Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations
The process of continental break-up provides a large-scale experiment that can be used to test causal relations between plate tectonics and the dynamics of the Earth's deep mantle. Detailed diagnostic information on the timing and dynamics of such events, which are not resolved by plate kinemat...
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Online Access: | https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 |
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ftvuamstcris:oai:research.vu.nl:publications/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 2024-10-13T14:07:47+00:00 Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations Nielsen, S.B. Stephenson, R.A. Thomsen, E. 2007 https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Nielsen , S B , Stephenson , R A & Thomsen , E 2007 , ' Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations ' , Nature , vol. 450 , pp. 1071-1074 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water article 2007 ftvuamstcris https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 2024-10-03T00:23:17Z The process of continental break-up provides a large-scale experiment that can be used to test causal relations between plate tectonics and the dynamics of the Earth's deep mantle. Detailed diagnostic information on the timing and dynamics of such events, which are not resolved by plate kinematic reconstructions, can be obtained from the response of the interior of adjacent continental plates to stress changes generated by plate boundary processes. Here we demonstrate a causal relationship between North Atlantic continental rifting at '62 Myr ago and an abrupt change of the intra-plate deformation style in the adjacent European continent. The rifting involved a left-lateral displacement between the North American-Greenland plate and Eurasia, which initiated the observed pause in the relative convergence of Europe and Africa. The associated stress change in the European continent was significant and explains the sudden termination of a '20-Myr-long contractional intra-plate deformation within Europe, during the late Cretaceous period to the earliest Palaeocene epoch, which was replaced by low-amplitude intra-plate stress-relaxation features. The pre-rupture tectonic stress was large enough to have been responsible for precipitating continental break-up, so there is no need to invoke a thermal mantle plume as a driving mechanism. The model explains the simultaneous timing of several diverse geological events, and shows how the intra-continental stratigraphic record can reveal the timing and dynamics of stress changes, which cannot be resolved by reconstructions based only on plate kinematics. ©2007 Nature Publishing Group. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland North Atlantic Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal Greenland Nature 450 7172 1071 1074 |
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Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal |
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English |
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/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water |
spellingShingle |
/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water Nielsen, S.B. Stephenson, R.A. Thomsen, E. Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations |
topic_facet |
/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water |
description |
The process of continental break-up provides a large-scale experiment that can be used to test causal relations between plate tectonics and the dynamics of the Earth's deep mantle. Detailed diagnostic information on the timing and dynamics of such events, which are not resolved by plate kinematic reconstructions, can be obtained from the response of the interior of adjacent continental plates to stress changes generated by plate boundary processes. Here we demonstrate a causal relationship between North Atlantic continental rifting at '62 Myr ago and an abrupt change of the intra-plate deformation style in the adjacent European continent. The rifting involved a left-lateral displacement between the North American-Greenland plate and Eurasia, which initiated the observed pause in the relative convergence of Europe and Africa. The associated stress change in the European continent was significant and explains the sudden termination of a '20-Myr-long contractional intra-plate deformation within Europe, during the late Cretaceous period to the earliest Palaeocene epoch, which was replaced by low-amplitude intra-plate stress-relaxation features. The pre-rupture tectonic stress was large enough to have been responsible for precipitating continental break-up, so there is no need to invoke a thermal mantle plume as a driving mechanism. The model explains the simultaneous timing of several diverse geological events, and shows how the intra-continental stratigraphic record can reveal the timing and dynamics of stress changes, which cannot be resolved by reconstructions based only on plate kinematics. ©2007 Nature Publishing Group. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nielsen, S.B. Stephenson, R.A. Thomsen, E. |
author_facet |
Nielsen, S.B. Stephenson, R.A. Thomsen, E. |
author_sort |
Nielsen, S.B. |
title |
Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations |
title_short |
Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations |
title_full |
Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations |
title_fullStr |
Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations |
title_sort |
dynamics of mid-palaeocene north atlantic rifting linked with european intra-plate deformations |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 https://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/b42f2b65-1861-43d1-8595-40f36ac7e384 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Greenland North Atlantic |
op_source |
Nielsen , S B , Stephenson , R A & Thomsen , E 2007 , ' Dynamics of Mid-Palaeocene North Atlantic rifting linked with European intra-plate deformations ' , Nature , vol. 450 , pp. 1071-1074 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06379 |
container_title |
Nature |
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450 |
container_issue |
7172 |
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1071 |
op_container_end_page |
1074 |
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1812814312135196672 |