RATIONALE OF PLATE TECTONICS AND POLAR GATEWAYS IN EARTH HISTORY      -An IPY approved project

The world oceans are a major component of the Earth System and changes in the complex global ocean current system are likely to cause global environmental changes. On geological time-scales, these water mass exchanges are controlled by the deepening and shallowing of areas of ocean floor during the tectonic opening and closing of strategic oceanic gateways and the formation of ocean basins. Establishing the detailed tectonic, geodynamic, sedimentary and paleo-topographic histories of strategic oceanic basins and gateways will provide the essential framework for modelling studies that will relate these events to paleo-climate observations collected across the globe.
                 
PLATES & GATES adopts a multidisciplinary approach by addressing tectono-magmatic, geodynamic, sedimentary and biostratigraphic processes, utilising paleo-biological and geochemical proxies, past and recent oceanographic conditions in the gateways, as well as by using state-of-the-art geophysical techniques, sediment coring, ocean drilling and accompanying land investigations.

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