Eurasian Arctic Rifted Margin Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element

Abstract

The Eurasian Arctic Rifted Margin (EARM) spans a poorly studied transition region between the Eurasian continental shelf and the deep-water Nansen Basin. It is a conjugate margin to the Lomonosov Ridge, as both domains were united before the opening of the oceanic Eurasia Basin. The EARM is considered as a Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Element (CTSE) consisting of two individual tectono-sedimentary elements (TSEs): (1) an undefined group of poorly known pre-rift Mesozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary successions; and (2) Late Cretaceous–Paleocene synrift strata. The latter are bounded by a c. 56 Ma break-up unconformity and are overlain by the Eurasia Basin prograded margin TSE, which is not included in EARM. In the absence of drilled wells, we utilize multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) data for seismic stratigraphic correlations with nearby, better-explored, areas. The EARM CTSE is subdivided into three along-strike segments (from west to east): Svalbard–Barents Sea, the North Kara Sea and the Taimyr–Laptev Sea. Across-strike, the EARM CTSE is composed of a proximal zone of stretched crust characterized by normal faulting and a relatively narrow distal transition zone that may contain unroofed serpentinized mantle. The lack of drilled wells makes it challenging to evaluate the petroleum potential of the CTSE, although some indications of a working petroleum system presence exist.