WIP-- Anguem-- From Tectonic Plates Up (hopefully, first map here)

[rvgriffiths]

Woohoo, progress!

I snagged the tectonic map from my original post, resized it per Raptori's suggestion, and started slapping some sweet continental crust for Anguem.

I completely hated every continent I tried to do to "current" (story-time) size, so I'm just throwing some smaller shapes onto the plates where it feels right, and then I'm going to touch it up with the paintbrush tool.

Here's the so-far. Not sure about that northern pole continent. Will that warm up my north too much? I could always put my closed-off cold area in the south, I suppose, if it is. Hmmm.



Feedback and crit is, of course, ecstatically and gratefully welcomed.

[rvgriffiths]

All right, got some work done on my continents. I'm following the Not-So-Random-Coastline tutorial at the moment. Because the photo is so big I'm copying the continents and the large islands, pasting into their own documents, running the process, and pasting the result back in as a layer. This way I can focus on the details as well as saving each continent and island for future detail work.

Not done with the continents, but alas, this little cartographer has to go to bed.



I just noticed the detail isn't showing up at all, but they do in the expanded picture. The completed areas have a white outline. Still needs a lot of cleanup... oh well.

[Pixie]

Sorry to bring this up when you are already tuning details on the coast but...

You've got several places where tectonic plates are subducting and new oceanic plate is being created at the same time.. this simply doesn't happen. It's the case of the triple junction between plates 2, 4 and 10 (I'd make plate 10 move NE instead) and between 1, 5 an 7 (I'd create a couple of microplates there).

Also, for increased complexity/realism, consider adding islands. Both volcanic mid-ocean islands and island-arcs.

And as a last piece of "do with it whatever you like" kind of advice: a real planet takes millions of years to create, don't rush yours.

Just a few 2cents worth ideas. Enjoy your creative pursuit, that's the whole point.

[rvgriffiths]

Sorry to bring this up when you are already tuning details on the coast but...

That's ok. I'd rather have it be right (or at least reasonable).

It's the case of the triple junction between plates 2, 4 and 10 (I'd make plate 10 move NE instead)

That seems straightforward enough. That should leave it pulling away from 2 and 11 and with a transform boundary against 4, I think?

and between 1, 5 an 7 (I'd create a couple of microplates there).

I'm not sure what you mean here. I mean, I see the problem, and I understand what microplates are, I'm just not sure where to put them so it fixes the problem. Halp?

Also, for increased complexity/realism, consider adding islands. Both volcanic mid-ocean islands and island-arcs.

I will be doing that, I'm just hitting up the big chunks first. I figured once I got the continents and supersized islands out of the way, I could zoom in and work on some island chains. Not sure what you mean on the mid-ocean islands. I thought islands were the result of volcanos.... don't they have to be along a tectonic boundry (or where one was)? Or am I misunderstanding that?

And as a last piece of "do with it whatever you like" kind of advice: a real planet takes millions of years to create, don't rush yours.

Good point It's sort of a balance between "I want to do this right" and "I need a certain amount of this done to finish my novel." I want to do it proper, but I need at least a rough idea of what's where.

I appreciate the advice, thank you!

[Pixie]

(quick reply then I am away on hols... )

Microplates can behave in basically anyway. Check Caroline Plate, Fiji Plate or Cocos Plate for ideas.

Hawaii is an example of volcanic islands that aren't formed in a tectonic boundary. Tectonic boundaries force rock material to sink, melt and resurface in volcanoes, sure. But magma may also rise in hotspots and these more or less stay in the same location as a given plate passes above. Check an image of the Pacific floor west and north-west of Hawaii, you will see remnants of the spot activity (islands that have been eroded below the ocean level with time).
Sometimes hotspots occur in divergent boundaries (some geologists think the two are related), Azores, Kerguelen and Iceland are pretty good examples. The Ontong-Java plateau is an example of a very ancient hotspot, which slowed down. The cooled lava was then carried away from its original position by the moving pacific.
(whoa, 6 lines of geology rambling.. sorry)

[rvgriffiths]

After some more work and endless fiddling, the continents of Anguem:



It's probably not as accurate as it could be, but I was reaching the point of messing with it to no fruitful end, so I decided it was good enough to move on.

Mountains are roughly blocked out in red. I'm not sure I like the placement yet, aside from the ones directly along tectonic lines. I think I need a little more research before laying them out for good.

[rvgriffiths]

Man, mountains are hard.

[Raptori]

Man, mountains are hard.

Keep at it, you'll get there!

Looking good so far