Agulhas Basin

[1] In a Late Paleocene (59–56 Ma) reconstruction of the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean (i.e. the separation of South America and Africa during the Gondwana break-up) the Meteor Rise lies conjugate to the Islas Orcadas Rise (east of the Falkland Plateau).

The ridge, however, ends abruptly in a small plateau at 40°S 15°E / 40°S 15°E / -40; 15 where it intersects a northeastward-trending spreading centre (the Agulhas Rift) that was abandoned during the Early Paleocene (61 Ma).

97 Ma the plate boundary in the Agulhas Basin was reorganised when the Mid-Atlantic Ridge made an eastward jump.

This brought the boundary towards the Agulhas Plateau where excessive volcanism was building a large igneous province.

At this retroflection it leaks warm core eddies known as Agulhas rings into the South Atlantic.

[7] Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) originated in the Oligocene with the opening of the Drake Passage and the Tasmanian Seaway and resulted in the thermal insulation of Antarctica.

The Agulhas Basin and some of the bathymetric structures mentioned in the text