Lithospheric structure of the Gorringe Bank: Insights into its origin and tectonic evolution

I. Jiménez-Munt*, M. Fernàndez, J. Vergés, J. C. Afonso, D. Garcia-Castellanos, J. Fullea

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

54 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

The Gorringe Bank is a 5000 m high seamount near the Atlantic coast of Iberia characterized by a 9 m high geoid anomaly and a ∼120 mGal Bouguer anomaly relative to the surrounding abyssal plains. It has been linked to a NW directed thrust carrying exhumed upper mantle rocks and transitional crust on top of flexed-down Eurasian oceanic crust along the Tagus Abyssal Plain. However, estimations of crustal shortening have yielded dissimilar results, and the deep structure of the ridge remains highly unknown. We present a restored cross section and a new model of the lithospheric structure based on gravity, geoid, elevation, and the presence of serpentinized peridotites. At least 20 km of shortening took place along a flat-ramp-flat thrust fault, and the density structure of the lithosphere is consistent with mantle serpentinization varying from 70% at the surface to 20% at 14 km depth and 0% at 40 km. The topographic relief and gravity anomalies are explained by assuming a flexural isostatic model with an elastic thickness Te of ∼30 km. The evolution of the Gorringe Bank since the Late Jurassic is interpreted in relation to Eurasia-Africa-North America plate motion in four stages: (1) transtension between Newfoundland-Iberia and Africa, which generated small oceanic basins and mantle exhumation; (2) opening of the North Atlantic and seafloor spreading at the NW side of the exhumed Gorringe, which produced gabbro intrusions and serpentinization; (3) a quiescent tectonic period dominated by subsidence and sediment accumulation; and (4) a transpressional plate boundary between Eurasia and Africa with NW directed subcrustal thrusting and generation of the present Gorringe relief.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberTC5019
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalTectonics
Volume29
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2010

Bibliographical note

Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union. Originally published as Jiménez-Munt, I., M. Fernàndez, J. Vergés, J. C. Afonso, D. Garcia-Castellanos, and J. Fullea (2010), Lithospheric structure of the Gorringe Bank: Insights into its origin and tectonic evolution, Tectonics, 29, TC5019. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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