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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses Marine geophysical studies between northwest Scotland and the Faeroe plateau Himsworth, Eldred Michael How to cite: Himsworth, Eldred Michael (1973) Marine geophysical studies between northwest Scotland and the Faeroe plateau, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8549/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 MARINE ttEOPfflfSICAL STUDIES BETIEEN KOREIWEST SCOTLAND AND THE FAEEOE PLATEAU A Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Durham by Eldred' Michael Himsworth Graduate Society August, 1973. 0 NOV 1975 (ii) ABSTRACT A marine geophysical suivey of the northern Rockall Trough including the Banks to the north and northwest, the Wyville-Thornson Rise and the Hebridean continental shelf was carried out in 1970 and 1971, G-ravity, magnetic and seismic reflection data indicates that the central Rockall Trough is underlain by about 5 km of sediment overlying a normal oceanic crust. The sedimentary thickness decreases to about 3 km and the crust becomes anomalously thick at the northern end of the Trough. G-ravity and magnetic interpretation suggests that the Faeroe-Shetland channel is also underlain by anomalously thick oceanic crust. G-ravity interpretation indicates that G-eorge Bligh, Bill Bailey's and Faeroe Bank are underlain by crust of continental thickness. The Wyville-Thomson Rise, which connects Paeroe Bank to the Scottish continental margin, is composed of two basement ridges of pre-Lower Oligocene age shrouded by sediments up to 1.5 km thick. The northeasterly ridge is continuous from the Bank to the continental margin but the southwesterly ridge terminates about 50 km from the margin. Magnetic and gravity evidence indicates that the ridges are composed of igneous material and that crustal thickening occurs beneath the ridges. An intrusive ccmplex of unknown age lies beneath the southwest flank of the Rise. G-ravity, magnetic and bathymetric interpretation indicates that the Hebridean continental shelf is underlain by Lewxsian basement. G-ravity and magnetic interpretation indicates that a NNE-SSW trending sedimentary basin about 1.5 km deep and with a partial covering of Tertiary lavas lies between Lewis and the Plannan Isles. Tertl&ry intrusive complexes, recognisable by their magnetic, grav• itational and bathymetric effects, are present beneath St. Kilda, below the continental slope 75 km northwest of St, Kilda and beneath the shelf 2)J0 km north-northwest of the Butt of Lewis, (iii) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Professor M.H.P. Bott for providing facilities for this research and for his supervision, I am much indebted to Mr. A, G, McKay for invaluable instruction and assistance in the use of the various computing facilities in the University, I am grateful to the officers and crews of RRS John Murray and W Rei);searcher and to many members of the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham for their help during the marine surveys. The work has been financed by a British Gas Corporation Scholarship for which I am grateful. (iv) CONTENTS Abstract (ii) Acknowledgements (iii) Contents (iv) List of Figures (vii) CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 The region studied 1 1.2 The geology of the region 1 1.2,1.- The land geology 1 1.2.2 The continental shelf 3 1.2.3 The Thulean igneous province 4 1.2.4 The Paeroe Islands to Rockall Bank 5 1.2.5 The sediments and crustal structure 9 of the basins 1.2.6 Rosemary Bank and the Anton Dohm Kuppe 11 1.2,7 The %ville-Thorns on Rise 11 1.3 Current trends and their sedimentary effects 11 in the northeast Atlantic. 1,4 Problems for investigation. CHAPTER 2 DATA COLLECTION AND REDUCTION 14 2,1 The cruises 14 2.2 Navigation 15 2.2.1 Navigation systems 15 2.2,2 Calculation of courses and velocities 16 2.3 Bathymetry 17 2.3.1 The instruments 17 2.3.2 Reduction of data 18 2,if Gravity 18 2,4.1 Instrvanents and recording methods 18 2.4.2 Reduction of Gravity 20 2.4.3 Errors in the gravity 21 2.4.3.1 Off-levelling 21 2.4.3.2 Cross-coupling 22 2.4.3.3 EbtVos corrections 22 2.4.3.4 The application of cross-over correc• 23 tions. 