M. V. Kononov

A geodynamic model of the evolution of the Arctic basin and adjacent territories in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic and the outer limit of the Russian Continental Shelf

The tectonic evolution of the Arctic Region in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic is considered with allowance for the Paleozoic stage of evolution of the ancient Arctida continent. A new geodynamic model of the evolution of the Arctic is based on the idea of the development of upper mantle convection beneath the continent caused by subduction of the Pacific lithosphere under the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates. The structure of the Amerasia and Eurasia basins of the Arctic is shown to have formed progressively due to destruction of the ancient Arctida continent, a retained fragment of which comprises the structural units of the central segment of the Arctic Ocean, including the Lomonosov Ridge, the Alpha-Mendeleev Rise, and the Podvodnikov and Makarov basins. The proposed model is considered to be a scientific substantiation of the updated Russian territorial claim to the UN Commission on the determination of the Limits of the Continental Shelf in the Arctic Region.

Geodynamics of the Northwestern Sector of the Pacific Mobile Belt in the Late Cretaceous-Early Paleogene

In the Late Cretaceous starting from the early Coniacian, three parallel suprasubduction structural units have developed contemporaneously in the northwestern Paleopacific framework: (1) the Okhotsk-Chukchi arc at the Asian continental margin, (2) the West Kamchatka and Essoveem ensialic arcs at the northwestern margins of the Kamchatka and Central Koryak continental blocks, and (3) the Achaivayam-Valagin ensimatic arc that extended to the southwest as the Lesser Kuril ensialic arc at the southern margin of the Sea of Okhotsk continental block. In this setting, the geodynamics of the Paleopacific plates exerted an effect only on the evolution of the outer (relative to the continent) ensimatic island arc, whereas the vast inner region between this arc and the continent evolved independently. As is seen from the character of the gravity field and seismic refractor velocity, the Kamchatka and Sea of Okhotsk continental blocks differ in the structure of the consolidated crust. These blocks collided with each other and the Asian continent in the middle Campanian (77 Ma ago). The extensive pre-Paleogene land that existed on the place of the present-day Sea of Okhotsk probably supplied the terrigenous material deposited since the late Campanian on the oceanic crust of the backarc basin to the south of the rise of inner continental blocks as the Khozgon, Lesnaya, and Ukelayat flysch complexes. The accretion of the Olyutor (Achaivayam) and Valagin segments of the ensimatic arc had different consequences due to the difference in thickness of the Earth’s crust. The Valagin segment was formed on an older basement and had a much greater thickness of the crust than the Olyutor segment. As follows from computations and the results of physical modeling, the island arcs having crust more than 25 km in thickness collide with the continental margin and are thrust over the latter. In the case under consideration, the thrusting of the Valagin segment led to metamorphism of the underlying rocks. The crust of the Olyutor segment was much thinner. The contact of this segment with the continental margin resulted only in surficial accretion, which did not bring about metamorphism, and the underlying lithospheric plate continued to plunge into the subduction zone.

Cenozoic geodynamics of the Bering Sea region

In the Early Cenozoic before origination of the Aleutian subduction zone 50–47 Ma ago, the northwestern (Asian) and northeastern (North American) parts of the continental framework of the Pacific Ocean were active continental margins. In the northwestern part, the island-arc situation, which arose in the Coniacian, remained with retention of the normal lateral series: continent-marginal sea-island arc-ocean. In the northeastern part, consumption of the oceanic crust beneath the southern margin of the continental Bering shelf also continued from the Late Cretaceous with the formation of the suprasubduction volcanic belt. The northwestern and northeastern parts of the Paleopacific were probably separated by a continuation of the Kula-Pacific Transform Fracture Zone. Change of the movement of the Pacific oceanic plates from the NNW to NW in the middle Eocene (50–47 Ma ago) was a cause of the origin of the Aleutian subduction zone and related Aleutian island arc. In the captured part of the Paleopacific (proto-Bering Sea), the ongoing displacement of North America relative to Eurasia in the middle-late Eocene gave rise to the formation of internal structural elements of the marginal sea: the imbricate nappe structure of the Shirshov Ridge and the island arc of the Bowers Ridge. The Late Cenozoic evolution was controlled by subduction beneath the Kamchatka margin and its convergence with the Kronotsky Terrane in the south. A similar convergence of the Koryak margin with the Goven Terrane occurred in the north. The Komandorsky minor oceanic basin opened in the back zone of this terrane. Paleotectonic reconstructions for 68–60, 56–52, 50–38, 30–15, and 15–6 Ma are presented.

