EarthRef.org Digital Archive (ERDA) -- Early Cretaceous Paleogeographic Map

Description
The global paleogeographic reconstruction for the Paleocene has been prepared by Balukhovsky et al. (2004). This map was constructed using the techniques involved in producing the Paleozoic and Mesozoic-Cenozoic Atlases of Lithological-Paleogeographic Maps of the World (Ronov et al., 1984, 1989). The original data, from which the maps are constructed, taken from the literature and other sources, are originally plotted on large scale equal area maps of each continent. These initial compilation maps contain detailed information on the lithological composition and thicknesses of sediments and volcanics. The lithologic information is also interpreted in the context of the paleogeographical environments and tectonic regimes which governed erosion and sediment deposition. The data are then smoothed and transferred onto a smaller scale global present day map with the central meridian passing through Moscow (!). This projection has been used in many Soviet and Russian publications, and the forward and reverse transformations have been published by Schulz et al. (1995). The early Turonian base map used for the simulations reported here is an age-specific refinement and update of the map of the Late Cretaceous in (Ronov et al. 1989). Elevations are originally estimated qualitatively based on the masses and grain size of the detrital sediment eroded and deposited in adjacent basins. The quantitative topographic interpretation is based on an interpretation of the denudation rate over the eroded region calculated from the volume of sediment supplied to the adjacent basins, using an estimate of the erosion-rate/elevation relationship (Hay, 1998).

Instructions
Maps compiled by:
BALUKHOVSKY, A.: Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry, 19, Kosygin Str., 117975 Moscow, Russia
FLOEGEL, S.: IFM-GEOMAR Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24105 Kiel, Germany
HAY, W. W.: 2045 Windcliff Dr. Estes Park, Colorado 80517, USA
MIGDISOV, A.: Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry, 19, Kosygin Str., 117975 Moscow, Russia