Evolution and Petroleum Potential of Orphan Basin, Offshore Newfoundland, and its Relation to the Movement and Rotation of Flemish Cap Based on Plate Kinematics of the North Atlantic

A volcanic province near the western termination of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone at the rifted margin, offshore northeast Newfoundland

“…High‐quality multichannel seismic reflection data have been collected since 2001 in the Orphan Basin region, with sparse coverage in the region north of the CGFZ. Some of these data have been interpreted and discussed by Enachescu et al [, and references therein]. These data have enabled regional stratigraphic correlations [e.g., Enachescu et al , ] which are tied to the biostratigraphy in wells (Figure ).…”

“…The basement highs can be distinguished from faulted prerift basement in Orphan Basin by the absence of either normal faults bounding the highs or growth of Mesozoic sediments into such extensional faults [cf. Enachescu et al , ]. Instead, many of these highs gently downlap onto the underlying rocks, forming aprons that extend outward (Figures , , a, and b).…”

“…Some of these data have been interpreted and discussed by Enachescu et al [, and references therein]. These data have enabled regional stratigraphic correlations [e.g., Enachescu et al , ] which are tied to the biostratigraphy in wells (Figure ). Recent synthesis by Dafoe et al [] has extended and refined the stratigraphy of the region.…”

“…However, the transition zone, if present, is not well‐defined north of the Flemish Cap [ Chian et al , ; Welford et al , ]. Magmatic activity appears to have been minimal within Orphan Basin, although some studies suggest the presence of Cretaceous igneous features along the outer edge of Orphan Knoll and in West Orphan Basin [ Grant and McAlpine , ; Enachescu et al , ; Whittaker et al , ; Pe‐Piper et al, ]. However, the region does not display thick sequences of igneous crust or underplated material.…”

Comparison of lithosphere structure across the Orphan Basin–Flemish Cap and Irish Atlantic conjugate continental margins from constrained 3D gravity inversions

“…Although largely extensional in origin, the tectonic evolution of the Orphan Basin-Flemish Cap and Irish Atlantic conjugate continental margins is also postulated to have involved contemporaneous rotation and displacement of Flemish Cap out of the Orphan Basin (Enachescu et al 2005;Sibuet et al 2007b). Owing to this added dimension of complexity, asymmetry in the conjugate pair and regional variations in crustal thinning are expected.…”