Cretaceous plate tectonic reconstructions
Abstract Plate tectonic reconstructions for each Cretaceous stage are produced as base maps for Cretaceous paleogeography and for oceanic and continental data. Both geologic and geophysical data are utilized to determine the relative rotations of Cretaceous plates with respect to North America. A sea-floor spreading history is generated from the relative rotations. This history is consistent with data from the Deep Sea Drilling Project. Paleolatitude lines are derived using average paleomagnetic pole positions. These reconstructions are significantly more comprehensive than previous global reconstructions, although there are still many areas which remain controversial.