The origin of the Atlantic-Arctic-Ocean

Summary

The Atlantic-Arctic Basin is antipodal to the Pacific. Powerful evidence is cited to indicate its development through Continental Drift, as suggested byPickering in 1907. Initiated from the Mesozoic Tethys and progressively enlarged during the Tertiary, its outlines were essentially determined by tensional-rifting oriented mainly N.E and N.W within a zone extending more than half round the circumference of the Earth, from the Antarctic to Alaska. During the Alpine diastrophism fold-linkages, that functioned as land bridges, were pushed up across the Ocean between the West Indies and Eurafrica and subsequently destroyed by the continued westerly drift of the Americas. Crustal stretching was accompanied by widespread volcanicity. The Mid-Atlantic Rise is recent and has an Isostatic basis. The Atlantic-Arctic stretch-basin is largely bordered by Fault-Line Coasts and by downwarped shores that show the marginal, entrenched, terrestially-evolved drainages known as “Submarine Canyons”.