Tectonic model for the evolution of oceanic crust in the northeastern Indian Ocean from the Late Cretaceous to the Early Tertiary

Abstract

Bathymetry and magnetic studies (part of the Trans Indian Ocean Geotraverse investigations) in the northeastern Indian Ocean revealed seafloor topographic features, magnetic lineations (19 through 32B) and abandoned spreading centers. The seafloor topography of the Ninetyeast Ridge is relatively wider and shallower south of 15°S. The magnetic anomalies indicate nine fracture zones. Two of them are newly identified. Some of the fracture zones are reflected in the bathymetry. Abandoned spreading centers between 86°E Fracture Zone (FZ) and 92°E FZ are interpreted as the western extensions of the Wharton Ridge. They ceased spreading along with other spreading centers in the Wharton Basin soon after the formation of magnetic anomaly 19 (around 42 Ma) and merged the Indian and Australian plates as single Indo‐Australian plate. The pattern of magnetic lineations between 86°E FZ and 90°E FZ indicate a series of southerly ridge jumps at anomalies 30, 26 (Royer et al., 1991 and other workers) and 19. These ridge jumps transferred portions of the Antarctic plate to the Indian plate. The captured portions and offset along 86°E FZ between India‐Antartica Ridge and Wharton Ridge resulted in an anomalous extra oceanic crust between 86°E FZ and Ninetyeast Ridge spanning 11° in latitude.