Late Palaeozoic architecture and evolution of the western Barents Sea: Insights from a new generation of aeromagnetic data

Abstract

A new generation of modern aeromagnetic surveys highlight the Caledonian basement and pre-Permian basin architecture of the southwestern Barents Sea. This configuration involved several Caledonian thrust sheets that collapsed and controlled the post-Caledonian rift development of the southwestern Barents Sea during Late Palaeozoic time. Contrary to previous geological models, we consider that the sub-Permian basins and underlying basement grain have a dominantly NNW-SSE orientation in most of the platform area. Moreover, we do not see magnetic evidence that could support a major NE-SW or NNE-SSW regional axis that has commonly been proposed for the Late Paleozoic rift system and inherited Caledonian structural grain in the Barents Sea.