Tectonic Types of Deepwater Basins and Structural
Segmentation
of the North Atlantic

Yu. M. Pushcharovsky

Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyzhevskii per. 7, Moscow, 119017 Russia

e-mail: m-shupletsova@yandex.ru

Received January 15, 2012

Abstract—Typification of tectonic structures is one of the important lines of tectonic research. Recently, Ihave
published several articles, which are concerned with deepwater oceanic basins. This paper is focused on tec-
tonic typification of deepwater basins of the North Atlantic. They are attributed to three types: perispreading,
central thalassogenic, and pericontinental. The first type comprises the Irminger, Iceland, Greenland, and Lofo-
ten basins. The first two basins are associated with the Reykjanes Ridge and the two others, with the Mohns
Ridge. The central thalassogenic type is exemplified in the Norwegian Basin, while the pericontinental type in
the Rockall Trough. Two systems of basins are distinguished by morphostructural and historical–geological fea-
tures: the northern system of the Oligocene–Quaternary structures and the southern system of the Paleocene–Qua-
ternary structures. The Greenland–Faroe tectonovolcanic zone serves as their tectonic interface. In the tectonic
typology of their deepwater basins, the North Atlantic is closer to the Indian than to other oceans. The present-day
configuration of the northern basins is determined by neotectonics. The tectonic movements in the northern system
of basins at this stage were more contrasting than in the southern system. This explains the greater depth of the
former basins. The spatial position of the deepwater basins belonging to different types determines the tectonic
segmentation of the oceanic bottom. The southern, central, and northern latitudinal segments correspond to differ-
ent geodynamic states of the Earth’s interior.

DOI: 10.1134/S0016852112020021

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