Deep seismic experiments investigate crustal development at continental margin

Important advances have been made in recent years regarding our understanding of the processes involved during continental break-up. Much of this knowledge has arisen from deep seismic profiles of the Atlantic margins. The continent-ocean transition (COT) at many locations along the North Atlantic margin consists of a zone of ‘transitional’ crust that lies between thinned continental crust and unequivocal oceanic crust. The origin of this transitional crust is poorly understood, and yet it is likely to provide key information regarding the break-up process.