relative plate motions, and data from hotspot chains and tomographic imaging of subducted slabs within the mantle to constrain absolute plate motions. For earlier times, neither ocean basins nor subducted slabs are preserved to assist with constructing plate models. Previously published plate models are usually built around times that have high quality palaeomagnetic data and between these times, the motion of continental crust is usually interpolated. Alternatively, regional tectonic models are developed predominantly from using geological data but without integrating the model into a global context. Additionally, until now all global plate models for the Neoproterozoic model only describe the configurations of continental blocks and do not explicitly consider the spatial and temporal evolution of plate boundaries. In this thesis, I present the first topological plate model of the Neoproterozoic that traces the dynamic evolution and interaction of tectonic plates, which encompass the entire earth. This model synthesises new geological and palaeomagnetic data, along with conclusions drawn from kinematic data to help discriminate competing continental configurations of the western area of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent, Rodinia. The thesis concludes by analysing the supercontinent cycle from 1000 to 0 Ma, by extracting the rift length, subduction zone length and perimeter-to-area ratio of continental crust to better understand the long-term evolution of our planet.
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See morePlate tectonic reconstructions traditionally use a combination of palaeomagnetic and geological data to model the changing positions of continents throughout Earth history. Plate reconstructions are particularly useful because they provide a framework for testing a range of hypotheses pertaining to climate, seawater chemistry, evolutionary patterns and the relationship between mantle and surface. During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic these are underpinned by data from the ocean basins that preserve relative plate motions, and data from hotspot chains and tomographic imaging of subducted slabs within the mantle to constrain absolute plate motions. For earlier times, neither ocean basins nor subducted slabs are preserved to assist with constructing plate models. Previously published plate models are usually built around times that have high quality palaeomagnetic data and between these times, the motion of continental crust is usually interpolated. Alternatively, regional tectonic models are developed predominantly from using geological data but without integrating the model into a global context. Additionally, until now all global plate models for the Neoproterozoic model only describe the configurations of continental blocks and do not explicitly consider the spatial and temporal evolution of plate boundaries. In this thesis, I present the first topological plate model of the Neoproterozoic that traces the dynamic evolution and interaction of tectonic plates, which encompass the entire earth. This model synthesises new geological and palaeomagnetic data, along with conclusions drawn from kinematic data to help discriminate competing continental configurations of the western area of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent, Rodinia. The thesis concludes by analysing the supercontinent cycle from 1000 to 0 Ma, by extracting the rift length, subduction zone length and perimeter-to-area ratio of continental crust to better understand the long-term evolution of our planet.
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Date
2017-08-11Licence
The author retains copyright of this thesis. It may only be used for the purposes of research and study. It must not be used for any other purposes and may not be transmitted or shared with others without prior permission.Faculty/School
Faculty of Science, School of GeosciencesAwarding institution
The University of SydneyShare