Slow Seafloor Spreading Patterns Off Southern Australia, 96-44.5 Ma

Slow seafloor spreading at rates below 4.4 mm/year characterized the separation of Australia from Antarctica between 96 and 44.5 million years ago. A compilation of magnetic data, including critical 1986 R/V Rig Seismic cruise data, confirms this pattern and reveals variable spreading azimuths. The dataset is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling plate tectonic reconstructions based on seafloor spreading magnetic anomaly data.
• Analyzing the response of slow spreading systems to oblique continental margins based on variable spreading azimuths.
• Comparing ancient slow-spreading patterns with modern analogs like the Gulf of Aden.
• Investigating ridge jump phenomena to accommodate continental offsets, as described between 131.25° E and Tasmania.

Strengths

• Includes critical magnetic data from a specific 1986 research cruise (R/V Rig Seismic).
• Describes a detailed tectonic history with specific half-rates (e.g., <4.4 mm/year) and time boundaries (96 Ma, 49 Ma, 44.5 Ma).
• Provides spatial context with specific longitude ranges (e.g., 129°-131.75°E) and separation azimuths (335°, 360°).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and data scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is provided in PDF/HTML formats, which may require extraction for computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Compilation of seafloor spreading magnetic data, including from research cruises.

Time Range

Covers tectonic events from mid-Jurassic (>160 Ma) to present, with focus on 96-44.5 Ma.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 18:09:00.213845; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern margin of Australia, including areas between 129°E and Tasmania, and the Southern Ocean.