New Caledonia: Geology, Geodynamic Evolution and Mineral Resources
CONTAINS OPEN ACCESS

This memoir summarizes current knowledge on the geology of New Caledonia, its geodynamic evolution and mineral resources, based on published and unpublished information. It comprises ten research papers, each addressing a particular geological assemblage or topic. After an introductory chapter and a review of the published geodynamic models of evolution of the SW Pacific, Chapters 3-5 focus on the main geological assemblages of Grande Terre: the pre-Late Cretaceous basement terranes, the Late Cretaceous to Eocene cover, and the Eocene Subduction-Obduction Complex, one of the largest and best-preserved in the world. Chapter 6 is devoted to the Loyalty Islands and Ridge. Chapter 7 deals with the mostly terrestrial post-obduction units, including regolith. Chapter 8 deals with palaeobiogeography and discusses plausible scenarios of biotic evolution. Chapters 9 and 10 provide a comprehensive review of New Caledonia's mineral resources. The volume will be of interest to stratigraphers, sedimentologists, marine geologists, palaeontologists, palaeogeographers, igneous and metamorphic petrologists, geochemists, geochronologists, and specialists in tectonics, geodynamic evolution, regoliths, ophiolites and economic geology.
Chapter 4: Late Cretaceous to Eocene cover of New Caledonia: from rifting to convergence
-
Published:June 16, 2020
-
CiteCitation
P. Maurizot, A. Bordenave, D. Cluzel, J. Collot, S. Etienne, 2020. "Chapter 4: Late Cretaceous to Eocene cover of New Caledonia: from rifting to convergence", New Caledonia: Geology, Geodynamic Evolution and Mineral Resources, P. Maurizot, N. Mortimer
Download citation file:
- Share
-
Tools
Abstract
In New Caledonia, the cover refers to the autochthonous Late Cretaceous to Paleogene sedimentary and volcanic formations unconformably overlying the basement rocks and underlying the allochthonous nappes. The first period of deposition, broadly from the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene (c. 105–56 Ma) was controlled by extension and rifting. The second period, broadly the Eocene (c. 56–34 Ma), was dominated by convergence and contraction. The Late Cretaceous part of the cover consists of synrift conglomerates and coal-bearing deposits with interlayered bimodal, subduction-related and intra-plate volcanic rocks. The post-rift deposits are deep water sedimentary rocks deposited under anoxic conditions...
- allochthons
- basins
- biogenic structures
- biosparite
- bioturbation
- blueschist
- carbonate platforms
- carbonate rocks
- Cenozoic
- clastic rocks
- conglomerate
- Cretaceous
- dates
- depositional environment
- eclogite
- endemic taxa
- Eocene
- faunal studies
- foreland basins
- geodynamics
- intraplate processes
- limestone
- lithofacies
- lithostratigraphy
- marine environment
- Melanesia
- Mesozoic
- metamorphic rocks
- nappes
- nesosilicates
- New Caledonia
- Oceania
- olistostromes
- ophiolite
- orthosilicates
- Paleocene
- paleoenvironment
- Paleogene
- paleogeography
- plate convergence
- plate tectonics
- rifting
- schists
- sedimentary rocks
- sedimentary structures
- shelf environment
- silicates
- soft sediment deformation
- subduction
- Tertiary
- U/Pb
- Upper Cretaceous
- zircon
- zircon group
- detrital zircon
- Noumea Basin
- Adio Limestone
- Bourail Group
- Diahot-Panie metamorphic complex
- Montagnes Blanches Nappe