Arctic reconstruction from an Alaskan viewpoint
Field, seismic, structural, and stratigraphic data were used to reconstruct the geologic history of the Arctic in 10-m.y. time slices from the present to mid-Jurassic - the initial opening of the Arctic Ocean. A basic assumption is that Lomonosov Ridge, Alpha Ridge, Mendeleyev Ridge, and Chukchi Plateau are all foundered continental plates. Opening of the Arctic occurs in two stages: Late Jurassic - Cretaceous for the Canada basin and Neogene for the Eurasian basin. Opening is facilitated by two subparallel transform shears - the Arctic (Kaltag-Porcupine) on the east and the Chukchi on the west. Deformation is essentially tensional on the Barents side of the Arctic and shear-compressional on the Alaska side. The development of Chutkoya, North Slope, Brooks Range, north-west Canada, Seward Peninsula, and central Alaska can be sequentially related to Arctic opening, modified by impingement on the northern terrane of allochthonous terranes arriving from the south - the Pacific plates of Tintina, Denali, Orca (Prince William-Chugach-Yakutat), Anadyr, Khatyrka, Kolyman, and other minor terranes. The North Slope of Alaska, a passive, rifted, subsided margin, is restored to line up with a similar margin on Alpha Ridge. Northeastern Alaska (the Romanzof Mountain area) lines up opposite the north end of the Sverdrup Rim, near Prince Patrick and Borden Islands.
- Research Organization:
- Chevron Overseas Petroleum Inc., San Francisco, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 6197719
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8505215-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 69:4; Conference: AAPG-SEPM-SEG Pacific section meeting, Anchorage, AK, USA, 22 May 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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