--> Abstract: Carson and Salar Basins and the Newfoundland-Iberia Connection, by Krista L. M. Solvason, Jeremy Hall, Michael Enachescu, Sharon Demeer, K. W. Helen Lau, Keith Louden, Steve Holbrook, John R. Hopper, Hans Christian Larsen, and Brian Tucholke; #90039 (2005)

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Carson and Salar Basins and the Newfoundland-Iberia Connection

Krista L. M. Solvason1, Jeremy Hall2, Michael Enachescu2, Sharon Demeer2, K. W. Helen. Lau3, Keith Louden3, Steve Holbrook4, John R. Hopper5, Hans Christian Larsen6, and Brian Tucholke7
1 Memorial University, St John's, NF
2 Memorial University,
3 Dalhousie University,
4 University of Wyoming,
5 IFM-GEOMAR,
6 Danish Lithosphere Center,
7 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute,

The Carson and Salar basins are two scarcely explored basins on the shelf and slope of the Grand Banks. Multichannel reflection data on the Newfoundland margin were collected during 2000 by SCREECH, a cooperative international scientific group. Three main transects provide reflection seismic data to study rifting in front of the Grand Banks and complete a geological profile across the Newfoundland-Iberia non-volcanic margins. The southernmost lines image the continental shelf east of the southern Jeanne d'Arc Basin, and extend past the shelf break and onto the continental slope. Industry data donated by WesternGeco provided additional lines parallel to the SCREECH profiles.

This 2D seismic grid clearly shows the Carson Basin landward of the shelf break and locates a major ridge below the slope that has a large lateral extent and is variable in structure. Gravity modelling shows that the ridge is mainly composed of crustal basement material with minor amounts of salt present in localized areas. The Salar Basin is located under the continental slope, and is separated from the Carson Basin by this basement ridge. The structure and stratigraphy of the Carson Basin varies along strike, with Cretaceous sediments generally being preserved to the north and eroded towards the south. Structural and stratigraphic studies from shelf to transition zone and a synergetic interpretation of the shallow basement ridge, are used to build a representative geological cross-section of the Carson-Salar area. This cross-section serves as input for better reconstruction of the crustal profile linking the Newfoundland and Iberia conjugate margins.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90039©2005 AAPG Calgary, Alberta, June 16-19, 2005