Kenn Plateau Tectonic History and Sedimentology Off Northeast Australia

The submarine Kenn Plateau covers approximately 140,000 km² east of central Queensland. This geological dataset details its evolution from a continental fragment, including Cretaceous to Neogene tectonic events, sediment deposition, and volcanic activity.

Use Cases

• Model tectonic subsidence and rotation using the documented 45-degree clockwise rotation and 2000 m subsidence metrics.
• Analyze sediment basin composition and thickness described for basins containing several kilometres of sediment.
• Study volcanic chain formation and reef development using data on the Oligocene Tasmantid and Neogene Lord Howe volcanic chains.
• Investigate regional unconformities and sedimentation shifts using the Late Paleocene to Early Eocene and Late Eocene to Early Oligocene unconformity events.

Strengths

• Covers a significant geological area of about 140,000 km².
• Provides detailed multi-era tectonic history from the Cretaceous to the Neogene.
• Includes specific quantified geological processes like 45-degree rotation and 2000 m subsidence.

Limitations

• Data format is HTML, which is not structured for direct computational analysis.
• No tabular column or sample data is provided for quantitative modeling.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single plateau region.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

null

Time Range

Cretaceous to present day

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Kenn Plateau, 500 km east of central Queensland, Australia, Southwest Pacific