Macquarie Island Oceanic Crust and Mantle Geological Study

Geological data from Macquarie Island, the only exposed fragment of oceanic crust above sea level. The dataset provides a direct study of Miocene-era crust and mantle formed at a slow-spreading ridge. It was contributed by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre and last updated in March 2003.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial distribution of rock units like peridotites, gabbros, dykes, and basalts to understand crustal architecture.
• Studying the relative age relations and intrusion sequences to model crustal growth processes from the base up.
• Mapping geological features to validate or challenge models of 'layer cake' stratigraphy in slow-spreading ridges.

Strengths

• Unique sample representing the only exposed oceanic crust above sea level globally.
• Data supports detailed study of crust formed during the Miocene epoch.

Limitations

• Dataset is from 2003 and may not reflect more recent research or data collection methods.
• Specific data volume, row count, and column details are unknown.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single island location.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

null

Time Range

Miocene epoch (geological formation). Data record from 2003.

Freshness

null

Geography

Macquarie Island.