Updated Palaeogeographic Maps of Northern Australian Plate Margins

Alternative tectonic reconstructions for the northern margins of the Australian plate from the Carboniferous to the Holocene. The palaeogeographic maps are updated to incorporate new plate models, including Hall's (2002) configuration for microplates in the Greater Birds Head. The dataset is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling tectonic evolution based on described phases like the Carboniferous to Sakmarian pre-breakup phase.
• Reconstructing palaeogeography based on the described Meso-Tethys breakup and subsequent plate movements.
• Analyzing sedimentation patterns based on described features like deltaic clastic sedimentation and carbonate progradation.

Strengths

• Maps are updated to incorporate new plate tectonic models.
• The description details a multi-phase tectonostratigraphic evolution from the Carboniferous to the Holocene.
• The dataset is hosted by the authoritative Australian Ocean Data Network.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The authors note many tectonic models are difficult to substantiate with current data and alternative scenarios are possible.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Likely contains synthesized geological and geophysical data for palaeogeographic reconstruction.

Time Range

Carboniferous to Holocene

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 18:17:23.253643; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern margins of the Australian plate, from Timor to the Kai islands, and the proto-Banda Sea region.