Gulf of Mexico Plate Kinematic Reconstruction

Quantitative reconstruction of GoM basin formation (200 Ma → present) using the Müller et al. (2019) community plate model with GPlates. Divergence rates, paleoshorelines, and petroleum systems timing for the world's most prolific hydrocarbon basin.

GPlates 2.4 pyGPlates Müller et al. 2019 Petroleum Systems ⭐ GitHub
Reconstruction range
0–200 Ma
Plate model
Müller 2019
Peak spreading rate
~40 mm/yr
GoM opening
165–145 Ma
GoM oil reserves
~50 Bbbl

Map Layers

Legend

Subduction zone (Bird 2002)
Divergent / transform boundary (Bird 2002)
North American Plate (Bird 2002)
Caribbean Plate (Bird 2002)
Yucatan Block (approx. — paleo)
Florida Platform (approx.)
Major oil/gas field
Plate motion vector

Spreading Centre

The extinct GoM spreading ridge (165–145 Ma) ran roughly E–W through the deep basin. Maximum divergence ~40 mm/yr. Ridge cessation produced the thick oceanic crust underlying the present deep-water basin.

Divergence Rate — Gulf of Mexico (165–0 Ma)

Petroleum Systems Timing Chart

Basin Subsidence Model (McKenzie Stretching, β = 2.0)

Paleo-Water Depth Through Time

Key Tectonic Events

~230 Ma — Triassic rifting onset
Initial crustal extension, basin nucleation
~165 Ma — Jurassic spreading
Oceanic crust formation; Yucatan block rotation ~45°
~165–158 Ma — Louann Salt
Restricted evaporite basin; allochthonous salt source
~145 Ma — Passive margin
Spreading cessation; thermal subsidence phase begins
~80–55 Ma — Laramide
Compression; structural inversion, trap formation

Methodology

Plate model: Müller et al. (2019) global reconstruction, covering 0–1000 Ma with full plate boundary topology. Downloaded from Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3764447).

pyGPlates API: Extracts rotation poles and velocity vectors at each time step. Yucatan block (plate ID 314) rotates ~45° relative to North America (101) during the main spreading phase (165–145 Ma).

Basin subsidence: McKenzie (1978) stretching model with crustal β-factor = 2.0, computing syn-rift (tectonic) and post-rift (thermal) subsidence components.

View full source code →