2.4.4 Display of gravity 23 2.5 Magnetic field observations 24 2.5.1 Instruments and recording methods 24 2.5.2 Reduction of data 24 2.6 Seismic reflection profiling 27 2.6.1 The equipment and the recording systems 27 2,6,2 Processing and display of data 30 2.6.3 Wide angle reflection work 31 (v) CHAPTER 3 METHODS OF INTERPRETATION 32 3.1 Preparation of data 32 3.2 Basic methods 32 3.2.1 G-ravity fitting 33 3.2.2 Magnetic fitting 36 3.3 Control methods 36 3.3.1 G-ravity-magnetic transforms 36 3.3.2 Magnetic power spectrum analysis 38 3.3.3 Use of reflection profiles 40 CHAPTER 4 THE ROCKALL TROUGH, ADJOIIttNG MARGINS AND THE OUTM BANKS 2(2 4.1 Introduction 2^2 4.2 The sediments 42 4.2.1 Thicknesses 42 4.2.2 The reflecting horizons and the 46 sediment ages 4.2.3 Rosemary Bank 49 4.3 The crustal structure beneath the Rockall Trough 50 and its margins 4.3.1 Seismic control 50 4.3.2 Seismic reflection control 51 4.3.3 Magnetic profile interpretation 5I 4.3.4 Gravity interpretation 52 4.3.5 Conclusions 54 4.4 The Banks 54 4.4.1 Crustal thicknesses 55 4.4.2 The upper crustal structure 57 4.4.3 Conclusions 58 4.5 Sxmimary 59 CHAPTER 5 THE WY7ILLE-TH0MS0N RISE 6I 5.1 Introduction 61 5.2 The sediments 61 5.2.1 Thicknesses 6I 5.2.2 The reflecting horizons and the ages 64 of the sediments. 5.3 The crustal structure beneath the Wyville- Thomson Rise 67 5.3.1 The upper crust 67 5.3.2 The deep crustal structure 71 5.3.3 The intrusive complex at 59 WN, 73 8°40'W. 5.4 Conclusions 73 CHAPTER 6 THE HEBRIDEAN CONTINENTAL MARGIN 77 6.1. Int roduct ion 77 6.2 Description of the data 78 6.2.1 Lines 1/970 and 27/71 (the southern area) 78 6.2.2 Lines 3/970, 2^71, 2^/71 arid 26/71 80 (central area) 6.2.3 Lines I4/7I, 5/970, 6/970 and 7/970 82 (the northern area) (vi) 6.3 The intrusive centres 85 6.3,1 The St. Kilda intrusive complex 85 6.3.2 The intrusive complex at 58 20'N, 88 9 15'W. 6.3.3 The intrusive complex at 58°47'N, 89 6°33'W. 6.4 Simmary 90 CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION 91 7.1 Introduction 91 7.2 The west Scottish continental shelf 91 7.2.1 The basement and sedimentary basins 91 7.2.2 Tertiary vulcanism on the shelf 92 7.3 The Rockall Trough 92 7.4 The western Banks 94 7.5 The 'y^ille-Thomson Rise and associated regions 97 7.6 Continental fitting 100 7.7 Dating of events in the northeast Atlantic 102 7.7.1 The opening of the Atlantic along 102 the Reykjanes ridge 7.7.2 The opening of the Rockall Trough 102 7.7.3 The formation of the basement ridges 103 of the Wyville-Thomson Rise and the southeast Paeroe extension 7.7.4 The sinking of the outer Banks 104 7.7.5 The formation of the continental 104 shelf sedimentary basins 7.7.6 The Thulean igneous province 106 7.8 The development of the Thulean igneous province 106 7.9 The development of the northeast Atlantic 108 109 7.10 Further work 111 Appendix A Navigation program ANAV 112 Appendix B Digitisation of gravity records 113 Appendix C Wide angle reflection results 115 Appendix D Navigation program GRAVZ, REFERENCES (vii) LIST OF FIGURES 1. The northeast Atlantic. 2. The Rockall Trough and surrounding regions, 3. The geology of northwest Scotland, 4. Sediment and.crustal thicknesses in the Rockall Trough, 5. Seawater flow in the North Atlantic. 6. Track chart for the cruises in 1970 and 1971. 7. Profiles on Line 3/970, 8. Profiles on part of Line 30/70 and on Line 31/70. 9. Profiles on Lines 6/970 and 7/970. 10. Profiles on Line 4/970. 11. Profiles on Line 5/970. 12. Profiles on Line 24/71. 13. Profiles on Line 1^71. 14. Gravity and magnetic interpretations on Line 3/970. 15» Gravity interpretation on Line 14^71. 16. Gravity intearpretation on part of Line 3/310, 17. Gravity and magnetic interpretations on Line h/SlO.
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