Mesozoic and older rift basins on the SE Greenland Shelf offshore Ammassalik

Abstract Seismic reflection data and shallow cores from the SE Greenland margin show that rift basins formed by the mid- to Late Cretaceous in the offshore area near Ammassalik. Here termed the Ammassalik Basin, this contribution documents the area using reprocessed older shallow seismic reflection data together with a more recent, commercial deep seismic reflection profile. The data show that the basin is at least 4 km deep and may be regionally quite extensive. Interpretation of gravity anomaly data indicate that the basin potentially covers an area of nearly 100 000 km2. The sediments in the basins are at least of Cretaceous age, as indicated by a sample from just below the basalt cover that was dated as Albian. Dipping sediment layers in the basins indicate that older sediments are present. Comparison of the data to the conjugate Hatton margin where older basins are exposed beneath the volcanic cover shows similar stratigraphy of similar ages. Reconstructions of the position of the basin during the Permian–Triassic and Jurassic suggest that older sedimentary strata could also be possible. In contrast to the conjugate Hatton margin, possible older strata subcrop out below the seafloor along the shallow margin, providing a future opportunity to sample some of the oldest sediments to determine the onset of rifting between SE Greenland and the Hatton margin.

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