3D-NEA: Three-dimensional lithospheric-scale structural model of the North East Atlantic

Cite as:

Gomez Dacal, Maria Laura; Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena; Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Bott, Judith; Anikiev, Denis (2023): 3D-NEA: Three-dimensional lithospheric-scale structural model of the North East Atlantic. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.4.5.2023.001

Status

I N R E V I E W : Gomez Dacal, Maria Laura; Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena; Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Bott, Judith; Anikiev, Denis (2023): 3D-NEA: Three-dimensional lithospheric-scale structural model of the North East Atlantic. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.4.5.2023.001

Abstract

The Northeast Atlantic (NEA) region has long been a subject of interest due to its complex geological history, particularly regarding the interaction between the Iceland plume and the lithospheric plates. In this data publication, we present a comprehensive three-dimensional structural and density model of the NEA crust and uppermost mantle, consolidating and integrating a wide range of previously fragmented data sets. Our model highlights the influence of the Iceland plume on the region's geological evolution, shedding light on the mechanisms that facilitated the continental breakup between Europe and Laurentia during the earliest Eocene period. The whole workflow and methods are described in Gomez Dacal et al. (2023) and its Supplementary Information.

Technical Information

Model coordinates:
Model coordinates are given in Equidistant Conic North Atlantic (ECNA):
• Projection: Equidistant conic
• 1st Standard parallel: 80
• 2st Standard parallel: 70
• Central meridian: -9
• Origin Latitude: 90
• False easting: 805000
• False northing: 3140000

Model dimensions:
The horizontal dimensions of the model are 2000 km x 2500 km. The total depth of the model is 300 km.
Model bounds in ECNA:
Easting: from 0 m to 2000000 m Northing: from 0 m to 2500000 m

Model bounds in longitude/latitude (WGS 84):
Longitude: from -61° to 54° Latitude: from 60° to 84°

Extended model bounds in ECNA:
Easting: from -500000 m to 2500000 m Northing: from -500000 m to 3000000 m

File description:
We provide a set of grid files that collectively allow recreating the 3D geological model which covers the North East Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent areas, including the easternmost area of Greenland, the western coast of Norway, Iceland and Svalbard.

The provided structural model consists of 11 units including: (i) sea water and ice; (ii) two layers of sedimentary cover: a shallow and a deep unit; (iii) five crystalline crust units composed of an upper and a lower continental crustal, an oceanic crust and two units of lower crustal bodies (LCB); (iv) two lithospheric mantle units: a continental and an oceanic layer.

The structural model has a dimension of 2000 km x 2500 km x 300 km and is provided in regularly spaced grids of 10 km, which are identical for all model units. For the gravity modelling the model limits have been extended by 500 km horizontally in all directions including constraining information for the extended region. The extended model horizons are represented in the density model.

Additionally, we provide gravity data, density voxel cube and related tomography data.
Files are subdivided into five categories:

1. Structural interface
2. Density model horizon
3. Gravity data
4. Density voxel cube
5. Tomography data

Authors

Gomez Dacal, Maria Laura;National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany;RWTH Aachen, Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering, Aachen, Germany
Faleide, Jan Inge;University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour;University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Bott, Judith;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Anikiev, Denis;GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany

Contact

Bott, Judith (Senior scientist) ; GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany;

Keywords

North East Atlantic, 3D structural model, georeferenced grids, crustal structure, subsurface geology, layer thickness, crystalline crust, lithospheric mantle, gravity, tomography, density