The Faeroe-Shetland Margin

Abstract

The present day general bathymetry of this part of the NE Atlantic margin was largely shaped following basin formation related to rifting associated with the onset of opening of the northeast Atlantic Ocean (Talwani and Eldholm 1972; Dore et al. 1999). Presumably subaerially extruded basalts of late Paleocene or early Eoeene age (Waagstein and Clausen 1995) extend over the entire Faeroe-Rock-all Plateau (Boldreel and Andersen 1995), associated with the formation of the Greenland-Iceland-Faeroe-Seotland Ridge. This ridge has formed a major barrier for deep water circulation since the late Oligocene/early Miocene, causing local erosion and formation of unconformities. The basalts form the seabed over extensive areas of the Faeroe shelf, the ENE-extending Fugloy Ridge, and the Munkagrunnur Ridge. Basalts also form aseries of banks to the SW of the Fareoe Shetland Channel, including the Wyville Thomsen Ridge which separates the Faeroe Shetland Channel from the Rockall Trough (Fig. 1). Open image in new window Fig. 1A–E. Generalised bathymetry of the Faeroe Shetland shelf and margin (Gebco 1998). FBC Faeroe bank Channel, WTR Wyville Thomsen Ridge, RT Rockall Trough, FSC Faeroe Shetland Channel. Insets Areas covered by contributions of Kenyon et al. (A); Holmes et al. (B); Stoker et al. (C); Taylor et al. (D, E). Location of seismic profile shown in Fig. 3 indicated by line