OOP and Rifted Continental Margins

Rifted (also known as divergent or passive) continental margins are those characterized by a fused join or boundary between continental and oceanic crustal types, as opposed to convergent margins, where subduction or underthrusting of oceanic crust beneath continental material is occurring. The Ocean Drilling Program's approach to the study of these margins has to date concentrated in the North Atlantic, where the best examples of conjugate (paired) passive margins of various ages occur. ODP has drilled both non-volcanic and volcanic examples; recent research suggests that the absence or presence of massive volcanic outpourings accompanying continental breakup may be the Single most important distinguishing feature of rifted margins.