Mohamed Mansour Abdelmalak

• Polteau, Stéphane; Smalley, P. Craig; Devegowda, Vani N.; Johansen, Ingar; Millett, John & Rosenqvist, Marija Plahter [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Well-connected basalt sequences as potential reservoirs for large-scale carbon sequestration revealed by strontium isotopes. Communications Earth & Environment. 7(1). doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-03020-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Permanent storage of gigatons of carbon in basalt requires thick, uncompartmentalized sequences that allow lateral dissipation of CO 2 away from injection sites. Here we assess the presence of flow barriers by evaluating the variations in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr patterns in pore water, a method used extensively in sedimentary successions. Present-day pore water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr was measured from residual salts in core samples, while past water compositions were reconstructed from carbonate cements of different ages. We reveal smooth and uninterrupted trends in strontium isotopes through a 100 m thick basalt section indicating a common fluid reservoir unaffected by low-permeability massive lava flow interiors. The data further indicate that unconsolidated overburden sediments act as a good seal preventing seawater to mix with in situ pore water, and buoyant supercritical CO 2 to leak. Finally, basaltic sequences form viable targets for CO 2 storage and suggests that fractures may bypass low-permeability units to create a well-connected reservoir system.

• Shephard, Grace; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge; Clennett, Edward; Zahirovic, Sabin & Gac, Sebastien [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2026). Multi-phase intra-plate rifting and deformable plate modelling of the Northeast Atlantic back to the Permian. Gondwana Research. ISSN 1342-937X. 149, p. 465–490. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.09.002. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Midtkandal, Ivar; Huismans, Ritske Sipke & Faleide, Jan Inge [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2025). A tectonostratigraphic interpretation of the Mimir High through seismic-borehole tie: New insights into the Paleogene evolution of the Vøring Transform Margin. SEG technical program expanded abstracts. doi: 10.1190/image2025-4307795.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Mimir High is a structural high along the Vøring Transform Margin (VTM), offshore Mid-Norway, having excellent coverage of high-resolution seismic 2D and 3D data and borehole data from five wells drilled during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 396. The Mimir High developed through rift tectonics and thermal uplift that resulted in a transition through different paleoenvironments from shallow marine to coastal or subaerial and finally marine again.

• Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Faleide, Jan Inge; Minakov, Alexander; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Shephard, Grace & Geissler, Wolfram H. [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). Crustal structure of the North Svalbard margin: Continental breakup and Eurasia Basin opening. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 912. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2025.230861. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Continental breakup at the North Svalbard margin and the northern Barents Sea during the Paleogene led to the opening of the oceanic Eurasia Basin. However, the mechanisms behind this rift-to-drift evolution remain unclear. Here, we present seven crustal transects (CT1–7) integrating 2D forward modelling of potential field data and constrained by structural interpretation of multichannel seismic reflection profiles. These transects extend from the continental regions of North Svalbard to the oceanic domain in southwest Eurasia Basin. The Yermak Plateau comprises two juxtaposed tectono-magmatic blocks: the Northeast Yermak Plateau, linked to pre- or early Eurekan settings, and the Southwest Yermak Plateau, formed by shearing and oblique extension along the West Svalbard margin. Broadly, the North Svalbard margin is divided into three segments: (1) Northwest Spitsbergen-Southwest Yermak Plateau, (2) Northeast Spitsbergen-Northwest Kvitøya, and (3) Northeast Kvitøya-North Barents. Segmentation follows inherited north-northwest trending weak zones, guiding Paleogene multi-phase oblique rifting and formation of the Sophia Basin, underlain by thinned, high-density metamorphic crust. The results indicate a rift-shear breakup mode with exhumation of continental lower crust and/or serpentinized subcontinental mantle blocks within the continent-ocean transition (COT) that precedes seafloor spreading which started at ca. 53 Ma during magnetic chron C24. The continental breakup processes that led to margin segmentation reflect the interplay between inherited basement fabrics and plate opening directions of the Eurasia Basin region.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Rossetti, Lucas M.; Millett, John M.; Planke, Sverre; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Faleide, Jan Inge [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Breakup Magmatism in the South Atlantic: Mechanisms and Implications. Earth-Science Reviews. ISSN 0012-8252. 264. doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2025.105088. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Early Cretaceous opening of the South Atlantic Ocean was accompanied by extensive intrusive and extrusive magmatism collectively grouped in the South Atlantic Igneous Province (SAIP). The SAIP includes the onshore Paraná-Etendeka large igneous province (PELIP), offshore seaward-dipping reflectors sequences, the Rio Grande Rise and Walvis Ridge, and voluminous intrusive magmatism. Nonetheless, the nature of the processes that lead to continental breakup remain controversial, and the environmental impact of these events is not yet fully understood. In order to investigate the tectonomagmatic evolution of the South Atlantic, we present a new compilation of the various geochemical compositions and radiometric ages associated with the SAIP as well as an estimation of magma volumes constrained by extensive seismic, gravity, and magnetic datasets. The SAIP was formed during the Early Cretaceous, from the Valanginian to Albian (135–110 Ma), with the majority of the magmatic activity lasting c. 3.5 Myr interval between 135.5 and 132 Ma. Onshore magmatism is characterized by massive outpourings of tholeiitic basaltic flows formed by melting of hotter than normal mantle along with significant lithospheric thinning. Magma source compositions varied during magmatism with enriched “plume-like” components transitioning to more depleted “MORB-like” (Mid-Ocean-Ridge-Basalt) signatures. The total magma volume of the SAIP ranges between 10 × 106 km3 and 16 × 106 km3 with a striking asymmetry in volumes of the onshore and offshore volcanism along the conjugate margins. Offshore, ∼67 to 70 % of the total magma volume is located on the African side whereas 30 to 33 % of the total magma volume is located on the South American side. Onshore, ∼10 % of the total magma volume is located on the African side whereas 90 % of the total magma volume is located on the South American side. This asymmetry in volume distribution is attributed to different factors including variations in rifting mode, differences in initial lithospheric thickness, and structural inheritance. The geochemical data were analyzed and integrated to provide insights on magma generation and source compositions along with an updated geological model for the South Atlantic magmatism. The onset of the activity of the SAIP at the start of the Weissert Event suggests that the SAIP may have played a major role on the climatic and oceanographic changes during the mid-Valanginian.

• Faleide, Jan Inge; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Manton, Ben M.; Planke, Sverre & Gernigon, Laurent [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Møre–Vøring Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Norwegian Rifted Margin, Norwegian Sea. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57, p. 174–196. doi: 10.1144/M57-2023-14. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Møre and Vøring basins at the mid-Norwegian margin were affected by a series of rift phases separated by periods of tectonic quiescence from Caledonian collapse in the Devonian to final continental break-up in the earliest Eocene. The tectonic phases were mostly extensional in nature, and the pre-drift extension across the Møre and Vøring basins since mid-Permian time has been estimated to be of the order of 200–250 km. The pre-Cretaceous basin configuration is poorly constrained due to limited seismic resolution at great depths and a lack of borehole control. A fundamental change occurred in the crustal deformation regime: from Late Jurassic distributed stretching of the upper crust to Early Cretaceous thinning at lower-crustal levels located along the axis of the Møre and Vøring basins. A westward migration of Late Cretaceous–Paleocene depocentres in the Vøring Basin reflects the focus of deformation towards the time and line of break-up. The basin architecture and evolution are summarized in relation to tectono-sedimentary elements corresponding to the main tectonic and depositional phases, and represent characteristic megasequences in the seismic data. Finally, the exploration history and main petroleum systems of the Møre and Vøring basins are presented.

• Abdallah, Randa Ben; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Augland, Lars Eivind; Lazaar, Sonia; Polteau, Stephane & Callegaro, Sara [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Miocene magmatism in Northern Tunisia and its geodynamic implications. Mediterranean Geoscience Reviews. ISSN 2661-863X. 6, p. 269–292. doi: 10.1007/s42990-024-00139-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Nefza igneous rocks in Northern Tunisia belong to the Miocene magmatic belt extending from Northern Tunisia to Morocco and consist mainly of Serravallian–Tortonian granodiorite and rhyodacite (~ 14–8 Ma) and Messinian basalts (~ 8–6 Ma). Differences in geochemical composition between units have been interpreted to be the result of geodynamic processes in the upper mantle below the Western Mediterranean area, but their implications for Northern Tunisia are unclear due to limited data. In this contribution, we present an updated geodynamic model for Northern Tunisia based on new petrographic and whole-rock geochemical results from the Nefza magmatic suite from outcrop and OB45 drill core samples. Petrographic observations show that rhyodacites display a microlithic texture with quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite, and glass, whilst granodiorite contains plagioclase, quartz and exhibits fine-grained texture with a 2–3 mm crystal size. The Nefza magmatic rocks are overprinted by multiple weathering and alteration processes with loss of ignition (LOI) ranging between 0.88 and more than 5 wt%. The linear relationships between mobile elements (Ca, Na, P, K, Mg, Si), large-ion lithophile elements (LILE), and LOI suggest element mobilisation during alteration. Major and trace element compositions show the Nefza magmatic rocks plot in the rhyolite, dacite, and trachydacite fields for felsic rocks and plot in the basalt and trachybasalt fields for mafic rocks. Granodiorite and rhyodacite rocks exhibit negative Eu anomalies and a LILE enrichment (Rb, Ba, Pb) relative to high-field-strength elements (HFSE: Nb, Ta, Hf, Zr, REE). Mafic rocks enriched in LILE show geochemical characteristics between calc-alkaline and alkaline trends. Comparison with nearby regions suggests that the generation of calc-alkaline magmas resulted from the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle due to slab break-off or tearing in Eastern Algeria. The upward flow of asthenospheric material through the widening tear in the sinking slab leads to partial melting of the mantle and shallowing of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary, ultimately leading to the formation of alkaline magma. The Nefza geochemical variations underscore Mediterranean upper mantle heterogeneity, offering crucial insights into Mediterranean geodynamics. More studies are needed to constrain mantle dynamics and the region’s complex geological history.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Minakov, Alexander; Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Faleide, Jan Inge; Gaina, Carmen & Drachev, Sergey (2024). Eurasian Arctic Rifted Margin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57(1). doi: 10.1144/M57-2023-24. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Eurasian Arctic Rifted Margin (EARM) spans a poorly studied transition region between the Eurasian continental shelf and the deep-water Nansen Basin. It is a conjugate margin to the Lomonosov Ridge, as both domains were united before the opening of the oceanic Eurasia Basin. The EARM is considered as a Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element (CTSE) consisting of two individual tectono-sedimentary elements (TSEs): (1) an undefined group of poorly known pre-rift Mesozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary successions; and (2) Late Cretaceous–Paleocene synrift strata. The latter are bounded by a c. 56 Ma break-up unconformity and are overlain by the Eurasia Basin prograded margin TSE, which is not included in EARM. In the absence of drilled wells, we utilize multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) data for seismic stratigraphic correlations with nearby, better-explored, areas. The EARM CTSE is subdivided into three along-strike segments (from west to east): Svalbard–Barents Sea, the North Kara Sea and the Taimyr–Laptev Sea. Across-strike, the EARM CTSE is composed of a proximal zone of stretched crust characterized by normal faulting and a relatively narrow distal transition zone that may contain unroofed serpentinized mantle. The lack of drilled wells makes it challenging to evaluate the petroleum potential of the CTSE, although some indications of a working petroleum system presence exist.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Minakov, Alexander; Faleide, Jan Inge & Drachev, Sergey (2024). Lomonosov Ridge Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Arctic Ocean. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57(1). doi: 10.1144/M57-2022-72. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Lomonosov Ridge (LR) is a sliver of continental crust, a microcontinent that stretches across the Arctic Ocean and separates the Mesozoic Amerasia Basin from the Cenozoic Eurasia Basin. The LR is thought to have been separated from the northern Barents Sea–Kara Sea passive continental margin by continental rifting at about 56–53 Ma and the subsequent formation of the oceanic crust in the Eurasia Basin. Following the nomenclature of this volume, the sedimentary succession of the LR and nearby area forms a composite tectono-sedimentary element containing an assemblage of the following main tectono-sedimentary elements (TSEs): (1) an undefined group of pre-rift TSEs mostly composed of Mesozoic and poorly known Paleozoic successions; (2) the Cretaceous–Paleocene synrift TSE; and (3) the Eocene–Holocene post-rift TSE. The age of the LR's folded and metamorphosed basement can be inferred based on correlations to basement units of the northern Eurasian passive continental margin, which may include a variety of geological structures formed during Timanian, Caledonian, late Paleozoic and Mesozoic orogenic events. The pre-rift TSE includes the oldest and most poorly known offshore sedimentary succession in the Arctic region. The lithostratigraphic units of these basins were mainly characterized from a handful samples collected at the seafloor and by correlation with better known stratigraphy of the conjugate continental margin. The synrift TSE of Cretaceous–Paleocene age has been defined based on seismic data and samples of sedimentary rocks recovered during the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), as well as from seismic facies correlation between the LR and the Podvodnikov–Makarov, Laptev and East Siberian Sea basins. The post-rift Cenozoic sedimentary record was documented by the ACEX well in the central part of the LR.

• Faleide, Jan Inge; Wong, Po Wan; Hassaan, Muhammad; Gabrielsen, Roy Helge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Planke, Sverre [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). West Barents Sheared Margin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Norwegian Greenland Sea and Fram Strait. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57(1). doi: 10.1144/M57-2023-19. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The West Barents Sheared Margin developed in response to break-up and initial opening of the NE Atlantic and links to the Arctic Eurasia Basin. It consists of three first-order segments: (1) a southern sheared margin segment bounding the deep SW Barents Sea basins; (2) a central rifted margin segment west of Bjørnøya; and (3) a northern initially sheared margin segment that was later exposed to oblique extension west of Svalbard. The geometry of the margin included releasing, as well as restraining, bends that inflicted substantial impact on the deformation along the sheared margin. In light of structural, stratigraphic and sedimentological investigations in recent years, the first-order three-fold subdivision of the Barents shear margin has been strengthened and expanded on. It has become even clearer that this subdivision reflects the margin geometry and the shifting far-field and local stress configurations. Prior to the final stages of rifting and break-up of the NE Atlantic in the Paleogene, the study area was part of a broad and extensive basin province comprising deep sedimentary basins. The line of break-up cut diagonally across the regional basin province so that different parts of it are now located in the mid-Norwegian margin, in the NE Greenland margin and in the SW Barents Sea. These areas share a long and complex history of multiple rift phases throughout Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic times, and information from these areas is integrated into the description of the West Barents Sheared Margin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element. The marginal basins in the SW Barents Sea are the least explored area on the Norwegian continental shelf and sporadic exploration activity has had limited success. A petroleum potential still exist that will be elaborated in renewed upcoming activity.

• Lovecchio, Juan Pablo; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Silio, Ofelia Soledad; Rohais, Sébastien & Arismendi, Sebastián [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Mesozoic rifting in SW Gondwana and break-up of the Southern South Atlantic Ocean. Geological Society Special Publication. ISSN 0305-8719. 547(1), p. 75–107. doi: 10.1144/SP547-2023-140. Full text in Research Archive
• Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Minakov, Alexander; Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Shephard, Grace & Mattingsdal, Rune [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). Late Cenozoic intraplate volcanism as a trigger for hydrothermal venting in the Arctic southwestern Eurasia Basin. Communications Earth & Environment. 5. doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01843-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Intraplate volcanism has occurred for the last 35 million years within Northeast Atlantic and Arctic margins, including the western Barents Sea, Svalbard, and northern Greenland. Earlier studies have suggested that some of this volcanism might be sourced from nearby mid-ocean ridges. However, legacy data does not reveal correlations between the sporadic volcanism, despite comparable setting, ages, and compositions of basalts across the area. Here, we utilize a compilation of geophysical data to document late Cenozoic intraplate volcanism affecting the northeastern Yermak Plateau and southwestern Eurasia Basin located north of Svalbard. The identified seabed and subsurface features include volcanic (Mound-A) and hydrothermal vent systems (Tayrona Vent) formed approximately 10 and 2.6 million years ago, respectively. These intraplate volcanic products are coincident in age and origin with observed hydrothermal systems on Svalbard and Northeast Atlantic. We propose that these magmatic features are the result of intraplate volcanism associated with seismic and thermal anomalies in the mantle beneath northern Svalbard.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Polteau, Stephane; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina N. & Myklebust, Reidun (2024). NE Canada Rifted Margin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and Labrador Sea. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57(1). doi: 10.1144/M57-2021-44. Full text in Research Archive
• Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Lasabuda, Amando P. E.; Hjelstuen, Berit Oline Blihovde & Laberg, Jan Sverre [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Norwegian Sea Oceanic Basin and Prograded Margins Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57(1). doi: 10.1144/M57-2023-26. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Norwegian Sea oceanic basins and prograded margins have developed since NE Atlantic break-up in the earliest Eocene. Significant amounts of sediments were fed to the regionally subsiding and widening Norwegian Sea during the Cenozoic as a result of several phases of uplift and erosion of the bounding shelves and their hinterland. Despite an overall passive-margin evolution, the area experienced tectonic events and associated processes that interrupted the regional subsidence, causing contraction/inversion and tilting. The post-break-up depositional history of the mid-Norwegian margin comprises two main stages: (1) middle Eocene–Pliocene margin subsidence and relatively modest sedimentation during a period of climatic decline; and (2) latest Pliocene–Pleistocene full-scale northern hemisphere glaciations that resulted in deep erosion of shelves and hinterlands, and very high sedimentation rates and large-scale continental margin progradation. Slope failures within rapidly deposited glacial sediments affect

• Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Minakov, Alexander; Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Lasabuda, Amando P. E. & Gaina, Carmen [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Eurasia Basin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57(1). doi: 10.1144/m57-2023-16. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Eurasia Basin formed by continental breakup and separation of the Lomonosov Ridge from the northern Barents-Kara shelves at about 54-56 Ma. It was a restricted oceanic basin since its formation until the Miocene, when extensive water circulation between the North Atlantic and Arctic commenced through the Fram Strait gateway. The opening of the oceanic gateway had large impact on paleoceanography and paleoclimate, which evolved from an Eocene greenhouse to a Neogene icehouse associated with northern hemisphere glaciations. The Eocene to present sedimentary fill of the Eurasia Basin was mainly sourced from surrounding shelf areas in the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas, which experienced widespread Cenozoic uplift and erosion during several phases. The stratigraphy of the Eurasia Basin is poorly constrained due to lack of boreholes penetrating the basin fill. We therefore have to rely on seismic stratigraphy and tentative ages assigned to sequences and their boundaries terminating on top of oceanic basement of

• Maharjan, Dwarika; Planke, Sverre; Bellwald, Benjamin; Millett, John M.; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Manton, Ben [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Rapid loading and deformation of soft sediments during emplacement of a Lava Delta in the Vøring Basin, Mid-Norwegian Margin. Geological Society Special Publication. ISSN 0305-8719. 547(1), p. 465–482. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6946691.v1. Full text in Research Archive
• Corseri, Romain; Seillé, Hoel; Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Senger, Kim & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Deep basin conductor characterization using machine learning-assisted magnetotelluric Bayesian inversion in the SW Barents Sea. Geophysical Journal International. ISSN 0956-540X. 238(1), p. 420–432. doi: 10.1093/gji/ggae166. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we use a new workflow to substantiate the characterization of a prominent, deep sediment conductor in the hyperextended Bjørnøya Basin (SW Barents Sea) previously identified in smooth resistivity models from 3-D deterministic inversion of magnetotelluric data. In low-dimensionality environments like layered sedimentary basin, 1-D Bayesian inversion can be advantageous for a thorough exploration of the solution space, but the violation of the 1-D assumption has to be efficiently handled. The primary geological objectives of this work is therefore preceded by a secondary task: the application of a new machine learning approach for handling the 1-D violation assumption for 21 MT field stations in the Barents Sea. We find that a decision tree can adequately learn the relationship between MT dimensionality parameters and the 1-D–3-D residual response for a training set of synthetic models, mimicking typical resistivity structures of the SW Barents Sea. The machine learning model is then used to predict the dimensionality compensation error for MT signal periods ranging of 1–3000 s for 21 receivers located over the Bjørnøya Basin and Veslemøy High. After running 1-D Bayesian inversion, we generated a posterior resistivity distribution for an ensemble of 6000 1-D models fitting the compensated MT data for each 21 field stations. The proportion of 1-D models showing ρ < 1 Ω·m is consistently beyond 80 per cent and systemically reaches a maximum of 100 per cent in the Early Aptian–Albian interval in the Bjørnøya Basin. In hyperextended basins of the SW Barents Sea, the dimensionality compensation workflow has permitted to refine the characterization of the deep basin conductor by leveraging the increased vertical resolution and optimal used of MT data. In comparison, the smooth 3-D deterministic models only poorly constrained depth and lateral extent of the basin anomaly. The highest probability of finding ρ < 1 Ω·m is robustly assigned to the syn-tectonic Early Aptian–Albian marine shales, now buried at 6–8 km depth. Based on a theoretical two phase fluid-rock model, we show that the pore fluid of these marine shales must have a higher salinity than seawater to explain the anomaly ρ < 1 Ω·m. Therefore, the primary pore fluid underwent mixing with a secondary brine during rifting. Using analogue rift systems in palaeomargins, we argue that two possible secondary brine reservoir may contribute to deep saline fluid circulation in the hyperextended basin: (1) Permian salt-derived fluid and, (2) mantle-reacted fluid from serpentinization.

• Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Tsikalas, Filippos; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Faleide, Jan Inge (2023). Structural analysis and measured extension in fault complexes along the Lofoten-Vesterålen margin, offshore Norway, in the context of crustal-scale rifting towards breakup in NE Atlantic. Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. 35(4), p. 1329–1361. doi: 10.1111/bre.12756. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene continental extension within the Lofoten‐Vesterålen margin is investigated by integrating 2D‐3D seismic and potential field datasets, together with updated crustal transects. Most of that deformation is recorded by two low‐angle detachment structures named West Røst High Fault Complex (WRHFC) and North Utrøst Ridge Fault Complex (NURFC) located at the southern and central‐northern portions of the studied area, respectively. Multiple extensional episodes of various intensities were mapped as different fault stages, including one Albian‐Cenomanian phase, four early Late Cretaceous phases, three Late Cretaceous to latest Cretaceous–Palaeocene phases, and one Palaeocene phase. The WRHFC is narrower in extent and has accommodated a relatively greater amount of localized extension (ca. 18–19 km), whereas the NURFC occupies a wider area with widespread extension intensity (ca. 6–8 km). In comparison, the total across‐margin average extension within the southern, central, and northern portions of the Lofoten‐Vesterålen and NE Greenland conjugate margins are ca. 192, 221, and 266 km, respectively. Such results indicate an apparent extension discrepancy between derived extension from measured fault‐block geometries within the fault complexes and the whole conjugate margin system, with only ca. 11% and 13% of the extension seen on the studied seismic profiles on the WRHFC and NURFC, respectively. The corrected maximum extension for purely sub‐seismic resolution faulting on both the WRHFC and NURFC fault complexes is ca. 164 and 46 km, respectively. Finally, both WRHFC and NURFC structures provide key evidence for a ductile mode of deformation towards breakup that is expressed through shear zones‐rift topography interactions with overlaying listric/detachment faults. These features reflect the resulting multiphase tectonic evolution across the asymmetric Lofoten‐Vesterålen and NE Greenland conjugate margins, and the obliquity in the breakup axis location along them. The study outcomes are pertinent and applicable to understand the breakup evolution of the northern NE Atlantic and its vicinity.

• Lasabuda, Amando P. E.; Hanssen, Alfred; Laberg, Jan Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge; Patton, Henry & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Paleobathymetric reconstructions of the SW Barents Seaway and their implications for Atlantic–Arctic ocean circulation. Communications Earth & Environment. 4. doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-00899-y. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Unravelling past, large-scale ocean circulation patterns is crucial for deciphering the longterm global paleoclimate. Here we apply numerical modelling to reconstruct the detailed paleobathymetry-topography of the southwestern inlet of the Barents Seaway that presently connects the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Subaerial topography was likely enough to block Atlantic Water from entering the Barents Seaway in the earliest Eocene (c. 55 Ma). The water may have entered in the middle Eocene (c. 47 Ma) as observed from major basin subsidence, but paleotopographic highs to the east may have hindered connections between the two oceans. From the Oligocene (c. 33 Ma) until the onset of the Quaternary (c. 2.7 Ma), basin shallowing and regional shelf uplift blocked Atlantic Water from entering the Barents Seaway. Our results imply that the Fram Strait remained the sole gateway for Atlantic Water into the Arctic Ocean since its opening in the Miocene until the Quaternary.

• Harzali, Makrem; Medhioub, Emna; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Hamdouni, Abdelkader & Troudi, Habib (2023). Insights from the 06 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Kahramanmaras earthquake: evidence into an active strike-slip faulting along the East Anatolian Fault Zone. Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica. ISSN 1217-8977. 58, p. 465–497. doi: 10.1007/s40328-023-00428-5. Full text in Research Archive
• Dacal, María Laura Gómez; Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena; Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Bott, Judith & Anikiev, Denis (2023). Tracing the Iceland plume and North East Atlantic breakup in the lithosphere. Communications Earth & Environment. 4. doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-01120-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Plumes are domains where hotter material rises through Earth´s mantle, heating also the moving lithospheric plates that may experience thinning or even continental breakup. In particular, the Iceland plume in the NE Atlantic (NEA) could have been instrumental in facilitating the breakup between Europe and Laurentia in the earliest Eocene. Here we present an open access three-dimensional density model of the NEA crust and uppermost mantle that is consistent with previously un-integrated available data. We propose that high-density anomalies in the crust represent the preserved modifications of the lithosphere in consequence of the plate’s journey over the hot mantle plume. Besides, low-density anomalies in the uppermost mantle would represent the present-day effect of the mantle plume and its interaction with the mid-ocean ridges. Overall, the model indicates that the presence of the plume together with the pre-existing crustal configuration controlled the timing, mechanisms and localization of the NEA breakup.

• Guan, Huixin; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Xu, Min & Geoffroy, Laurent (2023). Evolution of an oblique volcanic passive margin: The case of Nuussuaq in West Greenland. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 862. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2023.229936. Full text in Research Archive
• Corseri, Romain; Planke, Sverre; Gelius, Leiv Jacob; Faleide, Jan Inge; Senger, Kim & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour (2022). Magnetotelluric image of a hyper-extended and serpentinized rift system. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 602. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117914. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Magnetotelluric (MT) data can image the Earth's electrical resistivity down to the mantle but are rarely used for investigation of offshore rifted margins. In such settings, the lower crust and upper mantle are altered by distinct tectono-thermal processes but often display similar seismic velocities and densities. By integrating resistivity models from MT data, we aim at resolving such ambiguity. Here, 3D inversion of long period, marine MT data (1 – 3000 s) is performed on 104 receivers located along two, ∼300 km long transects in the SW Barents Sea. The resolving power of MT data is assessed with synthetic tests in an archetypal rift system where ample crustal thickness variation occurs. The results highlight that our MT data sense the transition from necking to hyper-extended domain where the crust (<10 km) is not recovered by 3D inversion. In the Bjørnøya Basin – the northernmost member of a hyper-extended Cretaceous basin chain in the NE Atlantic – we combine seismic interpretation and MT inversion models to assign resistivity properties at two depth intervals: (1) 0.1-1 Ωm within Lower Cretaceous marine shales buried at 10-15 km depth (2) 1-10 Ωm within the uppermost mantle. Based on a fluid-rock model, we emphasize that seawater as a sole pore fluid phase is not conductive enough to explain such high bulk conductivities at both intervals. A 25% serpentinization of mantle rocks can account for a fivefold rise in salinity of the residual fluid and is compatible with bulk resistivity, density, and seismic velocities in the Bjørnøya Basin. Such high-salinity fluid can ascend and mix with seawater in pore spaces of the sediments, supporting our model of saline fluid circulation in hyper-extended basins. In conclusion, electrical resistivity models can disambiguate interpretation of deep structures in rifted margin by detecting saline fluids from partial serpentinization, intermixing with seawater in overlying marine sediments.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Gac, Sebastien; Faleide, Jan Inge; Shephard, Grace; Tsikalas, Filippos & Polteau, Stephane [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Quantification and Restoration of the Pre-Drift Extension Across the NE Atlantic Conjugate Margins During the Mid-Permian-Early Cenozoic Multi-Rifting Phases. Tectonics. ISSN 0278-7407. 42(1). doi: 10.1029/2022TC007386. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The formation of the NE Atlantic conjugate margins is the result of multiple rifting phases spanning from the Late Paleozoic and culminating in the early Eocene when breakup was accompanied with intense magmatic activity. The pre-breakup configuration of the NE Atlantic continental margins is controlled by crustal extension, magmatism, and sub-lithospheric processes, all of which need to be quantified for the pre-breakup architecture to be restored. Key parameters that need to be extracted from the analysis of crustal structures and sediment record include stretching factors, timing of rifting phases, and nature of the deep crustal structures. The aim of this study is to quantify the pre-drift extension of the NE Atlantic conjugate margins using interpreted crustal structure and forward basin modeling. We use a set of eight 2D conjugate crustal transects and corresponding stratigraphic models, constrained from an integrated analysis of 2D and 3D seismic and well data. The geometry and thickness of the present-day crust is compared to a reference thickness which has experienced limited or no crustal extension since Permian time allowing the quantification of crustal stretching. Based on the eight conjugate crustal transects, the total pre-drift extension is estimated to range between 181 and 390 km with an average of 270–295 km. These estimates are supported by the results of forward basin modeling, which predict total extension between 173 and 325 km, averaging 264 km. The cumulative pre-drift extension estimates derived from basin modeling are in turn used to calculate the incremental crustal stretching factors at each of the three main rifting phases between the conjugate Greenland-Norwegian margins. The mid-Permian early Triassic rifting phase represents 32% of the total extension, while the equivalent values are 41% for the mid-Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous and 27% for the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene rifting phases. These values are used to establish and present at first, a full-fit palinspastic plate kinematic model for the NE Atlantic since the mid-Permian and will be the base for future work on more elaborated models in order to build accurate paleogeographic and tectonic maps.

• Tsikalas, Filippos; Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge & Brekke, Harald (2022). Lofoten Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element, Norwegian Rifted Margin, Norwegian Sea. Geological Society of London Memoirs. ISSN 0435-4052. 57. doi: 10.1144/M57-2021-43. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Lofoten Rifted Margin is a composite tectono-sedimentary element (CTSE), located offshore northern Norway, and comprises the northernmost part of the Norwegian Sea margin at its transition to the West Barents Sea margin. We refine the late Paleozoic–early Cenozoic evolution of the margin with emphasis on the late Mesozoic–early Cenozoic rift phases, and we provide new and better-refined structural elements for the area. Distinct along-margin segmentation is evident and is imposed by transfer zones/systems that reflect the structural inheritance. These divide the study area into three main margin segments, namely the Lofoten, Vesterålen and Andøya segments, that are accounted for by observed along-margin tectonostratigraphic changes and are briefly viewed in a conjugate margin setting. Confirmed and potential plays within five main reservoir groups are also described and evaluated.

• Gernigon, Laurent; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Planke, Sverre; Manton, Ben; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Olesen, Odleiv [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). A digital compilation of structural and magmatic elements of the mid-Norwegian continental margin (Version 1.0). Norwegian Journal of Geology. ISSN 2387-5844. 101. doi: 10.17850/njg101-3-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A new generation of long-offset 2D seismic reflection lines, 2D-cubed seismic volumes, extensive 3D seismic surveys, high-resolution potential field data, and exploration wells has resulted in improved geological mapping of the Mid–Norwegian continental margin. Over the past decade, we have conducted an integrated seismic-gravity-magnetic interpretation of the entire volcanic rifted margin. This work has resulted in the reassessment and identification of several structural and magmatic elements. The elements have been classified and assembled in a regional and digital geological map compilation that documents both 1) the pre-breakup and 2) the syn-to post-breakup outlines of the volcanic rifted margin. The 1:1,000,000 digital compilation includes layers with structural elements defined at the Base Cretaceous, Base Paleogene and Mid–Miocene levels, as well as major detachment faults. The main sets of faults identified in the sedimentary basins were active during the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous–Paleocene rifting episodes before 2 2 the earliest Eocene continental breakup. In the oceanic province, magnetic anomaly chrons and oceanic fracture zones have been revised based on up-to-date aeromagnetic data. The syn-to post-breakup elements feature late Paleocene–early Eocene volcanic facies units, which were mapped using seismic volcanostratigraphy and igneous seismic geomorphology. We have further mapped the distribution of igneous sills and associated hydrothermal vent complexes, compressional domes, arches, slides and glacial depocentres. The project datasets include layers in standard GIS formats (e.g., shapefiles) as well as a ready-to-use QGIS project that includes embedded files, dedicated colour codes and standards. This open-source compilation is intended for exploration and academic purposes. The 1.0 version of this compilation will be periodically updated and revised depending on the availability of new data and scientific results.

• Cala, Juan Camilo Meza; Tsikalas, Filippos; Faleide, Jan Inge & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour (2021). New insights into the late Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the northern Lofoten-Vesterålen margin, offshore Norway. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 134. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2021.105370. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  2D multi-channel seismic profiles and a 3D seismic survey were utilised together with potential field and available well data to study the late Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the northern Lofoten-Vesterålen margin, offshore northern Norway. The analysis resulted in an updated structural and stratigraphic framework, together with new and better refined structural elements. Distinct along-margin basin segmentation is evident and is imposed by NW-SE trending curvilinear transfer zones informally named as the Jennegga transfer zone, Vesterålen transfer zone system, and Andøya transfer zone. These divide the study area into three main margin segments, namely the northern Lofoten, Vesterålen, and Andøya segments. Five main rift phases of varying intensity have been recognised and refined, and they are evidenced by eight mapped fault families: pre-Jurassic, Late Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous, Aptian-Albian, Albian-Cenomanian, three individual fault families within Late Cretaceous, and Paleocene. In addition, compressional deformation features are observed and related to volcanic build-up and doming of Cenozoic successions. Large parts of the study area are dominated by a prominent low-angle detachment fault complex informally named North Utrøst Ridge Fault Complex, and the study of the fault complex with the 3D seismic survey has brought forward new details into the composite Late Cretaceous-Paleocene rifting. A major component of the latter is low-angle detachment faulting that is also observed on the conjugate NE Greenland margin. This is a key evidence of conjugate, more ductile, mode of deformation at intermediate-to-deep crustal levels that consisted of lower- and upper-plate configurations and reflects a multiphase tectonic evolution. The study shows that the northern Lofoten-Vesterålen margin represents an essential area to study the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the NE Atlantic margins.

• Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Gernigon, Laurent; Gogin, Iakov; Planke, Sverre; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Polteau, Stephane [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). Regional structure and polyphased Cretaceous-Paleocene rift and basin development of the mid-Norwegian volcanic passive margin. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 115. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104269. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Polteau, Stephane (2020). The thermal maturity of sedimentary basins as revealed by magnetic mineralogy. Basin Research. ISSN 0950-091X. 32(6), p. 1510–1531. doi: 10.1111/bre.12439. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The thermal evolution of sedimentary basins is usually constrained by maturity data, which is interpreted from Rock-Eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance analytical results on field or boreholes samples. However, some thermal evolution models may be inaccurate due to the use of elevated maturities measured in samples collected within an undetected metamorphic contact aureole surrounding a magmatic intrusion. In this context, we investigate the maturity and magnetic mineralogy of 16 claystone samples from Disko-Svartenhuk Basin, part of the SE Baffin Bay volcanic margin. Samples were collected within thermal contact metamorphic aureoles near magma intrusions, as well as equivalent reference samples not affected by intrusions. Rock-Eval pyrolysis (Tmax), and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analysis were performed to assess the thermal maturity, which lies in the oil window when 435°C ≤ Tmax ≤ 470°C and 0.6%–0.7% ≤ Ro ≤ 1.3%. In addition, we performed low- (300K) investigations of isothermal remanent magnetization to assess the magnetic mineralogy of the selected samples. The maturity results (0.37% ≤ Ro ≤ 2%, 22°C ≤ Tmax ≤ 604°C) show a predominance of immature to early mature Type III organic matter, but do not reliably identify the contact aureole when compared to the reference samples. The magnetic assemblage of the immature samples consists of iron sulphide (greigite), goethite and oxidized or non-stoichiometric magnetite. The magnetic assemblage of the early mature to mature samples consists of stoichiometric magnetite and fine-grained pyrrhotite (

• Polteau, Stephane; Planke, Sverre; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina & Planke, Ellen Eckhoff [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). Upper cretaceous-paleogene stratigraphy and development of the Mímir High, Vøring transform margin, Norwegian Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology. ISSN 0264-8172. 122. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104717. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Transform margins represent strike-slip type of plate boundaries that form during continental breakup and initial ocean opening. They are often characterized by margin-parallel highs with exposed pre- and syn-rift sequences. The Vøring Transform Margin, offshore mid-Norway, initiated in the earliest Eocene during the opening of the NE Atlantic. Here, 2D seismic reflection data reveal a transform margin high, the Mímir High. The western flank of this undrilled structure is a kilometer-high escarpment where seismic reflections of pre-breakup age are truncated at the seafloor. The aim of this study was to recover seabed rock samples from the outcropping or shallowly buried sedimentary sequences to provide a geological tie to the regional seismic framework, thereby constraining the basin history and tectono-stratigraphic development. Seabed samples were successfully collected from 14 gravity core and Selcore stations and 10 ROV (remotely operated vehicle) sites along a 750 m high sampling profile, recovering clay, shales, sandstones and glacial dropstones. Biostratigraphy results revealed that the ages of the sedimentary rocks follow the stratigraphic order predicted by the initial seismic interpretation, with Upper Cretaceous sediments at the base and lower Eocene sediments at the top. The integrated interpretation shows that the Mímir High area, including parts of the outer Vøring and Møre basins and the proto-Jan Mayen Microplate Complex, were characterized by the deposition of late Campanian to early Maastrichtian, near coastal and shale-dominated sequences with poor source rock qualities. The early Paleocene samples indicate deep marine conditions that abruptly ended by rapid uplift of the Mímir High in the earliest Eocene. Finally, a reworked Pliensbachian palynomorph assemblage in potential early Eocene strata indicate the presence of exposed Mesozoic sequences in the vicinity of the Mímir High. We argue that some of the lower Eocene sediments where deposited within a hypothetical drainage system sourced from Greenland (Traill Ø or Jameson Land) and/or from the Jan Mayen Ridge prior to continental separation, and not the result of recent ice-rafting.

• Kjøll, Hans Jørgen; Andersen, Torgeir Bjørge; Corfu, Fernando; Labrousse, Loic; Tegner, Christian & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Timing of break-up and thermal evolution of a pre-Caledonian Neoproterozoic exhumed magma-rich rifted margin. Tectonics. ISSN 0278-7407. 38(6), p. 1843–1862. doi: 10.1029/2018TC005375. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the terminal stages of Wilson cycles, remnants of magma-poor margins may be incorporated into the orogens, whereas the magma-rich margins often are lost in subduction due to low buoyancy. The understanding of magma-rich margins is therefore mostly based on drill holes and geophysical observations. In this contribution, we explore the temporal evolution and the ambient conditions of a magma-rich rifted margin preserved within the Scandinavian Caledonides. The Scandinavian Dike Complex was emplaced into a sedimentary basin during the initial break-up and opening of the Iapetus Ocean 615 to 590 million years ago. The dike complex constitutes 70-90% of the magma-rich, syn-rift basins and is locally well-preserved despite the complex Caledonian history. This contribution provides new observations about the geometry, relative timing, and development of the margin. Jadeite-in-clinopyroxene geothermobarometry, titanium-in-biotite geothermometry, and garnet isopleth modeling show that the ambient pressure and temperature conditions were similar for the entire dike complex at 0.25 to 0.45 GPa, with contact metamorphic temperatures up to c. 700°C. In the northernmost part of the study area U-Pb dating of magmatic zircon shows that partial melting of the sedimentary host-rock, at relatively shallow levels, occurred at 612 Ma. This shows that the crust was molten already 6 million years before the northernmost dike swarm was emplaced at 605.7 ± 1.8 Ma. We propose that the locally pervasive partial melting occurred due to high geothermal gradients and introduction of mafic melt in the lower crust. These processes significantly reduced the strength of the crust, eventually facilitating continental break-up.

• Polteau, Stephane; Mazzini, Adriano; Hansen, Geir; Planke, Sverre; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Millett, John [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). The pre-breakup stratigraphy and petroleum system of the Southern Jan Mayen Ridge revealed by seafloor sampling. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 760, p. 152–164. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2018.04.016. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Jan Mayen Microplate Complex (JMMC) in the NE Atlantic is interpreted to mostly consist of continental fragments with possible interstitial embryonic oceanic crust. A complex Cenozoic rifting history accompanied by extensive extrusive and intrusive volcanism have made the geological characterization of the JMMC challenging especially due to poor seismic imaging beneath the breakup basalt succession. The presence of continental crust in the JMMC is inferred by seismic and magnetic data, but ground truthing evidence have yet to be provided. Here, we present the results from a seafloor sampling campaign undertaken in 2011 on the Southern Jan Mayen Ridge complex. Seabed samples were recovered using a gravity corer and a dredge along a 1000 m high escarpment with a 19° slope. Sampling locations were selected based on the interpretation of seismic profiles that suggest the presence of possible pre-breakup successions outcropping along this steep escarpment. Results include a sequence of samples with age diagnostic palynomorph assemblages ranging from Permian/Triassic to Eocene, and including igneous samples related to the Early Eocene breakup volcanism. Importantly, the samples were retrieved from hard substrate in an erosional gully lacking overburden sediments and have ages arranged in younging upward sequential order, supporting their near in-situ position. The sampling results were integrated into a lithostratigraphic pseudo-well that can be used to constrain the evolution and breakup of the JMMC. Additionally, evidence for active migration of Jurassic sourced hydrocarbons comprise the first indication of a working hydrocarbon system, with important implications for the petroleum prospectivity of the Dreki area. Finally, these results confirm that the Southern Jan Mayen Ridge is indeed a sliver of continental crust.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Polteau, Stephane; Hartz, Ebbe Hvidegård; Faleide, Jan Inge & Tegner, Christian [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Breakup volcanism and plate tectonics in the NW Atlantic. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 760, p. 267–296. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2018.08.002. Full text in Research Archive
• Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Gernigon, Laurent; Gogin, I; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre & Faleide, Jan Inge [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Cretaceous-Paleocene Evolution and Crustal Structure of the Northern V?ring Margin (Offshore Mid-Norway): Results from Integrated Geological and Geophysical Study. Tectonics. ISSN 0278-7407. 37(2), p. 497–528. doi: 10.1002/2017TC004655. Full text in Research Archive
• Corseri, Romain; Senger, Kim; Selway, Katherine; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre & Jerram, Dougal Alexander (2017). Magnetotelluric evidence for massive sulphide mineralization in intruded sediments of the outer Vøring Basin, mid-Norway. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 706-707, p. 196–205. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2017.04.011. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A highly conductive body (0.1–0.8 Ω·m) is identified at mid-crustal depth (8–13 km) in the north Gjallar Ridge from magnetotelluric (MT) data and further investigated in light of other remote-sensing geophysical data (seismic reflection, gravity, aeromagnetic). A commercial 3D controlled-source electromagnetic survey was conducted in the Vøring Basin in 2014 and, although primarily designed for hydrocarbon exploration, good quality MT data were extracted at periods ranging from 100 to 103 s. Dimensionality analysis indicates clear 1D to 2D characteristics in the MT data. 2D inversion was carried out on four profiles (totalling ~ 94 km) oriented perpendicular to the electromagnetic strike and one profile along strike (~ 45 km), using a 1D subset of the data. All inversions converged quickly to RMS values close to unity and display a very good agreement with borehole resistivity data from well 6705/10-1 located in the survey area. A striking feature on all profiles is a highly conductive (0.1–0.8 Ω·m) body at 8–13 km depth. To explain the prominent conductive anomaly, integration of geophysical data favours the hypothesis of electrical conduction across well-connected mineral network in pre-Cretaceous sediments. Seismic interpretation suggests a link between the conductor and intruded sedimentary successions below a detachment level and associated low-angle faults. In the Vøring Basin, low magnetic signal and temperature at the conductor's depth indicate that such thick mineral deposits could display non-magnetic behaviour while occurring well below the magnetite Curie isotherm (~ 585 °C). Natural occurrences and magnetic properties of common iron-sulphide minerals favour a geological interpretation of mid-crustal conductivity as thick pyrrhotite deposits formed in intrusion's contact metamorphic aureoles. Corseri, Romain, et al. "Magnetotelluric evidence for massive sulphide mineralization in intruded sediments of the outer Vøring Basin, mid-Norway." Tectonophysics 706 (2017): 196-205. © 2017. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

• Planke, Sverre; Millett, John M; Maharjan, Dwarika; Jerram, Dougal Alexander; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Groth, Audun [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2017). Igneous seismic geomorphology of buried lava fields and coastal escarpments on the Vøring volcanic rifted margin. Interpretation. ISSN 2324-8858. 5(3), p. SK161–SK177. doi: 10.1190/INT-2016-0164.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Voluminous igneous complexes are commonly present in sedimentary basins on volcanic rifted margins, and they represent a challenge for petroleum explorationists. A 2500 km2 industry-standard 3D seismic cube has recently been acquired on the Vøring Marginal High offshore mid-Norway to image subbasalt sedimentary rocks. This cube also provides a unique opportunity for imaging top- and intrabasalt structures. Detailed seismic geomorphological interpretation of the top-basalt horizon, locally calibrated with high-resolution P-Cable wide-azimuth data, reveals new insight into the late-stage development of the volcanic flow fields and the kilometer-high coastal Vøring Escarpment. Subaerial lava flows with compressional ridges and inflated lava lobes cover the marginal high, with a comparable structure and size to modern subaerial lava fields. Pitted surfaces, likely formed by lava emplaced in a wet environment, are present in the western part of the study area near the continent-ocean boundary. The prominent Vøring Escarpment formed when eastward-flowing lava reached the coastline. The escarpment morphology is influenced by preexisting structural highs, and these highs are locally bypassed by the lava. Volcanogenic debris flows are well-imaged on the escarpment horizon, along with large-scale large slump blocks. Similar features exist in active volcanic environments, e.g., on the south coast of Hawaii. Numerous postvolcanic extensional faults and incised channels cut into the marginal high and the escarpment, and we found that the area was geologically active after the volcanism ceased. In summary, igneous seismic geomorphology and seismic volcanostratigraphy are two very powerful methods to understand the volcanic deposits and development of rifted margins. Our study demonstrates great promise for further understanding the igneous development of offshore basins as more high-quality 3D seismic data become available. Redistribution subject to SEG license or copyright; see Terms of Use at http://library.seg.org/

• Geissler, Wolfram H.; Gaina, Carmen; Hopper, John R.; Funck, Thomas; Blischke, Anett & Árting, Uni Egholm [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2017). Seismic volcanostratigraphy of the NE Greenland continental margin. Geological Society Special Publication. ISSN 0305-8719. 447, p. 149–170. doi: 10.1144/SP447.11. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Early Eocene continental break-up between the NE Greenland and the mid-Norwegian–SW Barents Sea margins was associated with voluminous magmatism and led to the emplacement of massive volcanic complexes including wedges of seawards-dipping reflections (SDR). We study the distribution of these break-up-related volcanic rocks along the NE Greenland margin by revisiting existing seismic reflection data and comparing our observations to better-studied segments of the conjugate margin. Seismic facies types match between the conjugate margins and show strong lateral variations. Seaward-dipping wedges are mapped offshore East Greenland, the conjugate to the Vøring continental margin. The geophysical signature of the SDRs becomes less visible towards the north, as it does along the conjugate Lofoten–Vesterålen margin. We suggest that the Traill Ø volcanic ridge is a result of plume–ridge interactions formed between approximately 54 and 47 Ma. North of the East Greenland Ridge, strong basement reflections conjugate to the Vestbakken Volcanic Province are interpreted as lava flows or ‘spurious’ SDRs. We discuss our findings in conjunction with results from seismic wide-angle experiments, gravity and magnetic data. We focus on the spatial and temporal relationships of the break-up volcanic rocks, and their structural setting in a late rift and initial oceanic drift stage.

• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Gernigon, Laurent; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry & Shephard, Grace [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). The T-Reflection and the Deep Crustal Structure of the Vøring Margin, Offshore mid-Norway. Tectonics. ISSN 0278-7407. 36(11), p. 2497–2523. doi: 10.1002/2017TC004617. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Seismic reflection data along volcanic passive margins frequently provide imaging of strong and laterally continuous reflections in the middle and lower crust. We have completed a detailed 2‐D seismic interpretation of the deep crustal structure of the Vøring Margin, offshore mid‐Norway, where high‐quality seismic data allow the identification of high‐amplitude reflections, locally referred to as the T‐Reflection. Using a dense seismic grid, we have mapped the geometry of the T‐Reflection in order to compare it with filtered Bouguer gravity anomalies and seismic refraction data. The T‐Reflection is identified between 7 and 10 s. Sometimes it consists of one single smooth reflection. However, it is frequently associated with a set of rough multiple reflections displaying discontinuous segments with varying geometries, amplitudes, and contact relationships. The T‐Reflection seems to be connected to deep sill networks and is locally identified at the continuation of basement high structures or terminates over fractures and faults. The T‐Reflection presents a low magnetic signal. The spatial correlation between the filtered positive Bouguer gravity anomalies and the deep dome‐shaped reflections indicates that the latter represent a high‐impedance boundary contrast associated with a high‐density and high‐velocity body. In ~50% of the outer Vøring Margin, the depth of the mapped T‐Reflection is found to correspond to the depth of the top of the Lower Crustal Body (LCB), which is characterized by high P wave velocities (>7 km/s). We present a tectonic scenario, where a large part of the deep crustal structure is composed of preserved upper continental crustal blocks and middle to lower crustal lenses of inherited high‐grade metamorphic rocks. Deep intrusions into the faulted crustal blocks are responsible for the rough character of the T‐Reflection, whereas intrusions into the ductile lower crust and detachment faults are likely responsible for its smoother character. Deep magma intrusions can be responsible for regional metamorphic processes leading to an increasing velocity of the lower crust to more than 7 km/s. The result is a heterogeneous LCB that likely represents a complex mixture of pre‐ to syn‐breakup mafic and ultramafic rocks (cumulates and sills) and old metamorphic rocks such as granulites and eclogites. An increasing degree of melting toward the breakup axis is responsible for an increasing proportion of cumulates and sill intrusions in the lower crust. ©2017. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

• Theissen-Krah, Sonja; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Schmid, Daniel Walter; Faleide, Jan Inge & Gernigon, Laurent (2017). Tectonic evolution and extension at the Møre Margin – Offshore mid-Norway. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 721, p. 227–238. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2017.09.009. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge; Jerram, Dougal Alexander; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii & Eide, Sigurd [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). The development of volcanic sequences at rifted margins: New insights from the structure and morphology of the Vøring Escarpment, mid-Norwegian Margin. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Solid Earth. ISSN 2169-9313. 121(7), p. 5212–5236. doi: 10.1002/2015JB012788. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Bulois, Cedric; Mourgues, Regis; Galland, Olivier; Legland, Jean-Baptiste & Gruber, C (2016). Description of new dry granular materials of variable cohesion and friction coefficient: implications for laboratory modelling of the brittle crust. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 684, p. 39–51. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2016.03.003. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Meyer, Romain; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge; Gernigon, Laurent & Frieling, J [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2016). Pre-breakup magmatism on the Vøring margin: Insight from new sub-basalt imaging and results from Ocean Drilling program hole 642E. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 675, p. 258–274. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2016.02.037. Full text in Research Archive
• Said, Aymen; Moder, Christoph; Clarck, Stuart & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour (2015). Sedimentary budgets of the Tanzania coastal basin and implications for uplift history of the East African rift system. Journal of African Earth Sciences. ISSN 0899-5362. 111, p. 288–295. doi: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.08.012. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Andersen, Torgeir Bjørge; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge; Corfu, Fernando & Tegner, Christian [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2015). The ocean-continent transition in the mid-Norwegian margin: Insight from seismic data and an onshore Caledonian field analogue. Geology. ISSN 0091-7613. 43(11), p. 1011–1014. doi: 10.1130/G37086.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ABSTRACT Understanding the structure of the ocean-continent transition (OCT) in passive margins is greatly enhanced by comparison with onshore analogues. The North Atlantic margins and the “fossil” system in the Scandinavian Caledonides show variations along strike between magma-rich and magma-poor margins, but are different in terms of exposure and degree of maturity. They both display the early stages of the Wilson cycle. Seismic reflection data from the mid-Norwegian margin combined with results from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 104 drill core 642E allow for improved subbasalt imaging of the OCT. Below the Seaward- Dipping Reflector (SDR) sequences, vertical and inclined reflections are interpreted as dike feeder systems. High-amplitude reflections with abrupt termination and saucer-shaped ge- ometries are interpreted as sill intrusions, implying the presence of sediments in the transi- tion zone beneath the volcanic sequences. The transitional crust located below the SDR of the mid-Norwegian margin has a well-exposed analogue in the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC). At Sarek (Sweden), hornfelsed sediments are truncated by mafic dike swarms with densi- ties of 70%–80% or more. The magmatic domain extends for at least 800 km along the Caledonides, and probably reached the size of a large igneous province. It developed at ca. 600 Ma on the margin of the Iapetus Ocean, and was probably linked to the magma-poor hyperextended segment in the southern Scandinavian Caledonides. These parts of the SNC represent an onshore analogue to the deeper level of the mid-Norwegian margin, permitting direct observation and sampling and providing an improved understanding, particularly of the deeper levels, of present-day magma-rich margins.

• Bureau, Denis; Mourgues, Regis; Cartwright, Joe; Foschi, M & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour (2013). Characterisation of interactions between a pre-existing polygonal fault system and sandstone intrusions and the determination of paleo-stresses in the Faroe-Shetland basin. Journal of Structural Geology. ISSN 0191-8141. 46, p. 186–199. doi: 10.1016/j.jsg.2012.09.003. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Geoffroy, L; Angelier, J; Bonin, B; Callot, J.P. & Gelard, J.P [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2012). Stress fields acting during lithosphere breakup above a melting mantle: A case example in West Greenland. Tectonophysics. ISSN 0040-1951. 581, p. 132–143. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2011.11.020. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Aubourg, C; Geoffroy, L & Laggoun-Deffarge, F (2012). A new oil-window indicator? The magnetic assemblage of claystones from the Baffin Bay volcanic margin. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin. ISSN 0149-1423. 96(2), p. 205–215. doi: 10.1306/07121111008. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Mourgues, R; Galland, Olivier & Bureau, D. (2012). Fracture mode analysis and related surface deformation during dyke intrusion: Results from 2D experimental modelling. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 359, p. 93–105. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2012.10.008. Full text in Research Archive

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• Polteau, Stephane; Smalley, P. Craig; Devegowda, Vani; Millett, John; Rosenqvist, Marija Plahter & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Well-connected basalt sequences as potential reservoirs for large-scale carbon sequestration revealed by strontium isotopes. doi: https:/www.egu26.eu/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Basalt complexes can cover hundreds to thousands of km2 and be several km thick; with an estimated global capacity of 40 Tt for carbon storage, they represent a solution for the large-scale injection of CO2 to reach the 2050 emission targets. However, the hydraulic conductivity of basalt sequences is difficult to predict because it has never been the focus in basalt research. In this contribution, we evaluate for the first time the vertical fluid connectivity of a basalt sequence using the Sr isotope composition of pore waters, sampled using the strontium residual salt analysis (SrRSA) method. Thirty seven samples were collected in the U1571A borehole (IODP Expedition 396 on the Skoll High, offshore Mid-Norway). Sampling of the well targeted the most representative lithologies in the core, and hence included vesicular and tight basalt. The SrRSA method measures the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in the salt residue that precipitated in the pores of core samples after the pore water evaporated, and the value measured in the laboratory should accurately reflect that of the in situ pore water. However, since the well was drilled using seawater with barite and sepiolite additives, each sample was washed in de-ionized water to reduce potential contamination. The samples were subsequently dried, crushed, the salts were leached, the leachate filtered, and the strontium analyzed using a MC-ICPS. The results show that the Sr concentrations are very low: 1-35 ppb in vesicular basalt samples and up to 2 ppb in tight basalt samples. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of the vesicular basalt varies little away from the average value of 0.7085, while the values of tight basalts show more variability with an average of 0.7093. The SrRSA pattern vs. depth for the vesicular basalt samples is smooth, indicating limited contamination from drilling fluids, and further suggesting a good vertical connectivity. On the other hand, the pattern of the tight basalts is shifted towards heavier values similar to modern seawater, suggesting the SrRSA for these samples to be contaminated by the drilling fluids. In addition to the residual salts, we are currently analyzing the 87Sr/86Sr in carbonate vesicles and in basalt, which together represent the three main reservoirs of strontium in the samples. These additional results should help us constrain the source of the strontium in the pore system (i.e.: external, flowing or diffusing through the sequence). These results further show that the fluid connectivity of basalt sequences can be characterized using the SrRSA method by focusing the analyses on vesicular basalt samples. Finaly, this study will provide additional constrains to follow-up numerical models simulating the injectivity and capacity of intra- and inter-basalt reservoir units.

• Polteau, Stephane; Smalley, P. Craig; Devegowda, Vani; Johansen, Ingar; Millett, John & Rosenqvist, Marija Plahter [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Fluid connectivity and evolution of pore water in breakup basalt offshore mid-Norway with implications for CO2 storage. doi: https:/ngwm2026.fi/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Basalt complexes can cover thousands of square kilometres and be several kilometres thick. With an estimated global carbon storage capacity of 40 Tt they represent a possible solution to reach the 2050 emission targets. However, the injection of gigatons of CO2 into basaltic formations requires a thick reservoir system lacking barriers to lateral fluid flow for the CO2 to dissipate away from injection points. In this contribution, we evaluate for the first time the vertical fluid connectivity of a basalt sequence using the Sr isotope composition of pore waters, sampled using the strontium residual salt analysis (SrRSA) method. Thirty-seven samples were collected in the U1571A borehole (IODP Expedition 396 on the Skoll High, offshore mid-Norway). Sampling of the well targeted the most representative lithologies and hence included vesicular basalt and massive flow interiors. The SrRSA method measures the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in the salt residue that precipitated in the pores of core samples after the pore water evaporated, and the value measured in the laboratory should accurately reflect that of the in-situ pore water. In addition to present-day pore water from the residual salts, the 87Sr/86Sr of past water compositions were reconstructed from carbonate cements of different ages. We reveal smooth and uninterrupted trends in strontium isotopes through a 100 m thick basalt section indicating a common fluid reservoir unaffected by the low-permeability massive lava flow interiors. The data further indicate that the unconsolidated overburden sediments act as a good seal preventing seawater to mix with in situ porewater and may prevent CO2 leakage to the surface for buoyant supercritical CO2 injection scenarios. This study supports the premise that basaltic sequences form viable targets for CO2 storage and suggests that fractures may bypass low-permeability units to create a well-connected reservoir system. Finally, the 87Sr/86Sr method is demonstrably useful in basalts, and warrants being included routinely in evaluating thick basalt sequences for large-scale CO2 storage.

• Polteau, Stephane; Smalley, P. Craig; Devegowda, Vani N.; Johansen, Ingar; Millett, John & Rosenqvist, Marija Plahter [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Fluid connectivity and evolution of pore water in breakup basalt offshore mid-Norway with implications for CO2 storage. doi: https:/ngwm2026.fi/conference-programme. Full text in Research Archive
• Planke, Sverre; Bünz, Stefan; Berndt, Christian; Zarikian, Carlos A. Alvarez; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina N. & Stokke, Henrik Henriksen [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2025). The Ocean-Continent Transition of the Northern Vøring Margin from New High-Resolution 2D Seismic and IODP Expedition 396 Data. Full text in Research Archive
• Bünz, Stefan; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina N.; Stokke, Henrik Henriksen & Binde, Cornelia Mentzoni [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2025). High-resolution 3D seismic imaging of Northeast Atlantic volcanic break‐up processes. doi: https:/www.geologi.no/konferanser/vinterkonferanser/abstracts/file/298-abst-vk25. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the NE Atlantic breakup in the Paleogene, extensive magmatic activity resulted in the formation of approximately 6–10 Mkm3 of extrusive basaltic deposits and intrusion of magma into sedimentary basins. This magmatism, along with the degassing and explosive release of thermo‐ genic gases due to contact metamorphism, has been linked to the onset of the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; 56 Ma). During IODP Expedition 396, 21 boreholes were drilled at 10 sites across five geological settings on the mid‐ Norwegian Margin. These sites sampled diverse igneous and sedimentary environments, including lava flow fields, hydrothermal vent complexes (HTVCs), and thick Paleogene strata. In addition, UiT The Arctic University of Norway conducted three research expeditions in 2020, 2022 and 2024 to acquire high‐resolution 2D/3D seismic and multibeam data in order to tie IODP borehole sites together and to regional geology. This presentation focusses on the two high‐resolution 3D seismic surveys, one of which that was repeated during the 2024 expedition to study repeatability effects in basalts. A high‐resolution P‐Cable 3D seismic cube (10 by 2.4 km, 6.25x6.25 m bin size) was collected over the Modgunn Arch (Sites U1567 and U1568), where we have identified a shallowly buried HTVC, known as the Modgunn Vent, and associated sill intrusions. Contact metamorphism of sedimentary rocks generates volatile compounds, generating an overpressure that leads to fracturing of the overlying sediments. As the hot fluids and gases escape through the fractures, they reach the sea‐ floor and create HTVCs. These complexes consist of a large crater structure that is subsequently filled in by sediments some of which may result from erupted material. The vent fill may be alter‐ ed by fluid migration and/or tectonic stress leading to folding and doming. Another high‐resolution 3D seismic survey (10.3 x 1.8 km, 6.25x6.25 m bin size) was conducted on the Skoll High at the northern Vøring margin (Sites U1571 and U1572). The 3D seismic data images the top basalt showing the volcanic paleo‐land‐ scape in unprecedented details. A faulted and eroded lava horizon is observed in the southeast‐ ern cube at 150–250 m depth. In contrast, the northwestern cube shows a pitted surface with lobate structures and linear ridges. These features are interpreted as rootless cones, volcanic craters formed by explosive interactions between lava flows and water‐saturated sediments. This study showcases the exceptional level of detail achievable through high‐resolution 3D seis‐ mic data acquisition of hydrothermal vent complexes and buried volcanic landscapes, offering new opportunities for unique insights in the Northeast Atlantic break‐up processes and beyond

• Shephard, Grace; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge; Clennett, Edward; Gac, Sebastien & Zahirovic, Sabin [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). A basin-to-plate deformable plate framework to capture the multi-phase rifting of the Northeast Atlantic. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2025). Mimir High Core-log-seismic Integration. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 24 contributors for this article] (2024). PALMAR – Paleogene Basin Development on the Vøring and Møre Margins. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 24 contributors for this article] (2024). IODP Exp. 396 Drilling and High-Resolution 3D Seismic on the Mimir High. Full text in Research Archive
• Shephard, Grace; Faleide, Jan Inge; Gaina, Carmen; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Gac, Sebastien & Torsvik, Trond Helge (2022). Building deformable plate models for the Northeast Atlantic. Full text in Research Archive
• Lasabuda, Amando P. E.; Hanssen, Alfred; Laberg, Jan Sverre; Rydningen, Tom Arne; Patton, Henry & Faleide, Jan Inge [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Underexplored continental shelf gateways: timing, mechanisms and role of SW Barents Sea Gateway, Norwegian Arctic. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ocean gateways connecting ocean basins are crucial for water and heat circulation, which influence global temperature, climate evolution and sediment distribution. While deep-water gateways have been a major research focus by the community, very little attention has been drawn to shallower gateways located on the continental shelves, where such circulation also takes place. In this study, we investigate the evolution of a shallow gateway in SW Barents Sea that presently connects NE Atlantic and Arctic oceans. This gateway contributes to about half of the Atlantic–Arctic water exchange, whereas the other half is occurring through the deeper Fram Strait Gateway. When and how this SW Barents Sea Gateway formed are debated and still poorly understood. Outcomes from this study will thus be relevant for regional and global models of ocean circulation. Moreover, this study will contribute to climate evolution models over longer timescale in a climate sensitive region where an Arctic amplification of warming is presently seen.

• Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Gernigon, Laurent; Gogin, I; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge & Manton, Ben [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Cretaceous-Paleocene tectonostratigraphic development of the Møre and Vøring basins, offshore Mid-Norway. NGF Abstracts and Proceedings of the Geological Society of Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Gernigon, Laurent; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge & Myklebust, Reidun (2019). A new structural and magmatic elements map of the mid-Norwegian margin. NGF Abstracts and Proceedings of the Geological Society of Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Shephard, Grace; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Gaina, Carmen; Faleide, Jan Inge; Torsvik, Trond Helge & Jackson, Ruth [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). A Greenland centered puzzle: Updated plate reconstructions of the North Atlantic and Arctic. Full text in Research Archive
• Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Shephard, Grace; Torsvik, Trond Helge; Gaina, Carmen & Tsikalas, Filippos [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2017). Quantification and restoration of pre-drift extension across NE Atlantic conjugate margins. Full text in Research Archive
• Geissler, Wolfram; Gaina, Carmen; Hopper, John R.; Funck, Thomas; Blischke, A & Árting, Uni [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2017). Seismic volcanostratigraphy of the NE Greenland continental margin. In Peron-Pinvidic, Gwenn; Hopper, John R.; Stoker, Martyn; Gaina, Carmen; Doornebal, Hans; Funck, Thomas & Árting, Uni (Ed.), The NE Atlantic region: A reappraisal of crustal structure, tectono-stratigraphy and magmatic evolution. Geological Society of London. ISSN 9781786202789. p. 149–170. doi: 10.1144/SP447.11. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Early Eocene continental break-up between the NE Greenland and the mid-Norwegian–SW Barents Sea margins was associated with voluminous magmatism and led to the emplacement of massive volcanic complexes including wedges of seawards-dipping reflections (SDR). We study the distribution of these break-up-related volcanic rocks along the NE Greenland margin by revisiting existing seismic reflection data and comparing our observations to better-studied segments of the conjugate margin. Seismic facies types match between the conjugate margins and show strong lateral variations. Seaward-dipping wedges are mapped offshore East Greenland, the conjugate to the Vøring continental margin. The geophysical signature of the SDRs becomes less visible towards the north, as it does along the conjugate Lofoten–Vesterålen margin. We suggest that the Traill Ø volcanic ridge is a result of plume–ridge interactions formed between approximately 54 and 47 Ma. North of the East Greenland Ridge, strong basement reflections conjugate to the Vestbakken Volcanic Province are interpreted as lava flows or ‘spurious’ SDRs. We discuss our findings in conjunction with results from seismic wide-angle experiments, gravity and magnetic data. We focus on the spatial and temporal relationships of the break-up volcanic rocks, and their structural setting in a late rift and initial oceanic drift stage.

• Planke, Sverre; Millett, John M; Maharjan, Dwarika; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour (2017). 3D seismic imaging of voluminous earliest Eocene buried lava fields and coastal escarpments off mid-Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersen, Torgeir Bjørge; Jakob, Johannes; Kjøll, Hans Jørgen; Corfu, Fernando; Tegner, Christian & Mohn, Geoffroy [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2017). The Magma-poor and Magma-rich settings; the onshore perspective: The Caledonian case. Full text in Research Archive
• Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Wong, P.W. & Shephard, Grace [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2016). Basin architecture and evolution at NE Atlantic conjugate margins. Full text in Research Archive
• Galland, Olivier; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Leanza, Hector Armando; Mourgues, Regis; Planke, Sverre & Scheibert, Julien [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). Mechanics of Igneous Intrusion Emplacement and implications for Sedimentary Basins. Full text in Research Archive
• Galland, Olivier; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Spacapan, Juán; Mourgues, Regis; Leanza, Hector Armando & Planke, Sverre (2016). Are igneous sheet intrusions really mode I elastic fractures? Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Bulois, Cedric; Mourgues, Regis; Galland, Olivier; Legland, Jean-Baptiste & Gruber, C (2016). Description of new dry granular materials of variable cohesion and friction coefficient: implications for laboratory modelling of the brittle crust. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Andersen, Torgeir Bjørge; Faleide, Jan Inge; Corfu, Fernando & Tegner, Christian [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). The Continent-Ocean Transition in the Mid-Norwegian Margin: Insight From Seismic Data and the Onshore Caledonian Analogue in the Seve Nappe Complex. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The continental breakup and initial seafloor spreading in the NE Atlantic was accompanied by widespread intrusive and extrusive magmatism and the formation of conjugate volcanic passive margins. These margins are characterized by the presence of seaward dipping reflectors (SDR), an intense network of mafic sheet intrusions of the continental crust and adjacent sedimentary basins and a high-velocity lower crustal body. Nevertheless many issues remain unclear regarding the structure of volcanic passive margins; in particular the transitional crust located beneath the SDR.New and reprocessed seismic reflection data on the Mid-Norwegian margin allow a better sub-basalt imaging of the transitional crust located beneath the SDR. Different high-amplitude reflections with abrupt termination and saucer shaped geometries are identified and interpreted as sill intrusions. Other near vertical and inclined reflections are interpreted as dykes or dyke swarms. We have mapped the extent of the dyke reflections along the volcanic margin. The mapping suggests that the dykes represent the main feeder system for the SDR. The identification of saucer shaped sills implies the presence of sediments in the transitional zone beneath the volcanic sequences. Onshore exposures of Precambrian basement of the eroded volcanic margin in East Greenland show that, locally, the transitional crust is highly intruded by dykes and intrusive complexes with an increasing intensity of the plumbing and dilatation of the continental crust ocean-ward. Another well exposed analogue for a continent-ocean transitional crust is located within the Seve Nappe Complex (SNC) of the Scandinavian Caledonides. The best-preserved parts of SNC in the Pårte, Sarek, Kebnekaise, Abisko, and Indre Troms mountains are composed mainly of meta-sandstones and shales (now hornfelses) truncated typically by mafic dykes. At Sarek and Pårte, the dykes intrude the sedimentary rocks of the Favoritkammen Group, with a dyke density up to 70-80%. This complex was photographed in a regional helicopter survey and sampled for the study of the different dyke generations, their geochemistry and ages in 2014. Extending for at least 800 km within the SNC, the mafic igneous rocks most probably belonged to a volcanic system with the size of a large igneous province (LIP). This volcanic margin is suggested to have formed along the Caledonian margin of Baltica or within hyperextended continental slivers outboard of Baltica during the breakup of Rodinia. The intensity of the pre-Caledonian LIP-magmatism is comparable to that of the NE Atlantic volcanic margins. The SNC-LIP is considered to represent a potential onshore analogue to the deeper level of the Mid-Norwegian margin transitional crust, and permits direct observation, sampling and better understanding of deeper levels of magma-rich margins.

• Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Faleide, Jan Inge; Theissen-Krah, Sonja; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour & Planke, Sverre (2014). Structure and tectonic evolution of the Vøring Margin. Full text in Research Archive
• Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii; Faleide, Jan Inge; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Theissen-Krah, Sonja & Planke, Sverre (2014). Structure and tectonic development of the Vøring Basin (off-Norway): regional overview and new data. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Theissen-Krah, Sonja; Zastrozhnov, Dmitrii & Breivik, Asbjørn Johan [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2014). Breakup magmatism style on the North Atlantic Igneous Province: insight from Mid-Norwegian volcanic margin. Full text in Research Archive
• Sassier, Caroline; Jarsve, Erlend Morisbak; Heeremans, Michel; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge & Gabrielsen, Roy (2014). Salt distribution in the Norwegian-Danish Basin, Central North Sea. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Meyer, Romain & Faleide, Jan Inge (2014). Breakup Magmatism on the Vøring Margin: Insights from Sub-Basalt Imaging and Ocean Drilling Program Hole 642E. Full text in Research Archive
• Faleide, Jan Inge; Breivik, Asbjørn Johan; Blaich, Olav A.; Tsikalas, Filippos; Planke, Sverre & Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2014). Structure and degree of magmatism of North and South Atlantic rifted margins. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Geoffroy, Laurent; Aubourg, Charles & Planke, Sverre (2013). Structural and thermal evolution of the SE-Baffin Bay margin: insight from the West Greenland area. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Breivik, Asbjørn Johan; Gernigon, Laurent & Myklebust, Reidun (2013). Magmatism and break-up on the NE Atlantic: the nature and influence of the lower crustal body on margin structure. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Myklebust, Reidun; Horni, J & Faleide, Jan Inge (2013). Seismic volcanostratigraphy of the North Atlantic Igneous Province: New mapping of volcanic facies units. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Mourgues, Regis; Galland, Olivier & Bulois, Cedric (2013). 2D experiments of shallow intrusions propagation in brittle materials. Full text in Research Archive
• Faleide, Jan Inge; Planke, Sverre; Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Theissen-Krah, Sonja; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry & Tsikalas, Filipos [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2013). Structure and evolution of the NE Atlantic conjugate margins off Norway and Greenland. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Planke, Sverre; Faleide, Jan Inge; Myklebust, Reidun; Gernigon, Laurent & Horni, J [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2013). Breakup magmatism on the North Atlantic Igneous Province: what could we learn about the extension/breakup processes from the Norwegian Margin? Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Geoffroy, Laurent & Aubourg, Charles (2011). From sedimentary basin to a volcanic passive margin: a comparison between West Greenland and Vøring passive margin. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Geoffroy, L. & Angelier, Jacques (2011). Stress field and plate break up over a thermal anomaly: the west Greenland and the Blosseville Kyst (East Greenland) case examples. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour (2007). Cretaceous/Tertiary sedimentary, volcanic and tectonic evolution of the Central West Greenland volcanic passive margin: the Nuussuaq Svartenhuk Basin case exemple. Full text in Research Archive
• Abdelmalak, Mohamed Mansour; Leroy, M.; Gelard, J.P; Aite, R & Geoffroy, L (2007). Full 3D structure, tectonic development and modelling of the Svartenhuk inner-SDR wedge (Greenland): a model to explain syn-magmatic break-up in the NE-Atlantic. Full text in Research Archive
• Bünz, Stefan; Stokke, Henrik Henriksen; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina; Sokolkova, Elisaveta; Rohde, Lea & Nygaard, Madeleine Skov [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2026). UiT-IG24-8 Cruise Report Leg 1 High-resolution 2D and 3D seismic investigations on the Vøring Margin. UiT Norges arktiske universitet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This document reports on the acquisition and processing of the seismic, subbottom-profiling and multibeam data acquired during a cruise with UiT the Arctic University of Norway’s research vessel RV Helmer Hansen from 30th July to 15th August 2024. This expedition targeted areas in the northern half of the Vøring Basin and its margin towards the Lofoten Basin, where IODP Expedition 396 drilled at four sites in 2021 (Planke et al., 2023). In addition, we acquired multibeam and water-column data on an extended transit to Ålesund that covered several suspected fluid seepage sites. The seismic acquisition was conducted under the framework of cruise UiT-IG24-8 and NFR funded projects Paleogene Basin Development on the Vøring and Møre Margins (PALMAR, project number 336293) and Permanent sequestration of gigatons of CO2 in continental margin basalt deposits (PERBAS, project number 340832)

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