the atlantic ocean started to open around 140 million years ago.
when did the atlantic ocean start to open?
around 140 million years ago
rocks from the north atlantic igneous province have been found in greenland, the irminger basin, faroe islands, vøring plateau (off norway), faroe-shetland basin, hebrides, outer moray firth and denmark. the supercontinent known as pangea existed during the late paleozoic and early mesozoic eras and began to rift around 200 million years ago. pangea had three major phases of breakup. the first major phase began in the early-middle jurassic, taking place between north america and africa. the second major phase of breakup began in the early cretaceous. the south atlantic ocean opened around 140 million years ago as africa separated from south america, and about the same time, india separated from antarctica and australia, forming the central indian ocean. the final major phase of breakup occurred in the early cenozoic, as laurentia separated from eurasia. as the two plates broke free from each other, the atlantic ocean continued to expand.
opening of the north atlantic ocean
bullet::::- "pterodroma feae", fea's petrel (atlantic ocean basin species)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma desertae", desertas petrel (disputed) (atlantic ocean basin species)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma madeira", zino's petrel or madeira petrel (atlantic ocean basin species)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma" sp., canary islands petrel, (prehistoric) – possibly extirpated population of extant species





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma mollis", soft-plumaged petrel (atlantic ocean, indian ocean and margins of western pacific ocean)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma cahow", bermuda petrel (atlantic ocean basin species)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma hasitata", black-capped petrel (atlantic ocean basin species)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma caribbaea", jamaica petrel, (possibly extinct) (atlantic ocean basin species)





















































bullet::::- "pterodroma incerta", atlantic petrel (atlantic ocean basin species)
gadfly petrel