Discussion of the relation of palaeogene ridge and basin structures of Britain to the North Atlantic

The evidence of Tertiary ridges, basins and volcanicity in Britain is at variance with a simple relation to the Atlantic opening as proposed recently by Hallam. The structural complexity of the continental margin off Britain needs further investigation before its development can be related satisfactorily to the several phases of opening of the North Atlantic. In particular, Mesozoic and Tertiary basins and ridges do not consistently show the elongation and asymmetry required by Hallam's model, and many were initiated too early to be related to the Reykjanes spreading