North Atlantic Craton

A recent study revealed that the North Atlantic Craton, an ancient continent fragment, was 10% more expansive than previously thought.

Craton

Cratons are parts of the continental crust that are billion years old. They are stable fragments that act as ‘continental nuclei’- they gather and anchor other continental blocks around them. They are ancient continents that broke apart into many fragments that were rearranged over the years due to plate movements.

North Atlantic Craton

The North Atlantic Craton is a craton from the Archaen Eon. It broke apart into fragments and rifted about 150 million years ago. Currently, it stretches from the northern parts of Scotland, through the southern parts of Greenland, till the Labrador region in the south-west.

Mantle Correlation

Mantle correlation is the process by which geologists piece together parts of ancient continent (cratons) to understand the evolution of the present day continents and plates. Till now the reconstructions were based on rock samples from shallower locations (depths of 1 to 10km).