Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1996, Page 124

128 IMAGING of basalt and underlying structures in the faroese offshore area
ment is also of assistance: if deep structures
are clearly visible, than volcanic presence
is thin. These affects are particularly appar-
ent in the area of the Faroe-Shetland Chan-
nel and the adjacent Faroese volcanic plat-
form, where the basalt cover thins (Fig. 3),
interfingers, then vanishes towards the
basin axis.
In the Faroe Bank Channel Basin to the
west of the Faroe Islands (Fig.l) the basalt
cover is in general thicker than that ob-
served in the basinal areas to the east of the
Munkagrunnur Ridge (Compare Fig. 5
with Figs. 3 and 4). It has not been possible
to determine the underlying basin margin
characteristics in this region, possibly due
to the increased basalt cover present.
Interestingly, what appear to be the same
subbasalt units appear in both areas with
equal clarity. However, the strong clino-
form, mounding, or so-called channel fea-
tures typical of these units in the eastern
area (Figs. 3 and 4) are not so apparent in
the west (Fig. 5).
In the confined basin to the north of Fu-
gloy Ridge (Fig. 6) subbasalt units can be
again defined, although the intepretation of
the base basalt itself is quite enigmatic. One
argument in favor of a thinned basalt inter-
pretation over the high is the relatively high
degree of đefinition in the deeper basin
structures. It has already been stated that,
other than Subbasalt 4, the units to the
north of Fugloy Ridge cannot be correlated
to units within the other basins; one of the
determining factors for this lack of correla-
tion was the apparent absence of the sedi-
mentary structures visible within the
southerly basins. The primary significance
of this line is that it indicates that basinal el-
ements exist in other areas, away from the
Faroe Shetland Channel and Faroe Bank
Basins.
Because of the lack of sound geological
information, it has not been possible to
identify the subbasalt units within the area.
More control is possible in the southeastem
part of the area due to extrapolated control
from the West of Shetland area, which may
be a conjugate margin. It may be possible to
speculate Jurassic-Cretaceous units within
this basin, with the basin fabric itself being
of, perhaps, Permo-Triassic age with
Mesozoic fill. This broad basin borders the
Faroese platform to the SE, SSE, and SW,
with the Munkagrunnur Ridge apparently
superimposed upon and subdividing it.
This basin trend is the same as the Cale-
donian trends of north Scotland and may be
related to continental breakup away from
Greenland.
Conclusions
The interpretation of the recently acquired
non-Exclusive seismic data has shown that,
in the more basinal environments, seismic
energy can penetrate the basalt layers pre-
dominant in the Faroese region and that in-
tra and subbasalt imaging is possible.
Basin elements may be defined as well.
The Faroese Volcanic Platform area is
bounded along its more southerly margin
by a large basin, possibly Permo-Triassic in
age, with a speculated Mesozoic fill. This
basin has a trend equivalent to the Cale-
donian and may be related to original, East
Greenland features pre-dating continental
breakup.