Tectonic Evolution of West Antarctica from Mid-Cretaceous to Mid-Cenozoic

A scientific paper published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters concerning the mid-Cretaceous through mid-Cenozoic tectonic evolution of West Antarctica. The study uses finite element models to analyze the two-stage extensional evolution of the West Antarctic Rift system. The dataset originates from the NASA EarthData platform and is associated with the organization SCIOPS.

Use Cases

• Modeling tectonic rift evolution based on the described two-stage extensional history.
• Analyzing lithospheric strength and thermal state transitions based on the geodynamic model parameters discussed.
• Studying the spatial-temporal relationship between extension, volcanism, and faulting in the Transantarctic Mountains region.

Strengths

• Focuses on a specific, peer-reviewed geophysical study published in a recognized journal.
• Provides a detailed abstract outlining the model methodology, temporal scope (mid-Cretaceous to mid-Cenozoic), and key geological conclusions.

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.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NASA EarthData platform, organization SCIOPS.

Collection Method

Finite element modeling as described in the published paper abstract.

Time Range

Mid-Cretaceous through mid-Cenozoic.

Freshness

Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Geography

West Antarctica, specifically the West Antarctic Rift system and Transantarctic Mountains.