Fastest known spreading on the Miocene Cocos-Pacific Plate Boundary
Abstract
New magnetic anomaly identifications for the central part of the Cocos plate and the corresponding part of the Pacific plate indicate a pulse of extremely rapid seafloor spreading in the middle Miocene, about 11-18 Ma, possibly beginning as early as 25 Ma. The spacing of anomalies 5A-5D indicates a full spreading rate for the southern Cocos-Pacific boundary of 180-210 mm/yr, depending on the choice of time scale. Relative to the maximum 0-3 Ma spreading rate of 152 mm/yr, this result significantly expands the upper limit of well documented rates.
- Publication:
-
Geophysical Research Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 1996
- DOI:
- 10.1029/96GL02893
- Bibcode:
- 1996GeoRL..23.3003W
- Keywords:
-
- Tectonophysics: Plate motions-general;
- Marine Geology and Geophysics: Plate tectonics (8150;
- 8155;
- 8157;
- 8158);
- Information Related to Geographic Region: Pacific Ocean