Eurasia Basin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element

Abstract

The Eurasia Basin formed by continental break-up and separation of the Lomonosov Ridge from the northern Barents–Kara Shelf at about 56–54 Ma. It was a restricted oceanic basin from its formation up until the Miocene, when extensive water circulation between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans commenced through the Fram Strait gateway. The opening of the oceanic gateway had a large impact on palaeoceanography and palaeoclimate, which evolved from an Eocene greenhouse to a Neogene icehouse associated with northern hemisphere glaciations. The Eocene–present sedimentary fill of the Eurasia Basin was mainly sourced from surrounding shelf areas in the Barents, Kara and Laptev seas, which experienced widespread Cenozoic uplift and erosion during several phases. The stratigraphy of the Eurasia Basin is poorly constrained due to a lack of boreholes penetrating the basin fill. We therefore have to rely on seismic stratigraphy and tentative ages assigned to sequences and their boundaries terminating on top of oceanic basement of known age. This contribution covers two tectono-sedimentary elements (TSEs): the Eurasia Basin Oceanic TSE and the Eurasia Basin Prograded Margin TSE, which are closely connected and difficult to draw a distinct boundary between.