Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The rotations opening the Central and Northern Atlantic Ocean: compilation, drift lines, and flow lines

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We provide an up-to-date compilation of Euler rotations that model the evolution of the Central and Northern Atlantic Ocean (Table 1). The data basis forms seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies of the Atlantic. We checked the published rotations and selected those that form a consistent model. The increments of the Euler rotations going back in time from magnetic anomaly to magnetic anomaly can be illustrated by chains of points on “drift lines” that are paths of motions from continent to continent. Along these paths, the continents bordering the Atlantic Ocean can be moved back to their Mesozoic position within Pangea. Other figures exhibit the early rifting of the North Atlantic, the drift of Iberia, and the evolution of the Greenland-Ellesmere region. The points on the drift lines do not correspond directly to the lines of magnetic anomalies or their “picks” displayed today symmetrically in the Atlantic Ocean. To acquire correspondence, symmetric “flow lines” are constructed analogous to the spreading procedure. But points on the flow lines constructed by half of the increments partially also deviate from the expected symmetric position and in this way quantify displacements or jumps of the axis of rifting or spreading. Most of the selected rotations are from the excellent analyses of previous work. Essential deviations from published rotations are the M 0 rotations of Eurasia and of the Porcupine unit with respect to North America (EUR-NAM and POR-NAM). They lead to a better coincidence between the back-rotated M 0 magnetic anomalies in the Bay of Biscay on the one side and a change of the first transform motions between Greenland and Svalbard on the other side. Through this explanation, an overlap in Pangea SW of Svalbard is avoided and transform motions instead of strong extension are predicted. Some additional data are needed to complete the model: the earliest part of the path of Iberia to North America (IBA-NAM) up to M 4 is calculated assuming that Iberia moved parallel to the African plate, though with slower spreading rates. The evolution of the Central and North Atlantic Ocean system is described in short. This model of the Central and North Atlantic was produced with the primary intention of clearing and fixing the positions of Africa, Iberia, and Eurasia as a framework for an improved reconstruction of the Western Tethys evolution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asch K (2007) IGME 5000: 1:5 Million International Geological Map of Europe and Adjacent Areas. BGR Hannover

  • Bullard EC, Everett JE, Smith AG (1965) The fit of the continents around the Atlantic. Phil Trans R Soc Lond Ser A 258:41–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chadwick RC, Livermore RA, Penn IE (1989) Continental extension in southern Britain and surrounding areas and its relationship to the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean. Am Ass Petrol Geol Mem 46:411–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Channell JET (1996) Palaeomagnetism and palaeogeography of Adria. In: Morris A, Tarling DH (eds) Palaeomagnetism and Tectonics of the Mediterranean Region. Geol Soc Spec Publ 105:119–132

  • De Paor DG, Bradley DC, Eisenstadt G, Phillips SM (1989) The Arctic Eurekan orogen: a most unusual fold-and-thrust belt. Geol Soc Am Bull 101:952–967

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey JF, Helman ML, Turco E, Hutton DHW, Knott SD (1989) Kinematics of the western Mediterranean. In: Coward MP, Dietrich D, Park RG (eds) Alpine Tectonics. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 45:265–283

  • Dunbar JA, Sawyer DS (1989) Patterns of continental extension along the conjugate margins of the central and North Atlantic Oceans and Labrador Sea. Tectonics 8:1059–1077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutro JT (1981) Geology of Alaska bordering the Arctic Ocean. In: Nairn AEM, Churkin M, Stehli FT (eds) The ocean basins and margins the Arctic Ocean, vol 5. Plenum, New York, pp 21–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery KO, Uchupi E (1984) The geology of the Atlantic Ocean. Springer, New York 1050

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Faleide JI, Tsikalas F, Breivik AJ, Mjelde R, Ritzmann O, Engen Œ, Wilson J, Eldholm O (2008) Structure and evolution of the continental margin off Norway and the Barents Sea. Episodes 3182–3191

