Evolution of the Source Mineralogy and Lithospheric Controls on Magmatism During the Northeast Atlantic Continental Breakup

Abstract The mid‐Norwegian Margin, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), is a well‐studied volcanic rifted margin formed during the breakup between Greenland and Eurasia ∼56 Ma, with the largest accumulation of magmatic material hosted by the Vøring Margin section. Despite extensive study in the area, the main controls on magmatic productivity during continental breakup remain debated. To constrain the drivers of breakup magmatism, we developed an inverse Monte Carlo statistical melting model that infers source mineralogy from basalt chemistry. When applied to basalts recently recovered on the Vøring Margin, our results reveal a clear shift in source mineralogy during rifting, with peak magmatism coinciding with clinopyroxene enrichment, despite mantle potential temperatures likely being capped below 1500°C. We also establish that, while the proto‐Iceland mantle plume played a role during the emplacement of the NAIP, the main driver for the continental breakup magmatism is lithospheric thinning as a consequence of continent breakup. This study provides new insights into the magmatic and geodynamic evolution of the mid‐Norwegian Margin, emphasizing the role of lithospheric refertilization in driving breakup magmatism.

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Publication Details

Journal
Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems
Published
2026-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gc012556
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
54.75
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Evolution of the Source Mineralogy and Lithospheric Controls on Magmatism During the Northeast Atlantic Continental Breakup

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Evolution of the Source Mineralogy and Lithospheric Controls on Magmatism During the Northeast Atlantic Continental Breakup

Sarah Lambart, Weimu Xu, Jack Longman, Christian Berndt, E.H. Cunningham, Sayantani Chatterjee, Eric Ferre, Joost Frieling, Peter Betlem, Irina Y. Filina, Reed P. Scherer, John Millett, Dustin T. Harper, C. A. Alvarez Zarikian, Morgan T. Jones, Natalia Varela, Ashley Morris, Henk Brinkhuis, Autumn Hartley, Marialena Christopoulou, Sverre Planke, Geoffroy T. F. Mohn, Stacy L. Yager, Pengyuan Guo
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Abstract The mid‐Norwegian Margin, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), is a well‐studied volcanic rifted margin formed during the breakup between Greenland and Eurasia ∼56 Ma, with the largest accumulation of magmatic material hosted by the Vøring Margin section. Despite extensive study in the area, the main controls on magmatic productivity during continental breakup remain debated. To constrain the drivers of breakup magmatism, we developed an inverse Monte Carlo statistical melting model that infers source mineralogy from basalt chemistry. When applied to basalts recently recovered on the Vøring Margin, our results reveal a clear shift in source mineralogy during rifting, with peak magmatism coinciding with clinopyroxene enrichment, despite mantle potential temperatures likely being capped below 1500°C. We also establish that, while the proto‐Iceland mantle plume played a role during the emplacement of the NAIP, the main driver for the continental breakup magmatism is lithospheric thinning as a consequence of continent breakup. This study provides new insights into the magmatic and geodynamic evolution of the mid‐Norwegian Margin, emphasizing the role of lithospheric refertilization in driving breakup magmatism.

Geochemistry Geophysics GeosystemsVol. 27(2)
New Mexico State University (US), University College Dublin (IE), Northern Illinois University (US), University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US), Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Bellevue College (US), University of Oslo (NO), Utrecht University (NL), University of Aberdeen (GB), Ball State University (US), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Aarhus University (DK), University of Utah (US), Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (US), Northumbria University (GB), Ghent University (BE), GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (DE), Sorbonne Université (FR), University of Oxford (GB), Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (FR), Institute of Oceanology (CN), Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NL), CY Cergy Paris Université (FR), Volcanic Basin Petroleum Research (Norway) (NO), University of Virginia (US), Umeå University (SE), Texas A&M University (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Geological and Geochemical Analysis
54.75
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