The Rockall and the Orphan Basins of the Southern North Atlantic Ocean: Determining Continuous Basins Across Conjugate Margins

摘要: Reconstructions of the opening North Atlantic Ocean generally result in Orphan Basin, offshore Newfoundland, Canada, lying approximately conjugate to rift basins on Irish margin at onset seafloor spreading toward end Early Cretaceous. Most these plate reconstructions have involved rigid plates with motions based solely interpretation oceanic magnetic anomalies. In particular, often show Rockall west Ireland, forming a continuous Mesozoic basin West Newfoundland. However, more recent involving deformable called this relationship into question. The goal study is investigate validity potentially system by reconstructing and restoring present-day seismically-constrained geological models both spatially temporally back their original configurations pre-rift. By comparing terms sedimentary package thicknesses crustal 3D, using orient reconstructed models, we are able test different connectivity scenarios multidisciplinary approach. Our analysis provides subsurface geophysical support for hypothesis that Basin was originally East during Jurassic rifting, later linking as rifting evolved This complex evolution example highlights need 3D mechanism properly understand fundamental driving forces has significant implications assessing prospectivity across pairs.