  • Gaina C, Roest WR, Müller RD (2002) Late cretaceous-cenozoic deformation of northeast Asia. Earth Planet Sci Lett 197:273–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaina C, Gernigon L, Ball P (2009) Palaeocene-recent plate boundaries in the NE Atlantic and the formation of the Jan Mayen micro continent. J Geol Soc London 166:601–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gernignon L, Olesen O, Ebbing J, Wienecke S, Gaina C, Mogaard JO, Sand M, Myklebust R (2009) Geophysical insights and early spreading history in the vicinity of the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone, Norwegian-Greenland Sea. Tectonophysics 468:185–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gradstein FM, Ogg JG, Smith AG (2004) A geologic time scale 2004. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Grantz A, Eittreim S, Dinter DA (1979) Geology and tectonic development of the continental margin north of Alaska. Tectonophysics 59:263–291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grantz A, Clark DL, Phillips RL, Srivastava SP (1998) Phanerozoic stratigraphy of North wind ridge, magnetic anomalies in the Canada basin, and the geometry and timing of rifting in the Amerasia basin, Arctic Ocean. Geol Soc Am Bull 110:801–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Handy MR, Schmid SM, Bousquet R, Kissling R, Bernoulli D (2010) Reconciling plate-tectonic reconstructions of Alpine Tethys with the geological-geophysical record of spreading and sub duction in the Alps. Earth Sci Rev 102:121–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harland WB (1969) Contribution of Spitsbergen to the evolution of the North Atlantic region. Am Ass Petrol Geol Mem 12:817–851

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolivet L, Augier R, Faccenna C, Negro F, Rimmele G, Agard P, Robin C, Rossetti F, Crespo-Blanc A (2008) Subduction, convergence and the mode of back arc extension in the Mediterranean region. Bull Soc Geol Fr 179:525–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Keen CE, Dehler SA (1993) Stretching and subsidence: rifting of conjugate margins in the North Atlantic. Tectonics 12:1209–1229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klitgord KD, Schouten H (1986) Plate kinematics of the central Atlantic. In: Vogt PR, Tucholke BE (eds) The Western and North Atlantic region. Geol Soc Am, The Geology of North America M:351–378

  • Kristoffersen Y, Talwani M (1977) Extinct triple junction south of Greenland and the Tertiary motion of Greenland relative to North America. Geol Soc Am Bull 88:1037–1049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuzmichev AB (2009) Where does the South Anyui suture go in the New Siberian Islands and Laptev Sea? Implications for the Amerasia basin origin. Tectonophysics 463:86–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen HC (1984) Geology of the East Greenland shelf. In: Spencer AM (ed) Petroleum geology of the North European margin. Graham and Trotman, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawver LA, Scotese CR (1990) A review of tectonic models for the evolution of the Canada Basin. In: Grantz A, Johnson L, Sweeney JF (eds) The Arctic Ocean region. Geol Soc Am, The Geology of North America L:593–618

  • Lawver LA, Müller RD, Srivastava SP, Roest W (1990) The opening of the Arctic Ocean. In: Bleil U, Thiede J (eds) Geological history of the polar Oceans: Arctic versus Antarctic. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht Netherlands, pp 29–62

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lawver AL, Grantz A, Gahagan LM (2002) Plate kinematic evolution of the present Arctic region since the ordovician. In: Miller EL, Grantz A, Klemperer SL (eds) Tectonic evolution of the Bering Shelf-Chukchi Sea-Arctic Margin and Adjacent Landmasses. Geol Soc Am Spec Paper 360:333–358

  • Le Pichon X, Sibuet J-C, Francheteau J (1977) The fit of the continents around the North Atlantic Ocean. Tectonophysics 38:169–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luis JF, Miranda JM (2008) Reevaluation of magnetic chrons in the North Atlantic between 35°N and 47°N: implications for the formation of the Azores triple junction and associated plateau. J Geophys Res 113, B10105:12. doi:10.1029/2007JB005573

    Google Scholar 

  • Manspeizer W, Cousminer HL (1988) Late Triassic-Early Jurassic synrift basins of the US Atlantic margin. In: Sheridan RE, Grow JA (eds) The Atlantic continental margin. Geol Soc Am, Geology of North America I–2:197–216

  • Maxwell AE, Von Herzen RP, Richard P et al (1970) Summary and conclusion. Initial Rep Deep Sea Drill Proj 3:441–471

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles PR (2008) Structural map of the North Atlantic Ocean (1:20 000 000). CGMW/UNESCO, Paris

  • Mosar J (2003) Scandinavia′s North Atlantic passive margin. J Geophys Res 108, 2360:18. doi:10.1029/2002JB002134,2003

