Collaborative Research: Late Cretaceous - Early Tertiary Plate Interactions in the SW Pacific

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9317318 Stock This award supports a marine geophysical study of the southwest Pacific between 170 degrees E and 80 degrees W longitude. Recent marine geophysical cruises in the southwest Pacific and a high-resolution altimetric gravity field declassified Geosat data have allowed significant progress to be made towards deciphering the complex history of the rifting between the Campbell Plateau/Chatham Rise landmass and the Marie Byrd Land margin. A revised history of plate interactions explains many enigmatic features seen in the magnetic and gravity fields yet several questions remain that require new data for resolution. The marine geophysical survey proposed will: (1) elucidate plate interactions at the evolving triple junction between the Antarctic and Australian plates and the mosaic of SW Pacific plates; (2) define the boundaries and interactions of the mosaic of plates that accommodated the rapidly changing plate geometry associated with subduction of the Pacific-Phoenix ridge outboard of New Zealand, the rifting of continental and oceanic lithosphere, and hotspot activity; and (3) map the development of Pacific-Antarctic Ridge and the assembly of the several small plates into the modern day Pacific plate. This survey will help to elucidate the dynamics of plate interactions and the plate tectonic evolution of Antarctica and New Zealand. ***