Possible Indian Ocean micro-continents.

[Nik]

Just a 'heads up' on possible land-masses and island chains which never made it in OTL...
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-08-lava-continents-oceanic-plateau-plume.html

Had the geology gone slightly otherwise, there could be 'Kerguelen', 'Broken Ridge' and the 'Ninety East' archipelago located in Southern Indian Ocean...

 

[Dangimill]

That Kerguelen 'island' looks interesting. It would certainly spice up the Indian Ocean.

 

[Plumber]

That Kerguelen 'island' looks interesting. It would certainly spice up the Indian Ocean.

It's very far south though. Broken Ridge would be cool, but that's rather south as well.

 

[wolf_brother]

It's very far south though. Broken Ridge would be cool, but that's rather south as well.

Exactly. Most of these islands would be rather cold, and continually battered by the Indian Ocean's regular storms. Could lead to some massive butterflies on the main land in Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa.

 

[Workable Goblin]

Exactly. Most of these islands would be rather cold, and continually battered by the Indian Ocean's regular storms. Could lead to some massive butterflies on the main land in Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa.

They would seriously alter climate, though, by getting in the way of the Circumpolar Current. Not that that wouldn't make them cold, but that would have some major effects elsewhere. If nothing else, the more northerly and thus warmer bits might end up being South Africa-like resupply stops on the voyage to Indonesia and Australia.

 

[mrmandias]

Australia probably gets incorporated earlier into SE Asian trade networks and civilization via the 90 degree East and Broken Ridge chain.

Kaguilen, however, might remain undiscovered or at least uninhabited until the rise of the West (obviously I'm assuming butterfly nets in place).

 

[NomadicSky]

Kaguilen wouldn't have many people living on it I'd think it seems like it'd be a cold miserable place.

 

[MaxDragonard]

I believe that there was a novel about and Indian Ocean continental-sized island that was titled "Islandia". I do not remember much about it as I read it some 30+ years ago. The residents of the island were a mixture of Indian, African, and Europeans.

 

[zraith]

They would seriously alter climate, though, by getting in the way of the Circumpolar Current.

Not entirely, that Broken Ridge Plateau doesn't appear to be in an area that would seriously alter the climate. It looks like it would be located in around the area circled blue in the attachment. As for keeping it above sea level, thats an entirely different matter which would have geological effects in other places.

 

[kasumigenx]

Why not make the Maldives a continent instead.

 

[wolf_brother]

Not entirely, that Broken Ridge Plateau doesn't appear to be in an area that would seriously alter the climate. It looks like it would be located in around the area circled blue in the attachment. As for keeping it above sea level, thats an entirely different matter which would have geological effects in other places.

However Ninetyeast Ridge and Kerguelen would seriously hamper the Indian Ocean trade winds and ocean currents; Kerguelen in particular would either block or substantially alter the winds depending on its typography and weather.

 

[zraith]

However Ninetyeast Ridge and Kerguelen would seriously hamper the Indian Ocean trade winds and ocean currents; Kerguelen in particular would either block or substantially alter the winds depending on its typography and weather.

True. Also with where Broken Ridge is located, I expect it to be fairly dry with its interior a desert except maybe for its most northern parts where the warm currents and moist air may hit.

 

[Workable Goblin]

Not entirely, that Broken Ridge Plateau doesn't appear to be in an area that would seriously alter the climate. It looks like it would be located in around the area circled blue in the attachment. As for keeping it above sea level, thats an entirely different matter which would have geological effects in other places.

By "they" I mean "Kergulen," which is smack dab in the middle of the Circumpolar.

 

[Fiver]

Another possibility is Zealandia.

 

[zraith]

Another possibility is Zealandia.

Zealandia is located in the Pacific Ocean not the Indian Ocean, which is the OP main topic.

 

[Nik]

I'm open to Pacific contenders, too !!

I'm open to flood-basalt / plume-head candidates in the Pacific, too.

Hawaii isn't quite an example as, unlike Iceland, the island chain does not currently straddle a spreading centre. Unfortunately, Hawaii's origins are a mystery, as Pacific 'oceanic' plates are so young. The bread-crumb trail of guyots {eroded flush then submerged volcanos & atolls} is lost down a 'Ring of Fire' subduction trench in the Arctic...

 

[Tyr]

Back when I played with Antarctica moving north to hit Australia I had a big Kerugalan island popping up as a result. It seemed logical with the already relatively shallow seas around there. Also a few other islands popped up along the continental crack.
Its probally not going to be the nicest place to live though. A sort of giant Iceland maybe.


I of course was taking an ASB route and assuming rest of the world climate remains unaffected- so I could have a recognisable world developing- in reality...some major changes just from that island as said.

 

[zraith]

I'm open to flood-basalt / plume-head candidates in the Pacific, too.

Then Zealandia might not work if you want it in its entirely to be above sea level and keep climate as similar as OTL.

Currents around Zealandia

Ocean floor topography

 

[Errnge]

Back when I played with Antarctica moving north to hit Australia I had a big Kerugalan island popping up as a result. It seemed logical with the already relatively shallow seas around there. Also a few other islands popped up along the continental crack.
Its probally not going to be the nicest place to live though. A sort of giant Iceland maybe.


I of course was taking an ASB route and assuming rest of the world climate remains unaffected- so I could have a recognisable world developing- in reality...some major changes just from that island as said.

This would have huge affects with the biology of "Australarctica". Antarctica before it became the inhospitable wasteland it is now on the South Pole, was home to a whole swath of marsupials and primitive birds similar to the Emu and Cassowary. They might even be more primitive at lower latitudes where they would be more cut off from more modern birds. Marsupials would be widely spread, and we would see more large marsupials in the South, where it would be colder and large bodies more necessary.

 

[Tyr]

This would have huge affects with the biology of "Australarctica". Antarctica before it became the inhospitable wasteland it is now on the South Pole, was home to a whole swath of marsupials and primitive birds similar to the Emu and Cassowary. They might even be more primitive at lower latitudes where they would be more cut off from more modern birds. Marsupials would be widely spread, and we would see more large marsupials in the South, where it would be colder and large bodies more necessary.

Indeed.
I went down the final fantasyesque route of bird cavalry.