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller RD, Roest WR (1992) Fracture Zones in the North Atlantic from combined Geosat and Seasat data. J Geophys Res 97:3337–3350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller RD, Royer J-Y, Cande SC, Roest WR, Maschenkov S (1999) New constraints on the Late Cretaceous/Tertiary plate tectonic evolution of the Caribbean. In: Mann P (ed) Caribbean basins. Sedimentary basins of the world 4:33–59. Elsevier, Amsterdam

  • Neugebauer J, Greiner B, Appel E (2001) Kinematics of the Alpine-West Carpathian orogen and palaeo geographic implications. J Geol Soc London 158:97–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nœttvedt A, Johannessen EP, Surlyk F (2008) The Mesozoic of Western Scandinavia and East Greenland. Episodes 31:59–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Nürnberg D, Müller RD (1991) The tectonic evolution of the South Atlantic from Late Jurassic to present. Tectonophysics 191:27–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olivet J-L (1996) La cinématique de la plaque Ibérique. Bull Centres Rech Explor-Prod Elf Aquitaine 20:131–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Olivet JL, Bonnin J, Beuzart P, Auzende JM (1984) Cinématique de l′Atlantique Nord et Central. Cent Natl Exploit Oceans Rapp Sci Tech, vol 54, p 108

  • Parfenov LM, Porkopiev AV, Gaiduk VV (1995) Cretaceous frontal thrusts of the Verkhoyansk fold belt, eastern Siberia. Tectonics 14:342–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pease V (2011) Eurasian orogens and Artic tectonics: an overview. In: Spencer AM, Embry AF, Gautier DI, Stoupakova AV, Sørensen K (eds) Artic petroleum geology. Geol Soc London Mem 35:311–324

  • Piepjohn K, von Gosen W, Estrada S, Tessensohn F (2007) Deciphering superimposed Ellesmerian and Eurekan deformation, Piper Pass area, northern Ellesmere Island (Nunavut). Can J Earth Sci 44:1439–1452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitman WC, Talwani M (1972) Sea-floor spreading in the North Atlantic. Geol Soc Am Bull 83:619–646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roest WR, Srivastava SP (1989) Sea-floor spreading in the Labrador Sea: a new reconstruction. Geology 17:1000–1003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roest WR, Srivastava SP (1991) Kinematics of the plate boundaries between Eurasia, Iberia and Africa in the North Atlantic from the Late Cretaceous to the present. Geology 19:613–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roest WR, Danobeitia JJ, Verhoef J, Colette BJ (1992) Magnetic anomalies in the Canary Basin and Mesozoic evolution in the central North Atlantic. Mar Geophys Res 14:1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum G, Lister GS, Duboz C (2002) Relative motions of Africa, Iberia and Europe during Alpine orogeny. Tectonophysics 359:117–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowley DB, Lottes AL (1988) Plate-kinematic reconstructions of the North Atlantic and Artic: Late Jurassic to Present. Tectonophysics 155:73–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Saalmann K, Tessensohn F, Piepjohn K, von Gosen W, Mayr U (2005) Structure of Palaeogene sediments in the east Ellesmere Island: constraints on Eurekan tectonic evolution and implications for the Nares Strait problem. Tectonophysics 406:81–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sibuet J-C, Srivastava SP, Spakman W (2004a) Pyrenean orogeny and plate kinematics. J Geophys Res 109, B08104:18. doi:10.1029/2003JB002514

    Google Scholar 

  • Sibuet J-C, Monti S, Loubrieu B, Mazé J-P, Srivastava S (2004b) Carte bathymétrique de l`Atlantique nord-est et du golfe de Gascogne: implications cinématiques. Bull Soc Géol Fr 175:429–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Sibuet J-C, Srivastava SP, Enachescu ME, Karner GD (2007) Early Cretaceous motion of Flemish Cap with respect to North America: implications on the formation of Orphan Basin and SE Flemish Cap-Galicia Bank conjugate margins. In: Karner GD, Manatschal G, Pinheiro LM (eds) Imaging mapping and modeling continental lithosphere extension and breakup. Geol Soc London Spec Publ 282:63–76. doi:10.1144/SP282.4

