Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Origin of Deep Sea Cherts in the North Atlantic

Abstract

SEISMIC profiling has revealed two strongly reflecting layers beneath the floor of the North Atlantic1. The shallower reflector is referred to as “horizon A” and the deeper as “horizon B”; JOIDES drill cores from the eastern and western North Atlantic and the Caribbean show that horizon A consists of a cherty material of Late–Early Eocene to Middle Eocene age2–4. Although the material of these layers is usually described as chert, the mineralogy is variable and the Eocene and Upper Cretaceous layers are composed chiefly of cristobalite rather than quartz, so they are not true cherts5.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ewing, J., Worzel, J. L., Ewing, M., and Windisch, C., Science, 154, 1125 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ewing, M., Worzel, J. L., Beall, A. O., Berggren, W. A., Bukry, D., Burk, C. A., Fischer, A. G., and Pessagno, E. A., Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 1, 3 (Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bader, R. G., Gerard, R. D., Benson, W. E., Bolli, H. M., Hay, W. W., Rothwell, W. T., Ruef, M. H., Riedel, W. R., and Sayles, F. L., Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 4, 3 (Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Maxwell, A. E., Von Herzen, R. P., Hsu, K. J., Andrews, J. E., Saito, T., Percival, S. F., Milow, E. D., and Boyce, R. E., Science, 168, 1047 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Calvert, S. E., Nature, 234, 133 (1971).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gibson, T. G., and Towe, K. M., Science, 172, 152 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Mattson, P. H., and Pessagno, E. A., Science, 174, 138 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dietz, R. S., and Holden, J. C., J. Geophys. Res., 75, 4939 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Berggren, W. A., and Phillips, J. D., in Sympos. Geol. Libya (in the press).

  10. Avery, O. E., Burton, G. D., and Heirtzler, J. R., J. Geophys. Res., 73, 4583 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Vogt, P. R., Schneider, E. D., and Johnson, G. L., in The Earth's Crust and Upper Mantle (edit. by Hart, P. J.), Geophys. Monog. 13, 556 (Amer. Geophys. Union, Washington DC, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Knopoff, L., in The Earth's Crust and Upper Mantle (edit. by Hart, P. J.), Geophys. Monog. 13, 683 (Amer. Geophys. Union, Washington DC, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Valentine, J. W., and Moores, E. M., Nature, 228, 657 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Steineck, P. L., Lethaia, 4, 125 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Devereux, I., Hendy, C. H., and Vella, P., Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 8, 163 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dorman, F. H., J. Geol., 76, 297 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HERMAN, Y. Origin of Deep Sea Cherts in the North Atlantic. Nature 238, 392–393 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/238392a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/238392a0

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing