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Plate reconstructions form the basis for all palaeogeography. If the positions of plates is incorrect then this can have major reprecussions on climate modelling work done with the consequent geographies. For the first set of palaeogeographies I have used unpublished reconstructions provided by Professor David Rowley (University of Chicago). As the study has progressed modifications to these reconstructions have shown themselves, which would not have been apparent without this first generation of maps. Changes to the plate model will be included in the next generation of maps.
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LEFT: Plate reconstruction for the South Atlantic region showing only the continental plate configuration.
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Additional information and figures will be added to this page once the generation I maps are published (these GIS-based palaeogeographic maps have been shown at numerous conferences - e.g. Markwick et al., 1999 - and are currently been used by a number of academic groups; consequently I'm under considerable pressure to get them published asap). An ArcGIS based reconstructions program is in preparation.
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| RIGHT: Reconstruction of ocean data is important for defining plate positions for the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Here synthetic isochrons have been rotated to their Maastrichtian position. Superimposed on this is the relevant DSDP/ODP data (red dots) as well as data provided by the Palaeogeographic Atlas Project (colors denote differing palaeoenvironments, which is just one attribute stored in the databases used for this work).
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