WIP: Thränjök, an earth-like planet

[Shikotei]

However, I feel like the south eastern islands are somewhat... illogical; I've never seen two parallel island chains like that, next to each other. Perhaps someone with more geological experience want to comment on this phenomenon?

One explanation would require a small tectonic plate between these two parallel island chains. There will have to be two subduction zones, each spawning volcanoes that (due to the slow subduction) have plenty of time to spew lava onto the seabed that they eventually form land above sea-level. There would be multiple volcanoes that (almost) constantly erupt or are close to erupting.

The other would require two hot-spots. These would each spawn one chain of islands while the plate (or plates) move from east to west (or west to east). The movement would be fairly slow, similar to the island chain of Hawaii.

Just my 2 cents.

[Pixie]

Close together chains of volcanic islands, not necessarily parallel curves, are not unheard of on Earth. Have a look at the area close to the Solomon Islands. The chains of vocanic islands in your world, though, seem to have too many islands of equally average size.

One area that I think could do with some better geological reasoning, though, is the modern rift that is breaking the northern continent in two halves. Those kind of rifts shouldn't generate a sea filled with large islands. Modelling it from the Red Sea would be more sensible, in my opinion.

But here's a general advice/question regarding tectonics in a con-world.. have you read this thread:
http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ad.php?t=31618

[Polkadot]

@Ariz89: Yeah, it wasn't easy to decide to start over, but I think it will turn out much better this time around. Thanks!

@Vidgange: Thank you! I've finished up my new tectonics map and after your and Pixie's comments I decided to get rid of one of those chains.

@Shikotei: You're right on, I had put a small plate there to justify them, but I went ahead and got rid of them with this revision.

@Pixie: I'm not sure if that's the link you meant? I don't see anything about tectonics in that one, although it is very informative on it's own! When you say the volcanic chains are too similar in size, do you think I should just try to vary the sizes more or just make a majority of them smaller? For the northern continent(s), would it work to just get rid of the islands in the middle there? Or would it maybe work to say it was an old rift and put them on a single plate? Ugh geography was never my strong suit. Thank you for your help, Pixie!


Okay, so this first one is the new tectonics map (with one of the weird island chains removed). The second one is a rough elevation map I drew up. I think this is the one I'll use when figuring out the winds and rains and climates and everything.



Unless of course something doesn't quite work with either of these. Thanks for all the feedback so far! Would love some more for these two.

[Polkadot]

I went ahead and finished up the new maps for the ocean currents and the winter and summer versions of maps showing atmospheric pressure and winds.

Here are the ocean currents:


And then here we have the atmospheric pressure and winds. Winter (January) is on the left and Summer (July) is on the right.

(EDIT: Just realised I didn't specify the colours: blue is for low pressure, red is for high pressure)

I got rid of the islands between the northern continents, but only after I finished the currents, so I may go back and readjust the continental shelves and have a bit of a warm current head up between the landmasses.

[Azélor]

There is a bit of a problem with the currents at the poles. The polar easterlies are too strong and too far away from the poles. The rest seems fine.

As for the pressure maps, I can have a look at it tomorrow probably.

[Polkadot]

Thanks for checking it out, Azelor.

I'm not quite sure I understand what's wrong with the currents. Is 60 degrees still too close to the equator for the polar currents? Should they be no further than 75 or so? If you do get the chance to check out the pressure maps, I'd love to hear your feedback on those as well.

[Azélor]

Where are the mountains?

[Polkadot]

Sorry, I never know which layers to include when I'm putting up new pictures. My bad!

Here is Winter (January) on the left, and Summer (July) on the right. With my crappy elevation map included.



Blue is low pressure, red is high.

[Pixie]

Yep, that wasn't the link I meant, but since you consider tectonics finished, forget about it.

Concerning your currents... have a look at this.
It's a nice resource to keep in mind, and an awesome target to copy if you try to make a proper "oceanic currents map".

While you have a nice overall grasp of currents, there's a few places where you could add more complexity and I think you have a couple of places where things could go differently. I might be able to draft out some of my thoughts if I find the time in the next couple of days, could you share a "clean" version of your present map?

[Azélor]

Here is the modified current map.
As for the maps you just shared, we can't really see the different in elevation. The darker lines is where the elevation is higher ?