Greenland – Norway separation: A geodynamic model for the North Atlantic

The Norwegian North Atlantic rift system contains not only one of Europe’s largest offshore hydrocarbon provinces, but also one of Europe’s most investigated mountain belts, the Caledonian Orogen (Figs. 1 & 2). In this paper we combine data from both the onshore and offshore realms of this region and propose a conceptual model for the Scandinavian side of the North Atlantic rift system. The model takes into account a redefinition of the physical boundaries of the passive margin, a re-assessment of the crustal-scale structure of the conjugate Greenland-Norway margins, and a plate tectonic history that links rifting events and geometries from the Permian through to the Present. Changing the traditional boundaries of the passive margin necessarily affects calculations of the amount of extension an area has undergone, as well as interpretations of crustal structure in regional cross-sections that display both extended passive margin and unaffected craton. Our interpretation of the crustal-scale structure suggests predominantly asymmetric crustal extension and we discuss the implications of the margin structure and asymmetry on the regional evolution of the European North Atlantic passive margin.