Strike-slip fault system in the Earth’s crust of the Bering Sea: A relic of boundary between the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates

A study based on computation of D-function anomalies (method of joint gravity and magnetic data analysis) along profiles in the Bering Sea has been performed in both the Aleutian Basin with oceanic crust and the Bering continental shelf. This study revealed extended faults that affect not only the Earth’s crust but also the upper mantle. This is supported by seismic profiling. The calculated palinspastic reconstructions of the position of North America relative to “immobile” Eurasia 80, 52–50, 50–47, and 15–20 Ma ago allowed us to show that the revealed strike-slip faults are probable relics of an echeloned transform boundary between the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates. The formation of this boundary beginning from the Late Cretaceous was apparently related to opening of the North Atalantic, which determined the large rate of displacement of North America relative to Eurasia.

Geodynamic model of upper mantle convection and transformations of the arctic lithosphere in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic

By interpretation of the complex geological and geophysical data and paleotectonic reconstructions based on the results of deep seismic tomography, a new deep geodynamic mechanism is developed to describe the formation and evolution of Amerasian and Eurasian basins, together with their adjacent geological structures of the Arctic region. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic transformations of the lithosphere in a number of regions of the Arctic Ocean are considered. The role and place of the upper-mantle convection is explored, and the chronology of the key structure-forming events is analyzed.

The age and genesis of the structures in the Amerasian basin

An insufficient number of dated native samples and indistinct magnetic anomalies in the Amerasian Basin prevent geophysicists from identifying the exact age of most of its structural elements. Due to this, it is impossible to gain an insight into the evolution of this vast region, which is highly promising in terms of its hydrocarbon potential. Therefore, the geological time of the formation of the structural elements composing the Amerasian Basin is determined either hypothetically or very loosely (for example, Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic). In order to more precisely estimate the time of formation of the structural elements within the Amerasian Basin, we applied the geothermal method, which is highly informative in terms of the age of the lithosphere, its thickness, and the evolution of the basin structures. Besides, this method provides far narrower time constraints for the formation of the structures compared to the geological data. Based on the thermal flow data, we have numerically calculated the age of the structural elements composing the Amerasian Basin: Podvodnikov Basin (97–79 Ma), Makarov Basin (75–61 Ma), Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge (97–79 Ma), and Lomonosov Ridge (69–57 Ma). The age of these structures derived from the geothermal data agrees with the estimates determined from the geological, geomagnetic, seismic, and radiometric data. Based on the age of the structures estimated from the thermal flow data and the analysis of the geological and geophysical evidence, conclusions are made concerning the genesis and character of formation of the Podvodnikov and Makarov basins and the Alpha-Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges within the Amerasian Basin.

Genesis of the lithosphere of the Iceland region (North Atlantic) according to geophysical data

The geothermal and geomagnetic data on the Iceland region are mapped. On the basis of the analysis of geological, tectonic, geothermal, and geomagnetic data and on the information on the age and character of the volcanism at the European and Greenland rifting margins, the principal evolution stages of the Iceland region are substantiated. The modeling estimation of the rates of thermal subsidence of the Reykjanes and Kolbeinsey ridges and of the Greenland-Iceland and Iceland-Faeroes sills shows their more than 20% difference. The different rates of thermal subsidence of the structures are caused by various effects of hot matter of the mantle plume, its volume, and the different genesis of the lithosphere. The formation of the lithosphere of Iceland Island, besides the plate and plume tectonics, involved the thermophysical processes of the transformation of the lithosphere of continental genesis. This is confirmed by the analysis of the spreading rates, basalt age, and the data of the geochemical and isotope studies of volcanic rocks. The numerical modeling performed points to the presence of an additional heat source related to the plume hot matter in the Iceland region (Iceland Island, 30 mW/m2; the Reykjanes and Kolbeinsey ridges, 15 mW/m2), which conforms to the data of magnetotelluric geochemical studies.

