Tectonic variation and structural evolution of the West Greenland continental margin

Alsulami, Sulaiman; Paton, Douglas; Cornwell, David G.

doi:10.1306/03021514023

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 131 publications

(255 reference statements)

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“…The boundary between the two terranes is marked by relatively low crustal velocities within the Ketilidian fold belt. Our model does not include HVLC layers under the western margin of the Ketilidian fold belt, which is in good agreement with a study by Keen et al () suggesting that the SW Greenland margin transitions from a volcanic to a nonvolcanic margin at about 62°N (from north to south; see also Alsulami et al, ). The associated changes in crustal properties (from magma rich in the north to magma poor in the south) could also explain the gradual decrease in velocity that we observe between 10 and 30 km along the southwestern margin of the South Archean block (from north to south).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Lithospheric Structure of Greenland From Ambient Noise and Earthquake Surface Wave Tomography

Pourpoint¹,

Anandakrishnan

Ammon

et al. 2018

JGR Solid Earth

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We present a high‐resolution shear wave velocity model of Greenland's lithosphere from regional and teleseismic Rayleigh waves recorded by the Greenland Ice Sheet Monitoring Network supplemented with observations from several temporary seismic deployments. To construct Rayleigh wave group velocity maps, we integrated signals from regional and teleseismic earthquakes with several years of ambient seismic noise and used the dispersion to constrain crustal and upper‐mantle seismic shear wave velocity structure. Specifically, we used a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique to estimate 3‐D shear wave velocities beneath Greenland to a depth of 200 km. Our model reveals four prominent anomalies: a deep high‐velocity feature extending from southwestern to northwestern Greenland that may be the signature of a thick cratonic keel, a corridor of relatively low upper‐mantle velocity across central Greenland that could be associated with lithospheric modification from the passage of the Iceland plume beneath Greenland or interpreted as a tectonic boundary between cratonic blocks, an upper‐crustal southwest‐northeast trending boundary separating Greenland into two regions of contrasting tectonic and crustal properties, and a midcrustal low‐velocity anomaly beneath northeastern Greenland. The nature of this midcrustal anomaly is of particular interest given that it underlies the onset of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream and raises interesting questions regarding how deeper processes may impact the ice stream dynamics and the evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Lithospheric Structure of Greenland From Ambient Noise and Earthquake Surface Wave Tomography

Pourpoint¹,

Anandakrishnan

Ammon

et al. 2018

JGR Solid Earth

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“…broad, diffuse pattern with the main faults rotated clockwise relative to the overall margin trend (Alsulami et al, 2015;Chalmers et al, 1993;Oakey & Chalmers, 2012;Peace et al, 2017). This pattern is compatible with the Davis Strait forming as a zone of transtensional deformation, under local ENE-WSW extension in a right-stepping transfer zone from Labrador Sea into Baffin Bay.…”

Section: The Influence Of the Mantle Lithosphere In Tectonic Processessupporting

confidence: 62%

Segmentation of rifts through structural inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

Heron¹,

Peace²,

McCaffrey³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Mesozoic-Cenozoic rifting between Greenland and North America created the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay, while leaving preserved continental lithosphere in the Davis Strait which lies between them. Inherited crustal structures from a Palaeoproterozoic collision have been hypothesized to account for the tectonic features of this rift system. However, the role of mantle lithosphere heterogeneities in continental suturing has not been fully explored. Our study uses 3-D numerical models to analyze the role of crustal and sub-crustal heterogeneities in controlling deformation. We implement continental extension in the presence of mantle lithosphere suture zones and deformed crustal structures and present a suite of models analyzing the role of local inheritance related to the region. In particular, we investigate the respective roles of crust and mantle lithospheric scarring during an evolving stress regime in keeping with plate tectonic reconstructions of the Davis Strait. Numerical simulations, for the first time, can reproduce first order features that resemble the Labrador Sea, Davis Strait, Baffin Bay continental margins and ocean basins. The positioning of a mantle lithosphere suture, hypothesized to exist from ancient orogenic activity, produces a more appropriate tectonic evolution of the region than the previously proposed crustal inheritance. Indeed, the obliquity of the continental mantle suture with respect to extension direction is shown here to be important in the preservation of the Davis Strait. Mantle lithosphere heterogeneities are often overlooked as a control of crustal-scale deformation. Here, we highlight the sub-crust as an avenue of exploration in the understanding of rift system evolution.

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“…The main Palaeoproterozoic shear zones identified as part of the Nagssugtoqidian Orogen continue offshore and control the primary depocenters and later transpressional deformation in the Davis Strait region (Wilson et al, ; Peace et al, ). Early Cretaceous synrift fault patterns show generally margin parallel NNW‐SSE trends in Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay; however, in the Davis Strait region the faults show a broad, diffuse pattern with the main faults rotated clockwise relative to the overall margin trend (Alsulami et al, ; Chalmers et al, ; Oakey & Chalmers, ; Peace et al, ). This pattern is compatible with the Davis Strait forming as a zone of transtensional deformation, under local ENE‐WSW extension in a right‐stepping transfer zone from Labrador Sea into Baffin Bay.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mesozoic‐Cenozoic rifting between Greenland and North America created the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay, while leaving preserved continental lithosphere in the Davis Strait, which lies between them. Inherited crustal structures from a Palaeoproterozoic collision have been hypothesized to account for the tectonic features of this rift system. However, the role of mantle lithosphere heterogeneities in continental suturing has not been fully explored. Our study uses 3‐D numerical models to analyze the role of crustal and subcrustal heterogeneities in controlling deformation. We implement continental extension in the presence of mantle lithosphere suture zones and deformed crustal structures and present a suite of models analyzing the role of local inheritance related to the region. In particular, we investigate the respective roles of crust and mantle lithospheric scarring during an evolving stress regime in keeping with plate tectonic reconstructions of the Davis Strait. Numerical simulations, for the first time, can reproduce first‐order features that resemble the Labrador Sea, Davis Strait, Baffin Bay continental margins, and ocean basins. The positioning of a mantle lithosphere suture, hypothesized to exist from ancient orogenic activity, produces a more appropriate tectonic evolution of the region than the previously proposed crustal inheritance. Indeed, the obliquity of the continental mantle suture with respect to extension direction is shown here to be important in the preservation of the Davis Strait. Mantle lithosphere heterogeneities are often overlooked as a control of crustal‐scale deformation. Here, we highlight the subcrust as an avenue of exploration in the understanding of rift system evolution.

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Tectonic variation and structural evolution of the West Greenland continental margin

Cited by 8 publications

References 131 publications

Lithospheric Structure of Greenland From Ambient Noise and Earthquake Surface Wave Tomography

Lithospheric Structure of Greenland From Ambient Noise and Earthquake Surface Wave Tomography

Segmentation of rifts through structural inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

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