摘要
The Australian continent comprises an amalgamation of cratonic elements onto which there has been significant Phanerozoic accretion in the east.The result is a complex lithospheric structure with a broad span of ages of material at the surface.The continent is moving rapidly to the north at c.7 cm/yr,relative to Asia.The collisions with the Eurasian and Pacific plates to the north,coupled to the interaction with the Pacific Plate along the eastern plate boundary through Tonga and New Zealand result in a complex pattern of stresses that is reflected in a moderate rate of intra-plate earthquakes.
