Seafloor spreading pattern of the North Atlantic between 10⁰ and 40⁰ N: a reconstruction based on shipborne measurements and satellite altimeter data

Abstract

The history of the relative motion between North America and Africa is recorded in the floor of the central North Atlantic Ocean. The resulting pattern of magnetic anomalies and fracture zones in the area between 10° and 40° N was analysed using shipborne measurements and Seasat altimeter data. This analysis led to the reconstruction of the spreading history since magnetic anomaly MO. The reconstruction differs in the first place from earlier reconstructions in the fact that it makes use of both the fracture zone traces and the magnetic lineations on both the African and the American plate. Secondly, the large amount of data used allows a better precision than could be achieved before. The study means to provide an answer to the questions formulated in Chapter 1. One of these questions concerns the nature of the fanning of transform fault directions. The evolution of the plate boundary between North and South America forms a second aspect. Another question is related to the origin of different seamount complexes in this part of the ocean.