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

The southern margin of Australia documents seafloor spreading rates and azimuths from continental breakup to A20 time. A compilation of magnetic data, including from the 1986 R/V Rig Seismic cruise, confirms a phase of slow spreading (<4.4 mm/year half-rate) with ridge jumps and variable isochron azimuths. The dataset is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling plate tectonic reconstructions based on documented spreading rates and azimuths.
• Analyzing the relationship between slow spreading rates and ridge geometry based on described ridge jumps.
• Comparing oblique spreading systems to modern analogs like the Gulf of Aden based on the described variable isochron azimuths.
• Calibrating geophysical models with the compiled magnetic anomaly data mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Includes critical data from a specific research cruise (R/V Rig Seismic, 1986).
• Describes a clear temporal sequence of spreading rates from 96 to 44.5 million years ago.
• Provides specific quantitative measures like half-rates (<4.4 mm/year) and separation azimuths (335°).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data formats are limited to PDF and HTML, which may complicate direct computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Compilation of seafloor spreading magnetic data, including from specific research voyages.

Time Range

96 to 44.5 million years ago (Mid-Cretaceous to Eocene).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 07:57:23.749549; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern margin of Australia, between 129°E and 131.75°E, extending towards Antarctica.