In the last 150 Ma, India seems to have traveled a great distance from the near south pole location to the northern hemisphere. Stratigraphic evidences coupled with ocean bottom studies and other proofs have helped us to reconstruct the evolutionary process behind the inter-plate dynamics. However, the variability observed for continental drifts in terms of directions and speed are too diverse. Can anyone suggest good review papers to understand the present stage of understanding on this issue?
For the paleomagnetic part of the issue, you can check the excellent review done by Rob Van der Voo in the late nineties
Van der Voo, R. 1993. Paleomagnetism of the Atlantic, Tethys and Iapetus ocean. Cambridge University Press. 411pp.
If you want to study about the movement of India as an example of the forces operating in plate tectonics, read about the Reunion Hotspot. Wikipedia has summarized the story very well and you can use the cited references for more complete study. The seafloor spreading was the main factor for moving India so fast.
Following are some key papers that discuss variations in the rates of plate movements through geological time.
Nance et al 1998 Supercontinental cycles; Scientific American; July 1988 pp. 72 - 79.
The work of Scotese in continental reconstructions through time under the Paleomap project is awsome and watchable even by the layman.
A series of papers by Kent Condie culminating with the latest: 2015: Is the rate of supercontinent assembly changing with time. Precambrian Research V. 259 pp. 278 - 289.)
& Yoshida and Santosh (2011: Supercontinents, mantle dynamics and plate tectonics. Earth Science Reveiws v. 105; pp 1 - 24)
For the flight of the Indian subcontinent, several works are available that attribute the speed to a drive by the Reunion and Kerugelan Hotspots on either side of the plate compounded by the slab-pull induced by the subduction of the Indian Plate below the Tibetan plateau.
Thank you Emilio and Michael for your suggestions.
Vivek, I am particularly thankful to you for the references given. I was principally interested in the unevenness of continental drifts. I have gone through the beautiful animation developed by Barend Kobben of ITC (contact: [email protected]) for the continental rifting and drifting in the last 200 Ma. The nature of unevenness in plate movements are shown but the causes are not explained. That was also not the objective of the study. While dealing with the Assam Arakan stratigraphy, I was facing problem to explain a very thick clay, probably of lake origin just before the rise of the Himalayas. Some of the crucial stratigraphic problems might be solved by introducing unevenness of the plate dynamics provided the explanation corroborates the inter-plate relationships. Can you suggest, how diverse opinions researchers hold about the areal coverage of the uplifted Indian plate before the rise of the Himalayas?
Siddhartha,
The answer to you question can be found at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264825668_Plate_Tectonics_Driving_Mechanisms_Some_Simple_Rules_that_Explain_Why_the_Plates_Move_the_Way_They_Do
I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
- Chris Scotese
Technical Report Plate Tectonics Driving Mechanisms: Some Simple Rules that E...
The simple view can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwfNGatxUJI
Thank you all for the questions and answers...I am trying to find the depositional history with proper evidences and tectonic evidences after depositions...
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