The Tertiary opening of the North Atlantic: DLC investigations along the east coast of Greenland

Abstract

Work along the east coast of Greenland in the summer of 1994 represents the initiation of the Danish Lithosphere Centre (DLC) investigations into the magmatic and tectonic evolution accompanying initial break-up of the North Atlantic in this area. As described by Larsen (this report), the aims of DLC are the understanding of the composition and thermal state of the asthenosphere and the deformation of the lithosphere during continental break-up and formation of volcanic rifted margins. Furthermore, the time scale of these events is crucial to any model of break-up.