Rough-smooth basement boundary in the western North Atlantic basin: Evidence for a seafloor-spreading origin (1984)

Research Article| January 01, 1984 Rough-smooth basement boundary in the western North Atlantic basin: Evidence for a seafloor-spreading origin Michael Sundvik; Michael Sundvik 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Roger L. Larson; Roger L. Larson 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert S. Detrick Robert S. Detrick 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Michael Sundvik 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Roger L. Larson 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Robert S. Detrick 1Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1984) 12 (1): 31–34. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1984)12<31:RBBITW>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Michael Sundvik, Roger L. Larson, Robert S. Detrick; Rough-smooth basement boundary in the western North Atlantic basin: Evidence for a seafloor-spreading origin. Geology 1984;; 12 (1): 31–34. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1984)12<31:RBBITW>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A distinctive change in the character of acoustic basement has been mapped within the Mesozoic (Keathley) magnetic anomaly sequence in the western North Atlantic basin. This boundary, known as the rough-smooth basement boundary, separates relatively smooth acoustic basement on the older (western) side of the boundary from much rougher basement to the east. South of Bermuda, the boundary is well defined and nearly isochronous, corresponding to anomaly M-12 or M-13 (∼128 m.y. B.P.). North of Bermuda the boundary is diachronous and more transitional, with the change in basement relief occurring in a zone between anomaly M-21 and M-16–age crust (132 to 142 m.y. B.P.). Both the well-defined and transitional changes in basement relief found in the western basin are also identifiable in seismic-reflection records from the eastern (Canary) basin, and an analysis of magnetic-anomaly patterns in the central North Atlantic basin indicates that these changes occurred simultaneously on both sides of the ridge. These results strongly suggest a primary seafloor-spreading origin for the rough-smooth basement boundary, with the greater basement relief associated with slower spreading rates, changing directions of relative plate motion, and ridge jumps of isolated accretionary segments beginning in Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous time. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.