Geodynamics and plume tectonics of the Azore-Gibraltar fault zone (North Atlantic)

Maps of the principal structures and geological-geophysical knowledge for the Azores-Gibraltar and Icelandic regions have been made. The geodynamic conditions of the Azores archipelago formation have been analyzed. It has been noted that the uplifting of the Azores plume (as well as the Icelandic one) might have been triggered by near-surface tectonic processes. The computer modeling has been performed with respect to the coefficients of the geodynamic sinking rates for the Azores fragment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Based on the modeling results, this rate was ∼1.5 times higher than the average sinking rate for the mid-ocean ridges of the World Ocean in general. The high sinking rate of the Azores fragment is caused by the influence of the plume material on the sinking process. Based on the complex analysis of the seismicity, thermal flow, and seismic tomography data distribution, as well as the implemented numerical calculations, the European (northern) part of the diffuse boundary between the Eurasian and African plates has been identified for the first time. Along with the African (southern) boundary, it outlines the identified by the authors West Mediterranean plate.

Specific features of the genesis of the Azores-Gibraltar fault zone (North Atlantic)

Maps of the main structures and the degree of geothermal studies of the Azores-Gibraltar and Iceland regions are constructed. Computer modeling of the coefficient of velocity of thermal subsidence into the asthenosphere of the Azores segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is performed. According to the results of modeling, this velocity exceeds the mean velocity of thermal subsidence of the mid-ocean ridges of the world ocean by a factor of ∼ 1.5. The high velocity of subsidence of the Azores segment of the ridge is caused by the influence of the hot substance of the plume on the process of subsidence. The distributions of the heat flow in the Horseshoe basin, Alboran Sea, and southern part of the Iberian Peninsula are analyzed. A zone of increased heat flow and seismicity, extending from the Madeira-Torre Ridge through the Horseshoe basin, and farther to the east through the southern parts of Spain and France, is identified for the first time. The identified geothermal zone marks the northern branch of the diffuse boundary between the Eurasian and African plates. In the region of the Alpine chain, this zone joins the southern boundary between the Eurasian and African plates, which runs along the northern part of Africa and the Apennine Peninsula. The European and African plate boundaries outline the identified Western-Mediterranean plate, which mainly consists of the oceanic and thinned continental lithospheres of the Algerian-Provence and Tyrrhenian basins.

Tectonic evolution of the Iceland region, North Atlantic

Major hypotheses on the formation of the Iceland region are considered. It is noted that plate- and plume-tectonic genesis is the most substantiated hypothesis for this region. Model estimations of the effect of hot plume on the formation of genetically different oceanic ridges are obtained. Computer calculations are performed for the thermal subsidence rate of aseismic ridges (Ninetyeast and Hawaiian-Emperor) in the asthenosphere of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Comparative analysis of the calculated subsidence rates of these ridges with those in the Iceland region (Reykjanes and Kolbeinsey ridges) is performed. The results suggest that the thermophysical processes of formation of the spreading Reykjanes and Kolbeinsey ridges were similar to those of the aseismic Ninetyeast and Hawaiian-Emperor ridges: the genesis of all these ridges is related to the functioning of a hotspot. Analysis of the heat flux distribution in the Iceland Island and Hawaiian Rise areas is carried out. Analysis and numerical calculations indicate that the genesis of Iceland was initially characterized by the plume-tectonic transformation of a continental rather than oceanic lithosphere. The level of geothermal regime near Iceland was two times higher (100 mW/m2) relative to the Hawaiian Rise area (50 mW/m2) because the average lithosphere thickness of the Reykjanes and Kolbeinsey ridges near the Iceland was approximately two times less (40 km) relative to the thickness of the Pacific Plate (80 km) in the Hawaiian area. The main stages of evolution of the Iceland region are based on geological and geothermal data and numerical thermophysical modeling. The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the region is considered. Paleogeodynamic reconstructions of the North Atlantic in the hotspot system at 60, 50, and 20 Ma are obtained.