Abstract
East Greenland is an outstanding example of a passive continental margin of the type characterized by voluminous basaltic activity such as is common to the North Atlantic margins, but is also found in many other areas.
It is divided into three provinces on the basis of geology, structure and morphology. These provinces are briefly outlined and the central or Blosseville Kyst division is described in some detail. Many of the features seen in the early stages of spreading along the Greenland margin have persisted into the mature ocean and plate tectonic history seems to be dominated by an interplay of pre-existing structures and the Icelandic hot spot.
Major questions outstanding include a) the degree of crustal stretching, b) the precise timing of continental break-up and c) the mechanism of plateau uplift, which is so marked a feature of this margin. At least some of the answers may be forthcoming as a result of a wellplanned ocean drilling campaign.
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Brooks, C.K. (1989). The Geology of the East Greenland Margin. In: Earthquakes at North-Atlantic Passive Margins: Neotectonics and Postglacial Rebound. NATO ASI Series, vol 266. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2311-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2311-9_5
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