Geochronological data on hotspot volcanoes in eastern Australia are presented, which reveal a strong link between collision of the plateau with the Melanesian arc and motion of the Australian plate. The timing and brevity of this collisional event correlate well with offsets in hotspot seamount tracks in the Pacific, including the archetypal Hawaiian chain, and thus provide strong evidence that immense oceanic plateaus can contribute to initiating rapid change in plate boundaries and motions on a global scale.
- Kurt M. Knesel
- Benjamin E. Cohen
- David S. Thiede
