ABSTRACT

We present a suite of 15 palaeogeographic maps illustrating the geological evolution of the entirety of Zealandia, from mid-Cretaceous to present, highlighting major tectonic phases, from initial Gondwana rifting through to development of the Neogene plate boundary. They illustrate palaeobathymetric and palaeofacies interpretations along with supporting geological datasets and a synthesis of regional tectonics. The maps are underpinned by a geologically-constrained and structurally-based rigid retro-deformation block model. This model, tied to the global plate circuit, is relatively simple for the main regions of Northern and Southern Zealandia, but breaks central Zealandia into numerous fault-bounded blocks, reflecting complex Neogene deformation associated with the modern plate boundary. Production of maps using GPlates and GIS allows for simple alteration or refinement of the block model and reconstruction of any geological dataset at any time. Reconstructions are within a palaeomagnetic reference frame, allowing assessment of palaeo-latitude, critical for palaeo-climatic and palaeo-biogeographic studies.

摘要

我们展示了一套 15 张古地理地图，展示了整个西兰大陆从白垩纪中期到现在的地质演化，突出显示了从最初的冈瓦纳大陆裂谷到新近纪板块边界发展的主要构造阶段。它们说明了古水深和古相解释以及支持的地质数据集和区域构造的综合。这些地图以地质约束和基于结构的刚性逆变形块模型为基础。该模型与全球板块环路相关，对于西兰大陆北部和南部的主要区域来说相对简单，但将西兰大陆中部分成许多断层边界的块体，反映了与现代板块边界相关的复杂的新近纪变形。使用 GPlates 和 GIS 制作地图可以随时简单地更改或细化块模型以及重建任何地质数据集。重建工作在古地磁参考系内进行，可以评估古纬度，这对于古气候和古生物地理学研究至关重要。