Southeast Asia 0-55 Ma

The Cenozoic was a period of major tectonic events which influenced life and climate in SE Asia and the SW Pacific. Early in the Cenozoic there was collision of India with Eurasia, and later the collision with Australia led to connections between Australia, Eurasia, and the Pacific. The geological evolution of this region is complex, fascinating and important. Many geological ideas of great significance have originated here: for example, those concerning the links between gravity and ocean trenches, early global mobilistic speculations, and hypotheses concerning the development of island arcs. It is no coincidence that Wallace’s ideas on evolution developed here, nor that these original thoughts were closely linked to ideas of geological evolution. Much of the region has emerged from the sea very recently providing opportunities for new life and the incredible diversity of plant and animal species, and the region continues to change at a rapid rate. Although it is a spectacular region of volcanic activity and seismicity this wonderful natural laboratory is still not geologically well known.

Hall, R. 2002. Cenozoic geological and plate tectonic evolution of SE Asia and the SW Pacific: computer-based reconstructions and animations. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 20 (4), 353–434.

Global View Movie

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SE Asia Movie

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Download as QUICKTIME

SW Pacific Movie

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Reconstructions of this region can help to understand its development. Three new animations are available: a global view of the reconstructions and two projections covering SE Asia and the SW Pacific. The computer animations have a number of formats which should allow them to be displayed on a variety of computers (PC, Macintosh and Unix platforms) using several different types of software. These include Microsoft PowerPoint versions and Apple QuickTime movie versions.

Download the paper (PDF)

Recent Papers –

Max Webb et al., 2020. Isotopic mapping reveals the location of crustal fragments along a long-lived convergent plate boundary. Lithos.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2020.105687

Max Webb et al., 2020. The history of Cenozoic magmatism and collision in NW New Guinea – New insights into the tectonic evolution of the northernmost margin of the Australian Plate. Gondwana Research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2019.12.010

Amy Gough et al., 2020. Mid-Cenozoic fluvio-deltaic to marine environments of the Salin Sub-basin, Central Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2019.104143

Recent News –

Amy Gough and Max Webb attended the Restech 2.0 Virtual Reservoir Conference. Amy Gough presented new SEARG research on the pitfalls of light mineral studies for sedimentary provenance in tropical climates.

Amy Gough was awarded an honorary research fellowship of the British Geological Survey and continues to foster collaborative relationships between SEARG and the BGS.