Seismic stratigraphy of the post-breakup succession offshore Northeast Greenland: Links to margin uplift

The timing of the continental breakup between Norway and Greenland and the subsequent plate tectonic motions are well understood. However, due to the remote location of the Northeast Greenland shelf, relatively few details about the tectonosedimentary response to the tectonism following the breakup have previously been published.

This article gives new insights into the structural and sedimentary history of the Northeast Greenland shelf, with an emphasis on the post-breakup tectonics, using state of the art 2D seismic data. The results of this study clearly shows a highly dynamic post-breakup tectonic setting with pronounced, kilometre-scale fault offsets, tilting of the Danmarkshavn Basin and pronounced progradational events.

The tectonosedimentary events are linked with the passage of the Icelandic mantle plume south of the Northeast Greenland shelf. Based on tectonostratigraphic interpretations and integration of data from ODP 913, this study constructs a temporally robust model for the post-breakup succession. Significant post-breakup uplift and tectonism related to thermal uplift is present on the margin.

It is observed that the Icelandic hot spot passes relatively close by the Northeast Greenland shelf (<500 Km) during the Cenozoic. Its passage south of the shelf supports the observation of the northwards tilt of the shelf and associated northwards shift of the prograding clinoforms due to a combination of thermal uplift and possibly dynamic topography.