Antarctic Tectonics Evolution:
CD-Rom

Principal Investigators: L.A. Lawver and I.W.D. Dalziel

Funding Agency: Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation

"Antarctica: Keystone of Gondwana" (Powerpoint Animation)

Antarctica is the Earth's most isolated continent. It is surrounded by actively spreading ridges except in the South American sector. Antarctica is the only glaciated continent on the planet, and as such constitutes a unique element in the Earth's environment. The tectonic evolution of its plate boundaries, and of features within the Antarctic plate, controlled development of the seaways around and through the continent prior to and during the onset of glaciation. In addition to its unique role in the present day planetary environment and its classic one as the "keystone of Gondwanaland" during Paleozoic and early Mesozoic times, Antarctica has played an iportant role in global dynamics over the past 1.0 billion years, and indeed thourghout Earth history.