The Evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean. Continental Drift, Plate Tectonics, Earth Structure, and igneous and other processes in operation

      Аннотация: Some theories of geology faced much initial resistance, but later became widely, but not universally accepted. Continental drift and plate tectonics are good examples. One of the aims of the text is to show some lines of defense against the attacks. The concepts of hot spots have been introduced to explain apparently organised volcanism, especially that which occurs in ocean basins. The two terms are often used as synonyms. A case is made that the two should be considered separately. The concept of mantle plumes has been discussed with important groups of geologists in strongly opposed positions, for and against. A few modern cases are presented to show that the concept may not be totally wrong, but to link all modern hot spots identified in active or recently active volcanoes to plume activity is probably exaggerated. The evolution of the South Atlantic Ocean is approached from the point of view of igneous activity, and conflicting theories of plumes versus plate tectonic influences are analysed. Here the study of the rock paleomagnetism is considered to be essential to resolve some of the questions raised.

Ключевые слова: Continental Drift, Plate tectonics, South Atlantic Ocean, Earth Structure, Geological Processes