Special features of the Pre-Quaternary relief of North Atlantic shelves

Abstract

Pre-Quaternary morphostructure and morphosculpture of North Atlantic and adjacent arctic shelves are described using analysis of sea-floor drilling, seismic profiles, sea-floor topography mapping and other geological data. The author discusses various kinds of plains including socle, built-up, structural and basaltic ones. Cuesta system on shelves is the roust outstanding formation of the type all over the world. Intra-shelf celesta ridges could correspond to the Cretaceous-Lower Paleogene stratigraphic break within the sedimentary cover.