P.V. REKANT, D.I. LEONTIEV, E.O. PETROV (VSEGEI)

Neotectionic stage of the Arctic Basin evolution: New ideas, timing and regional correlation

The modern structure and morphology of the Central Arctic domain has been formed as a result of the Oligocene – Quaternary evolution stage. The neotectonic stage was triggered by the final episode of the Eurekan orogeny resulted in the formation of several complex deformation zones onshore of Canadian Arctic Archipelago, north and NE Greenland, and Svalbard, as well as offshore of the Beaufort Sea. Prior to this stage, the prototypic terrain of the Arctic Basin already comprised most of the modern morphological structures, however, it was characterized by fairly smooth local topographic relief. Ridges and plateaus were located within the distal neritic or upper bathyal zone, but the surrounding depressions occurred in the middle part of the bathyal zone. The blocky differential subsidence of the entire Arctic Basin occurred during the neotectonic stage.
Keywords: Arctic Basin, seismic reflection data, Eurekan orogeny, synoceanic deposits, neotectonic stage, Paleocene­Eocene Thermal Maximum.