No mountains to snow on: major post-Eocene uplift of the East Victoria Highlands; evidence from Cenozoic deposits
Abstract
Discussion M. C. BROWN 51 Debenham Street, Mawson, ACT 2607, Australia (mbr48216@bigpond.net.au) . Introduction Holdgate et al . ( 2008 ) present important new observations and interpretations concerning the Cenozoic landform evolution of the highlands of eastern Victoria. They conclude that the present elevation of the highlands is the result largely of post-Eocene uplift. They stress a major role for north-northeast-trending faults in the uplift. They conclude also that the uplift was accompanied by migration of the main east-west divide between inland and coastal drainage to its present position (where it is known as the Great Divide) from an Eocene divide up to 40 km further south. Their maps show isolated highland plateaux, in places overlain by Cenozoic basalt and sediment. They interpret the plateaux as remnants of a former more continuous Early to mid Cenozoic paleoplain, now separated by areas of deep mid to Late Cenozoic stream dissection. I agree that there has been major post-Eocene uplift of the highlands relative to the Murray Basin to the north and the Gippsland Basin to the south; and that the authors present strong evidence for northerly migration of the main divide. However, I have reservations about some important details