Physical modeling of the interaction between the spreading ridge and the large Kerguelen igneous province

Abstract

The problem of the interaction of spreading ridges with large igneous provinces is widely discussed in the scientific literature. The most striking and well-preserved example of such interaction in the geological past is the “collision” of the Southeast Indian spreading ridge and the Kerguelen plateau, which occurred about 43 Maago. The consequence of this event was the division of a single Kerguelen plateau into two parts: in fact, the Kerguelen plateau and the Broken ridge. The conditions for the formation of these morphostructures were studied experimentally. The paper presents the results of modeling the interaction of a spreading ridge with a large igneous province. The experimental results correlate well with geological and geophysical data and with the proposed model for the development of this region.