Title>
East Antarctica: new tectonic models and new targets

Author>
Anya M. Reading

Affiliation>
Research School of Earth Sciences
Australian National University
Canberra, ACT, 0200
Australia

Contact>
anya@rses.anu.edu.au
Tel: +61 2 6125 3213
Fax: +61 2 6257 2737

Please note>
Away from RSES/ANU on Antarctic fieldwork from Sept 25th 2002
returning (estimated) mid-Feb, 2003. 
All communication regarding invitations to the workshop,
travel and science should be copied to brian@rses.anu.edu.au
and felicity.chivas@anu.edu.au (group assistant).
I will check e-mail occasionally from Antarctica (when
on station) but will not have remote e-mail facilities
in the field.

Abstract>
East Antarctica has long been regarded as a
homogenous continental block and has not been seen
as a priority target for geoscientific investigation.
In spite of the paucity of research on this vast area
of the Earth's crust, it holds a vital place in the
plate tectonic framework as the keystone of Gondwana
breakup. Many models of tectonic evolution depend
on assumptions that have been made about East Antarctica
and become entrenched in both the literature and in accepted
paradigms.

Recent geochronological work has led to new models of
the tectonic structure of East Antarctica in which 
Late Neoproterozoic to Cambrian mobile belts cut across the 
Archaean/Palaeoproterozoic cratons. The boundaries
of the provinces inferred from the (mostly) coastal
geology and geochronology are perpendicular to the East 
Antarctic coastline and hence present an exciting
hypothesis to investigate with seismic deployments
throughout East Antarctica. Finding the extent and trends 
of the mobile belts would have far-reaching consequences
in the understanding of plate tectonic history and
processes. 

A critical review of relevant geological and geochronological
literature is presented together with an overview of
potentially fruitful targets in East Antarctica for 
investigation by earthquake seismic methods. Also
discussed is the problem of optimising station location
with respect to geological targets for different
seismological analysis techniques.