The Neogene stratigraphy of the glaciated European margin from Lofoten to Porcupine

Geoseismic panels 4–6

Three annotated seismic reflection profiles, together with three line drawings, comprise the geoseismic panel 4, panel 5 and panel 6 from the Faroe–Shetland region. It should be noted that in panels 4a and panel 6 the deeper part of the OF94 and OF95 profiles has been masked; however, the seismic picks have been retained in the masked area.

Panel 4 illustrates a seismic dip line from the northern part of the area (panel 4a). Due to the difficulty in matching high-resolution seismic data in the West Shetland area to conventional 2-D multichannel seismic in the Faroe region, only one dip line is shown in full. Line drawings from the illustrated dip line plus two more to the south, show the change in shape of the Faroe-Shetland Channel, and of the distribution of the megasequences, from north to south. The seismic profile trends northwestward from the West Shetland Shelf and extends across the Faroe-Shetland Channel up onto the Fugloy Ridge. The marked contrast in depositional styles and shelf/slope geometries between the two margins can be clearly seen, with little to no post-Eocene deposits on the Fugloy Ridge. Drift deposits are clearly seen, at base of slope on the Faroe margin, and on the lower slope on the West Shetland margin.

Panel 5 is a high-resolution seismic profile covering the entire length of the Channel, along the present-day channel axis from the Wyville-Thomson Ridge in the SW to the North Sea Fan complex in the NE. This profile illustrates well the contrast in sediment thicknesses between the SW and NE of the region, with thick FSN-1 deposits of the North Sea Fan to the NE. The far SW is characterised by limited deposition and severe erosion, especially in the area of the subsea Munkagrunnur Falls (also referred to as the Judd Deeps).

Panel 6 trends north-eastward from the Faroe Bank Channel, over the Munkagrunnur Ridge, following the present-day Miocene depocentre. It is taken from a conventional, multi-channel, 2-D seismic dataset and illustrates well the division of the FSN-2 megasequence into its upper and lower components. The northeastern end of the line lies within the southern extent of the North Sea Fan complex, with the Miller Slide clearly depicted.

Location of geoseismic panels 4–6

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