Nature of the Kergelen Plateau and Its Place in the Structural Plan of the Southern Sector of the Indian Ocean

The morphostructural characteristics of the main taxa southern Indian Ocean, such as Del Cano-Crozet, Conrad, and Kerguelen plateaus, are given based on structural-tectonic analysis. A depth map acoustic basement eastern part Afro-Antarctic megadepression is first built using digitized NGDS database thickness sedimentary cover which available Internet. critical analysis deep seismic sounding (DSS) data plateu hs been performed. geochemical more than 100 samples basalts, acidic rocks, rocks origin, collected islands archipelago raised by dredging deep-sea drilling from Conrad carried out. study has shown that plateaus resemble Madagascar Ridge in terms morphostructure a number other features. It concluded these flat-topped horst massifs were “structural bridge” connected mainland Antarctica no later Paleogene. proposed alternative version geological interpretation states plateau relatively homogeneous structure along strike, including thick (at least 15-km) layer continental crust. An made it possible to identify depocenters isolated Enderby, Shackleton Labuan basins framing Plateau side. paragenetic connections with indicate isolation East formation modern region began Late Cretaceous ended last phase tectonic activation Miocene–Pliocene. results show petrological anomalies associated crust, not mantle contamination, well nature Plateau.