Abstract

Research Article| August 01, 2009 Mid-Cretaceous seafloor spreading pulse: Fact or fiction? M. Seton; M. Seton * 1EarthByte Group, School of Geosciences, Madsen Building F09, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia *E-mail: maria.seton@usyd.edu.au. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C. Gaina; C. Gaina 2Center for Geodynamics, Geological Survey of Norway, Leiv Eirikssons vei 39, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar R.D. Müller; R.D. Müller 1EarthByte Group, School of Geosciences, Madsen Building F09, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C. Heine C. Heine 1EarthByte Group, School of Geosciences, Madsen Building F09, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia †Current address: StatoilHydro Global Exploration Technology, Drammensveien 264, N-0246 Oslo, Norway Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2009) 37 (8): 687–690. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25624A.1 Article history received: 23 Oct 2008 rev-recd: 18 Mar 2009 accepted: 22 Mar 2009 first online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation M. Seton, C. Gaina, R.D. Müller, C. Heine; Mid-Cretaceous seafloor spreading pulse: Fact or fiction?. Geology 2009;; 37 (8): 687–690. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G25624A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Two main hypotheses compete to explain the mid-Cretaceous global sea-level highstand: a massive pulse of oceanic crustal production that occurred during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (CNS) and the “supercontinent breakup effect,” which resulted in the creation of the mid-Atlantic and Indian ocean ridges at the expense of subducting old ocean floor in the Tethys and the Pacific. We have used global oceanic paleo-age grids, including now subducted ocean floor and two alternative time scales, to test these hypotheses. Our models show that a high average seafloor spreading rate of 92 mm/a in the Early Cretaceous that decreased to 60 mm/a during the Tertiary, with peaks of 86 mm/a and 70 mm/a at 105 Ma and 75 Ma ago, respectively, correspond to the two observed sea-level highstands in the Cretaceous. Calculations using GTS2004 produce lower seafloor spreading rates during the same period and diminish the mid-Cretaceous spreading pulse. Global ridge lengths increased in the earliest Cretaceous but stayed relatively constant through time. However, we find that the average age of the ocean basins through time is only weakly dependent on the choice of time scale. The expansive mid- and Late Cretaceous epicontinental seas, coupled with warm climates and oxygen-poor water masses, were ultimately driven by the younger average age of the Cretaceous seafloor and faster seafloor spreading rather than a vast increase in mid-ocean ridge length due to the breakup of Pangea or solely by higher seafloor spreading rates, as suggested previously. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

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