Last Updated on September 16, 2022
The Atlantic Ocean was once a large body of water that jumped between Greenland and North America 40 to 50 million years ago. The Labrador Sea and Labrador Land in the north Atlantic Ocean are actually the crust of the ocean, and the islands of the north Atlantic were once part of Greenland. For this reason, scientists believe that the Atlantic Ocean grew over the course of 40 to 50 million years.
rift basins formed during the Triassic-Jurassic diabase dikes
The rift basins formed during the Triassisc-Jurassic era are a record of the physical and biological conditions that prevailed during the breakup of the Pangean supercontinent. These rift basins lie in the central Atlantic margin system, spanning 45 degrees of paleolatitude. Dikes formed in these basins are approximately 180 to 230 million years old and are similar to basalt on the Atlantic Ocean floor.
The Triassic-Jurassic basins of North Carolina present significant challenges for residents who do not have public water and sewage systems. In addition, water well yields are typically very low, with many dry holes. Moreover, the soil does not perform well in percolation tests conducted in septic drain fields. Consequently, people should carefully investigate the water performance in rift basins before they begin construction.
The sediments in rift basins formed during the Triassisc-Jurassic era contain harder rocks, known as diabase. The rise of magma in the mantle resulted in the formation of diabase dikes, which cut through preexisting siltstones. Moreover, the hot magma pushed some sandstone/shale layers upwards. Later, they cooled and became diabase rock.
The Salt Range preserves a record of passive margin dynamics in the Mesozoic. It contains quartz rich oligomictic conglomerates and arenites that are derived from acidic sources. The Salt Range heavy mineral suite includes zircon, tourmaline, rutile, and staurolite, with a diminishing presence of staurolite in the Jurassic strata.
Rift basins formed during the Triassic Jurassic epochs. Pangea was broke up into pieces, and the Culpeper basin formed at the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge. The surrounding highlands eroded and formed the Triassic basins. Some of the basins formed today are on the Atlantic Ocean, while others are located in the Piedmont, notably Taylorsville and Danville.
rift basins formed during the Jurassic-Jurassic diabase dikes
Rift basins formed during the Jurassic-Paleozoic era were caused by the tectonic motion of the North and South American Plates. The active rift shifted the sea floor, creating a shallow marine basin. During this period, Jurassic salts were deposited over the transitional crust, which had been the local basement rock before the rifting process began. Later, rifting pushed the sea floor across the oceanic crust. The rifting widened the sea floor and gave the Gulf of Mexico its current form, 140-160 million years ago.
These rift basins contain Late Triassic and Early Jurassic sedimentary rocks. They occur along the Atlantic seaboard between Florida and Nova Scotia. They formed as Africa began to rift away from North America and the Atlantic Ocean. As the continents slid apart, volcanic magma rose and formed sills and dikes. As the Atlantic Ocean widened, the continents began to rift, forming these basins.
The rift basins formed during the Jurassissic-Paleozoic rifting are characterized by sediment-filled fissures, which are consistent with the geometry of rift basins. These sediment-filled fissures are useful kinematic indicators and can place tight constraints on relative timing of extension. This article has been published in various journal articles and books, and we hope to expand on its publication soon!
Rift basins are unique geological features that are a fascinating part of Earth’s history. They record the biological and physical conditions that prevailed during the breakup of the Pangean supercontinent. The central Atlantic margin system spanned 45 degrees of paleolatitude and recorded 35 million years of Earth history. Hence, it is not surprising that the rift basins have attracted the interest of geologists.
The rift basins formed during the Jurassissic-Paleozoic era have several different characteristics. These diabase dikes are narrow, vertical and limited in number. The sedimentary strata are heated and cooled during these periods. They are therefore highly susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Fortunately, this phenomenon is well documented in geologic maps, and the formation of rift basins during the Jurassic-Paleozoic era is a fascinating process.
While the Jurassic-Paleozoic rift basins formed during the era of the Jurassic, these sediments have more complex compositions than the Triassic and Jurassic dikes. The sediments that formed in these areas are composed of hard rocks, including diabase, which is a volcanic rock. The Triassic basin sediments, on the other hand, consist of much softer rocks.
The Salt Range provides a good sedimentary record of passive margin dynamics during the Mesozoic epoch. It contains quartz rich oligomictic conglomerates deposited along a passive margin during the Mesozoic. The heavy mineral suite consists of zircon, tourmaline, and rutile. Staurolite and tourmaline are not abundant in Jurassic strata.
During the Jurassic-Paleozoic epoch, the world experienced global warming and high levels of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide was six times greater than it is today and reached 2,500 parts per million. The continents were flat and without ice caps. The Panthalassa Ocean carried heat from the equator to the poles. Mega-mons swept across Pangea and brought rain inland from the wet coastal areas. This caused extreme seasonal variations.
About The Author
Mindy Vu is a part time shoe model and professional mum. She loves to cook and has been proclaimed the best cook in the world by her friends and family. She adores her pet dog Twinkie, and is happily married to her books.