Evidence for formation of a flexural backarc basin by compression and crustal thickening in the central Alaska peninsula
- Geological Observatory of Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (USA)
The North Aleutian Basin is a large, Cenozoic sedimentary basin in the northern part of the central Alaska Peninsula and the southern Bering shelf. The gravity anomaly pattern, the geometry, and the structure of the basin suggest that if formed by downward flexure of the backarc lithosphere. Basin modeling suggests that the flexure was driven by the emplacement of surface and subsurface loads having densities comparable to those of oceanic crust and mantle rocks, at approximately the position of the present-day volcanic arc and forearc. The authors suggest that the inferred loads consist of tectonically thickened mafic crustal materials lying beneath the arc and forearc of the central Alaska Peninsula. The crustal thickening may have occurred within a dominantly transpressional regime resulting from oblique convergence between the North American and Pacific plates during the Cenozoic.
- OSTI ID:
- 7000792
- Journal Information:
- Geology; (USA), Journal Name: Geology; (USA) Vol. 16:12; ISSN GLGYB; ISSN 0091-7613
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
580000* -- Geosciences
ALASKA
BERING SEA
CENOZOIC ERA
COMPRESSION
CONTINENTAL CRUST
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
DIMENSIONS
EARTH CRUST
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOMETRY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GRAVITY SURVEYS
MATHEMATICS
NORTH AMERICA
PACIFIC OCEAN
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
TECTONICS
THICKNESS
USA