Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geological history and magmatism of the Jan Mayen microcontinent (Polar Atlantic)

  • Marine Geology
  • Published:
Oceanology Aims and scope

Abstract

Two main events determined the formation, geological history, magmatism, and geodynamics of the Jan Mayen microcontinent: (1) drift of this segment of the Laurasian plate over the Iceland plume in the Early Paleogene; (2) propagation of the rift zone of the mid-Atlantic Ridge into this region and separation of the Jan Mayen lithospheric block from northeastern Greenland. The lithosphere was reduced at the block boundary when it was separated. This process was accompanied by the formation of depressions intruded by magma of the Iceland plume, which resulted in the appearance of a new volcanic center with active volcanoes of the central type. They supplied pyroclastic material to the sedimentary cover of the expanding Norwegian‒Greenland Basin in the Eocene and Oligocene. The wedging of the Jan Mayen plate (microcontinent) into the triple junction of the plates (Greenland, Eurasian, Jan Mayen) promoted intense volcanism and the formation of two large volcanic complexes: (1) the Greenland‒Faroes and the (2) Trail‒Vøring. Recent volcanoes of the Jan Mayen hot spot are fed by magma from the Iceland plume as well as from relict and newly formed cambers in a zone of deep-seated Jan Mayen transform faults.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. G. Gainanov, E. D. Koryakin, and V. R. Melikhov, “General features gravitational field Iceland and Mid-Atlantic Ridge,” in Ocean Bottom Structure (Nauka, Moscow, 1977), 89–101.

    Google Scholar 

  2. “Iceland and Mid-Atlantic Ridge,” in Ocean Bottom Structure (Nauka, Moscow, 1977).

  3. V. M. Litvin, “Geomorphology of Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Norway and Greenland seas,” Okeanologiya (Moscow) 8 (1), 86–93 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  4. E. G. Mirlin, K. V. Popov, and D. Finger, “Age of oceanic bottom in Iceland region,” Okeanologiya (Moscow) 19 (6), 1052–1058 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  5. E. G. Mirlin, “Mobility and deformation of lithosphere plates in Iceland region of Northern Atlantic and nature of Faroe-Greenland rapid,” Geotektonika, No. 6, 78–93 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  6. M. Tal’vani and G. B. Udintsev, “Tectonics of the ocean bottom,” in Geology of the World Ocean Bottom. Atlantic. Biostratigraphy and Tectonics (Nauka, Moscow, 1982), pp. 155–182.

    Google Scholar 

  7. G. B. Udintsev, V. M. Litvin, and G. S. Kharin, “Firespitting island above the polar circle,” Priroda (Moscow), No. 3, 84–90 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  8. G. S. Kharin, Magmatism and the Formation of the Atlantic Ocean Lithosphere (Nauka, Moscow, 1993) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  9. G. S. Kharin, “Magmatic pulses of the Iceland plume,” Petrology 8 (2), 97–112 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  10. G. S. Kharin, “The lateritic weathering crust on prespreading basalts of the northwestern Atlantic and Norwegian— Greenland basin,” Dokl. Earth Sci. 398 (7), 918–921 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  11. G. S. Kharin and D. V. Eroshenko, “The evolution of Cenozoic explosive volcanism: the Iceland plume,” J. Volcanol. Seismol. 4 (5), 310–333 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. G. S. Kharin and V. M. Litvin, “Geological structure and volcanism of the Jan Mayen Island,” in Geology and Solid Minerals of the World Ocean (All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Oceanology, Leningrad, 1980), pp. 95–102.

    Google Scholar 

  13. G. S. Kharin and A. A. Pustovoi, “Alkaline magmatism of the Jan Mayen transfer fracture zone (Arctic Ocean),” Oceanology (Engl. Transl.) 36 (4), 577–585 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  14. G. S. Kharin and G. B. Udintsev, “Tectonic structure and sediment minerals of the Jan Mayen Ridge,” in Geology of the World Ocean Bottom. Atlantic. Biostratigraphy and Tectonics (Nauka, Moscow, 1982), pp. 155–182.