  • Srivastava SP, Roest WR (1989) Seafloor spreading history II-VI: labrador sea magnetic anomalies along track. In: Bell JS (ed) East coast basin atlas series: Labrador sea. Geol Survey Can, Atlantic Geoscience Centre, Dartmouth N.S., Map Sheets L17-2–L17-6:100–109

  • Srivastava SP, Roest WR (1996) Comment on “Porcupine Plate Hypothesis” by M. F. Gerstell and J. M. Stock. Mar Geophys Res 18:589–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava SP, Roest WR (1999) Extent of oceanic crust in the Labrador Sea. Mar Petr Geol 16:65–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava SP, Tapscott CR (1986)Plate kinematics of the North Atlantic. In: Vogt PR, Tucholke BE (eds) The Western North Atlantic Region. Geol Soc Am, The Geology of North America M:379–404

  • Srivastava SP, Verhoef J (1992) Evolution of Mesozoic sedimentary basins around the North Atlantic: a preliminary plate kinematic solution. In: Parnell J (ed) Basins on the Atlantic Seaboard: Petroleum Geology, Sedimentology and Basin Evolution. Geol Soc London Spec Publ 62:397–420

  • Srivastava SP, Roest WR, Kovacs LC, Oakey G, Lévesque S, Verhoef J, Macnab R (1990) Motion of Iberia since the Late Jurassic: results from detailed aeromagnetic measurements in the new found land Basin. Tectonophysics 184:229–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava SP, Sibuet J-C, Cande S, Roest WR, Reid ID (2000) Magnetic evidence for slow seafloor spreading during the formation of the Newfoundland and Iberian margins. Earth Planet Sci Lett 182:61–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talwani M, Eldholm O (1977) Evolution of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea. Geol Soc Am Bull 88:969–999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Team CASE (2001) The evolution of the West Spitsbergen fold-and-thrust belt. Geol Jb B91:733–773

    Google Scholar 

  • Tessensohn F, Piepjohn K (2000) Eocene compressive deformation in arctic Canada, North Greenland and Svalbard and its plate tectonic causes. Polarforschung 68:121–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Tessensohn F, von Gosen W, Piepjohn K, Saalmann K, Mayr U (2008) Nares transform motion and Eurekan compression along the northeast coast of Ellesmere Island. Geol Surv Canada Bull 592:227–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Tessensohn F, Piepjohn K, Estrada S, Damaske D (2012) Das deutsche CASE-Programm in der Arktis: Überblick, Ergebnisse, Perspektiven. Z dt Ges Geowiss 163:205–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Torsvik TH, Müller RD, Van der Voo R, Steinberger B, Gaina C (2008) Global plate motion frames: toward a unified model. Rev Geophys 46 RG3004:1–44. doi:10.1029/2007RG000227

    Google Scholar 

  • Van den Berg J (1980) New Paleo magnetic data from the Iberian peninsula. Geol Mijnbouw 59:49–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Voo R, Torsvik TH (2001) Evidence for late Paleozoic and Mesozoic non-dipole fields provides an explanation for the Pangea reconstruction problems. Earth Planet Sci Lett 187:71–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wold CN (1992) Palaeobathymetry and sediment accumulation in the northern North Atlantic and southern Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian Sea. Dissertation, University of Kiel, Germany

  • Wold CN, Hay WW, Wilson KM (1994) Eine verbesserte Anpassung von Südamerika an Afrika. Ergebnisse einer Rekonstruktion der ursprünglichen Form von Rift-Becken. Geowissenschaften 12:48–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler PA (1988) Evolution of the Arctic—North Atlantic and the Western Tethys. AAPG Mem 43, 198 pp, 30 plates

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank W. Dallmann, E. Appel, and W. Frisch for helpful discussions. We especially thank R.D. Müller, who for provided us with data. We are grateful to W. Joyce for his assistance in improving the English style, grammar, and text. Thanks are due to K. Piepjohn who improved the text essentially by his review. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft supported the project Ne 237/5 financially.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Geowissenschaften, Sigwartstraße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Bernd Greiner & Joachim Neugebauer

Authors
  1. Bernd Greiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joachim Neugebauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bernd Greiner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Greiner, B., Neugebauer, J. The rotations opening the Central and Northern Atlantic Ocean: compilation, drift lines, and flow lines. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 102, 1357–1376 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-012-0860-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-012-0860-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation