During cruise BGR79 from 29th June to 3rd September 1979 the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) carried out marine seismic reflection surveys in the three separate areas of the North Atlantic Ocean (Norwegian Sea, Scotian Basin, and U.S. East Coast Area) with S.V. EXPLORA. Simultaneously gravity, magnetic and reflection seismic data were recorded on parts of the lines. In addition, 66 sono-buoys were deployed for seismic refraction data recording on various seismic lines in all three areas. A detailed survey in the Norwegian Sea took place in the time from 29th June to 15th July, 1979 between the southern Vøring Plateau, the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone, the Møre Basin and the Faeroe-Shetland escarpment during leg 1 of cruise BGR79. The data showed that the Møre Basin contains a small sub-basin in the western part, the West-Shetland Basin. Further seaward, an outer high as well as a zone of intrusions were imaged.
The MSM67 SEGMENT research cruise was carried out between August 31st and October 4th 2017 aboard the research vessel MARIA S. MERIAN. Survey MSM67 SEGMENT it is intended to study the architecture of the rifted continental margin off East Greenland around the Jan Mayen fracture zone. Key issues to be addressed are margin segmentation and the location of the continent-ocean transition (COT). Both subjects are highly debated. Symmetric segmentation of conjugate margins has significant implications on our general understanding of continental rifting processes, and a margin-parallel COT off East Greenland would indicate an N-S opening in the Norwegian/Greenland Sea. The latter challenging most publications on the early evolution of the North Atlantic. A major open question is also the timing, duration and distribution of magmatism that resulted in the formation of the North Atlantic large igneous province. Previous suggestions of very short (~3 Myr) periods of intense magmatism have been challenged and a much longer duration and/or a post-breakup origin are under discussion. Here, we want to establish the amount of post-breakup magmatism as evident in high-velocity lower crust and test the dependence of magmatism with distance from the proposed hot-spot under Iceland and the influence of major fracture zones on volcanism.