Petrology of Basement Rocks from Palmer Ridge, NE Atlantic

Abstract

A detailed petrographic account is given of the basalts and dolerites, gabbros, amphibolites, breccias and serpentinites dredged from Palmer Ridge in the NE Atlantic, accompanied by chemical analyses of rocks and electron probe analyses of minerals. Radiometric dates on the rocks are reported. The preliminary conclusions about the geological history and structure of Palmer Ridge have been confirmed and strengthened, and certain petrological problems, in particular the physical conditions under which the amphibolites were metamorphosed, are raised.