The break-up of East Gondwana along the northeast coast of Oman: Evidence from the Batain basin

Author(s)
Marc Hauser, Rossana Martini, Albert Matter, Leopold Krystyn, Tjerk Peters, Gerard Stampfli, Louisette Zaninetti
Abstract

Recent detailed studies on the Batain nappes (northeast coast of Oman), which represent a special part of the so-called 'Oman Exotics', have led to a better understanding of the Neotethyan geodynamic evolution. The Batain Exotics bear witness to volcanic activity, sea-level changes, tectonic instability, rifting and oceanization along the Eastern Oman margin during Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic times. They allow definition of the Batain basin as an aborted Permian branch of Neotethys. This marine basin was created in Early Permian times extending southward to the East African/Madagascar region and was linked to the Karoo rift system. The presented revised classification of the Batain nappes considers the Batain basin to be no longer a part of the Hawasina basin and the Neotethyan margin proper. We attribute the Batain basin to a Mozambique Somali-Masirah rift system (Somoma). This system started in Early Permian, times, creating a marine basin between Arabia and India/Madagascar; rifting in the Late Triassic and oceanization during Late Jurassic times led to the separation of East Gondwana.

Organisation(s)
Department of Palaeontology
External organisation(s)
Université Lille I - Sciences et Technologies, Université de Genève, Universität Bern, Université de Lausanne
Journal
Geological Magazine
Volume
139
Pages
145-157
No. of pages
13
ISSN
0016-7568
Publication date
2002
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105118 Palaeontology
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/cf535db7-dbcc-4f01-9eda-9d788682379b