About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Special Volumes

Abstract


Pub. Id: A154 (1974)

First Page: 423

Last Page: 433

Book Title: M 23: Plate Tectonics--Assessments and Reassessments

Article/Chapter: Crustal Structure of Northern North Atlantic Ocean--A Review

Subject Group: Structure, Tectonics, Paleostructure

Spec. Pub. Type: Memoir

Pub. Year: 1974

Author(s): A. A. Meyerhoff (2)

Abstract:

More than 60 percent of the water-covered area between 62 and 82°N lat., North Atlantic Ocean, appears to be underlain by continental crust. The most important segment extends unbroken from Scotland to Greenland beneath the entire Faeroe-Iceland-Greenland Ridge. The depth to the Mohorovicic discontinuity beneath this ridge ranges from 30-35 km east and west of Iceland to more than 40 km beneath Iceland. In addition, continental crust extends northward from Iceland under the Jan Mayen Ridge and is present beneath the whole of the Barents Sea shelf, the western margin of which extends to within 50-75 km of the Greenland continental crust.

These facts pose major problems for currently popular hypotheses of earth dynamics. Although many of the facts enumerated here have been published previously, no attempt has been made to explain them. The explanations which best fit the data seem to require "fixist" or earth-expansion concepts of earth dynamics. Plate motions appear to be ruled out in this part of the Atlantic Ocean, unless continental crust also can be generated at the crests of the midocean ridges.

Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24