Kerguelen Plateau

Figure 9 Plots of (a) initial 8Hf against initial 8Nd and (b) initial -yOs against initial eNd for Cretaceous oceanic plateaus. Data sources Atlantic and Indian MORE—Salters (1996), Pacific—Nowell et al. (1998), Kerguelen plateau—Salters and Hart (1991), CCOP and Gorgona—Walker et al. (1999), Thompson et al.

Figure 12 Map showing the main components of the Kerguelen plateau (KP) discussed in the text (after Frey et al, 1996).

The formation of LIPs during continental break-up (e.g., the NAIP and the Kerguelen plateau) results in the formation of seawarddipping reflector sequences and oceanic plateaus, both of which show chemical evidence of contamination by ancient continental lithosphere (initial eNd < 0 (La/Nb)pmti>l). 

Mahoney J. J., Jones W. B., Frey F. A., Salters V. J. M., Pyle D. G., and Davies H. L. (1995) Geochemical characteristics of lavas from Broken Ridge, the Naturaliste Plateau and southernmost Kerguelen Plateau cretaceous plateau volcanism in the Southeast Indian Ocean. Chem. Geol. 120, 315-345. 

Operto S. and Charvis P. (1996) Deep structure of the southern Kerguelen Plateau (southern Indian Ocean) from ocean bottom seismometer wide-angle seismic data. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 25077-25103. 

Royer J.-Y. and Coffin M. F. (1992) Jurassic to Eocene plate tectonic reconstructions in the Kerguelen Plateau region. In Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, 120 (eds. J. S. W. Wise, A. P. Julson, R. SchUch, and E. Thomas), Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A M University, pp. 917-930. 

ODP Site 1135 (59°42.(ys, 84°16.4 E) was drilled on the southern Kerguelen Plateau in the southern Indian Ocean (Coffin et al. 2000). Hole 1135A was drilled to a total depth of 526 mbsf. Age control is primarily from foraminifers, nannofossils and palaeomagnetics. Eocene sediments described as nannofossil ooze underlie a thin Pliocene cover, from about 10-200 mbsf. The sediments have a very constant carbonate percentage of about 95% CaCOs. Sediment accumulation rates for the Eocene have been estimated at 15 m/m.yr (Coffin et al. 2000). 

Zachos, J. C., Breza, J. R. Wise, S. W. 19921). Early Ohgocene ice-sheet expansion on Antarctica Stable isotope and sedimentological evidence from Kerguelen Plateau, Southern Ocean. Geology, 20, 569-573. 

At Heard Island, on the Kerguelen Plateau in the southern Indian Ocean, He/ He ratios show a bimodal distribution that is geographically controlled (Hilton et al. 1995). The Laurens Peninsula volcanic series has a relatively narrow range of He/ He, 16.2-... 

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