Abstract
A feature common to the history of all the oceans has been the extension of the oceanic crust as a result of the repeated introduction of new material along the mid-oceanic ridges. In the young oceans widening of the ocean basins themselves since Mesozoic times has been made possible by the lateral drift of the adjacent continental fragments: oceanic and continental crustal masses have moved together as composite crustal plates. There is a fundamental contrast between the tectonic setting of these widening oceans and that of shrinking oceans, such as the Pacific, which are dealt with in Chapter 10. The former are coupled to the bordering continents; the latter are detached from the bordering continents along the world-wide system of mobile belts at which the surplus crustal material is returned to depth (Fig. 9.1).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Adie, R. (ed.) (1972). Antarctic geology and geophysics. I. U. G. S. Series B, No. 1
Audley-Charles, M. C., D. J. Carter and J. S. Milsom (1972). Tectonic development of Eastern Indonesia etc. Nature, Lond. Phys. Sci 239, 35
Bailey, E. B. et al., (1924). Tertiary and post-Tertiary Geology of Mull etc.Mem Geol. Surv. Scotl.
Baker, I., N. H. Gale and J. Simons (1967). Geochronology of the St Helena volcanoes. Nature, Lond 215, 1451
Bullard, E. C., J. E. Everett and A. G. Smith (1965). See p. 341
Curray, J. R. and D. G. Moore (1971). Growth of the Bengal deep-sea fan and denudation of the Himalayas. Bull, geol Soc. Am 82, 563
Delaney, F. M. (ed.) (1971). The geology of the east Atlantic continental margin. I.G.S. Rep., 70/16
Ewing, M. et al., (1969). Sediment distribution in the Indian Ocian. Deep Sea Res 16, 231
Funnell, B. and A. G. Smith (1968). Opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Nature, Lond., 219, 1328
Gass, I. S. and I. L. Gibson (1969). Structural evolution of the rift zones in the Middle East. Nature, Lond., 221, 926
Hawkes, D. D. (1962). The structure of the Scotia arc. Geol. Mag 99, 85
Heezen, B. C., M. Tharp and M. Ewing (1959). The floors of the oceans: I. the North Atlantic. Sp. Pap. geol. Soc. Am., 65
Heezen, B. C. and M. Tharp (1965). Tectonic fabric of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans etc. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., A., 258, 90
Heirtzler, J. R., X. le Pichon and J. G. Baron (1966). Magnetic anomalies over the Reykjanes Ridge. Deep-sea Res 13, 427
Hill, M. N. (ed.) (1966). A discussion concerning the floor of the north-west Indian Ocean. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., A, 259
Holmes, A. (1936). The idea of contrasted differentiation. Geol Mag 73, 228
Hope, E. R. (trans.) (1964). A new tectonic chart of the Arctic by I. P. Atlasov and others. Can. Defence Research Board
Holmes, A. (trans.) (1967). A chart of the recent tectonics of the Arctic by A. P. Puminov, ibid.
Katili, J. (1971). A review of geotectonic theories and tectonic maps of Indonesia. Earth Sci. Rev., 7, 143
Kennedy, W. Q. (1965). The influence of basement structure on the evolution of the coastal basins around Africa. In: Salt basins around Africa, Inst. Petrol.
Le Pichon, X. (1968). See p. 342
Laughton, A. S. (1966). The Gulf of Aden. In: Hill (ed.) 1966
McElhinney, M. W. (1970). Formation of the Indian Ocean. Nature, Lond 228, 977
Mitchell-Thomé R. C. (1970). Geology of the South Atlantic Islands, Born-traeger, Berlin
Moorbath, S. and H. Welke (1969). Lead isotope studies on igneous rocks from the Isle of Skye, north-west Scotland. Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 5, 217
Stride, A. et al., (1969). Marine geology of the Atlantic continental margin of Europe. Phil Trans. R. Soc. Lond A, 264, 31
Sutton, J. (1968). See p. 348
Sykes, L. R. and M. Ewing (1965). The seismicity of the Caribbean region. J. geophys. Res., 70, 5065
Trendall, A. F. (1953). The geology of South Georgia: I. Sci. Rep. Falklands Is. Depend. Surv., 19
Walker, G. P. L. (1960). Zeolite zones and dike distribution in relation to the structure of the basalts of eastern Iceland. J, geol 68, 515
Holmes, A. (1965). Evidence of crustal drift from Icelandic geology. Phil. Trans. Soc. Lond A, 258, 199
Wilson, J. T. (1963). Evidence from islands on the spreading of ocean floors. Nature, Lond 197, 536
Holmes, A. (1965). A new class of faults and their bearing on continental drift. Nature, Lond., 207, 343
Yoder, H. S. and C. E. Tilley (1962). Origin of basalt magmas etc., J. Petrol., 3 342
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1975 The Estate of the late H. H. Read and Janet Watson
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Read, H.H., Watson, J. (1975). The New Ocean Basins. In: Introduction to Geology. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15613-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15613-9_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-17669-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-15613-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)