    Google Scholar 

  15. E. A. Chernysheva and G. S. Kharin, “Alkaline volcanism in the history of the Norwegian-Greenland basin,” Petrology 15 (3), 296–301 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. F. I. Fitch, R. L. Grasty, and J. A. Miller, “Potassiumargon ages of rocks from Jan Mayen and outline of its volcano history,” Nature 207, 1349–1351 (1965).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. L. Gernigon, O. Olsen, J. Ebbing, et al., “Geophysical insight early spreading history in the vicinity of the Jan Mayen fracture zone, Norwegian Sea,” Tectonophysics 468 (1–4), 185–205 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. P. Imsland, “The volcanic eruption of Jan Mayen January 1985: interaction between a volcanic island and fracture zone,” J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 28, 45–53 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S. Kadaira, R. Mjelde, K. Junnarsson, et al., “Structure of the Jan Mayen microcontinent and implications for its evolution,” Geophys. J. Int. 132, 383–400 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. G. S. Kharin, “The petrology of magmatic rocks, Leg 38, DSDP,” Initial Rep. Deep Sea Drill. Proj. 38, 685–716 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  21. G. S. Kharin, G. B. Udintsev, Bogatikov O.A., et al., “K/Ar age of the basalts of Norwegian-Greenland Sea, Glomar Challenger, Leg 38, DSDP,” Initial Rep. Deep Sea Drill. Proj. 38, 755–760 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  22. C. Lacasse and C. D. Carbe-Schönberg, “Explosive silicic volcanism in Iceland and Jan Mayen area during the last 6 Ma: sources and timing of major eruptions,” J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res. 107, 113–147 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. C. Lacasse, M. Paterne, R. Werner, et al., “Geochemistry and origin of Pliocene and Pleistocene ash layers from the Iceland Plateau, Site 907,” Proc. Ocean Drill. Program: Sci. Results 151, 309–332 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  24. A. Z. Lawer and P. D. Muller, “Iceland hotspot track,” Geology, No. 4, 311–314 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. M. J. Le Bas, R. W. Le Maitre, A. Streckeisen, and B. Zanettin, “A chemical classification of volcanic rocks based on the total alkali-silica diagram,” J. Petrol. 27, 745–750 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. A. Myhre, J. Thiede, J. V. Firth, et al., “Site 907,” Proc. Ocean Drill. Program: Initial Rep. 151, 57–112 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  27. T. Price, I. Brodie, A. Whitham, and R. Kent, “Mid-Tertiary rifting and magmatism in the Traill Ø region, East Greenland,” J. Geol. Soc. 154, 419–434 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. A. D. Saunders, H. C. Larsen, and J. G. Fitton, “Magmatic development of the southeast Greenland margin and evolution of the Iceland plume: geochemical constraints from Leg 152,” Proc. Ocean Drill. Program: Sci. Results 152, 479–502 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  29. A. G. Silverster, “History and surveillance of volcanic activity of Jan Mayen Island,” Bull. Volcanol. 33, 1–23 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  30. M. Talwani and O. Eldholm, “Evolution of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea,” Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 88 (7), 969–999 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. L. Tarasov and W. R. Rebtier, “Greenland glacial history, borehole constants and Eemian extend,” J. Geophys. Res. 108 (83), 2143–2151 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  32. B. G. I. Upton, C. H. Emeleus, and R. D. Beckinsale, “Petrology of the North East Greenland Tertiary flood basalts: evidence from Hold with Hope and Woleastom Forland,” J. Petrol. 25 (1), 151–184 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. L. G. Viereck, J. Hertogen, L. M. Parson, et al., “Chemical stratigraphy and petrology of the Vøring Plateau tholeitic lavas and interlayered volcanoclastic sediments at ODP Hole 642E,” Proc. Ocean Drill. Program: Sci. Results 104, 367–396 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  34. R. Werner, H.-J. Wallrabe-Adams, C. Lacasse, et al., “Distribution, chemical composition, and sources of Oligocene to Miocene volcanic ashes from Sites 907, 908, and 913,” Proc. Ocean Drill. Program: Sci. Results 151, 332–350 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  35. S. M. White, “Sediments of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, DSDP Leg 38,” Proc. Ocean Drill. Program: Initial Rep. 39–41, Suppl., 193–258 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atlantic Branch, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kaliningrad, Russia

    G. S. Kharin & D. V. Eroshenko

Authors
  1. G. S. Kharin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. V. Eroshenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. S. Kharin.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © G.S. Kharin, D.V. Eroshenko, 2016, published in Okeanologiya, 2016, Vol. 56, No. 2, pp. 295–309.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kharin, G.S., Eroshenko, D.V. Geological history and magmatism of the Jan Mayen microcontinent (Polar Atlantic). Oceanology 56, 275–288 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001437016020119

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001437016020119

Keywords

Search

Navigation