South Atlantic Margin Processes and Links with onshore Evolution

Petroleum systems located at passive continental margins received increasing attention in the last decade mainly because of deep- and ultra‐deep-water hydrocarbon exploration and production. The high risks associated with these settings originate mainly from the poor understanding of inherent geodynamic processes. The new priority program SAMPLE (South Atlantic Margin Processes and Links with onshore Evolution), established by the German Science Foundation in 2009 for a total duration of 6 years, addresses a number of open questions related to continental breakup and post‐breakup evolution of passive continental margins. 27 sub‐projects take advantage of the exceptional conditions of the South Atlantic as a prime “Geo‐archive.” The regional focus is set on the conjugate margins located east of Brazil and Argentina on one side and west of Angola, Namibia and South Africa on the other (Figure 1) as well as on the Walvis Ridge and the present‐day hotspot of Tristan da Cunha. The economic relevance of the program is demonstrated by support from several petroleum companies, but the main goal is research on fundamental processes behind the evolution of passive continental margins.