The structure of the earth’s crust of Australia
Australia is located in the central part of the Indo-Australian lithospheric plate. Consequently, this is the only continent on which there are no active volcanoes, and earthquakes occur very rarely and do not have destructive power.
Australia, like Africa, is the remnant of the ancient mainland of Gondwana, about 180 million years ago split into parts. The islands of New Guinea and Tasmania also separated from Australia as a result of splits of the earth’s crust. At the heart of the continent is the ancient Australian platform. Its foundation was formed in the Archean and Proterozoic eras. The age of the platform is measured several billion years. Continuous movements of the earth’s crust – uplifts, subsidence and faults – led to the formation of a large shield in the west of the Australian platform, and to the east – a vast trough filled with sedimentary rocks. The central deflection for a long time was immersed in the waters of the ancient ocean and represented a strait at the bottom of which sea clays and sands were deposited.
To the east of the platform along the coast stretches the belt of ancient folding. In the Paleozoic era, active mountain building took place here. Since ancient times, along the coast, the Great Barrier Reef began to form. Small depths and warm water contributed to the massive development of corals.
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