The Arctic Alaska-Canada Connection Revisited

Jaime Toro, West Virginia University

Frances Toro, DOE NETL

Ken Bird, USGS

Chris Harrison, GSC

Wegener, 1929

Canada

Basin

Eurasia Basin

IBCAO, 2001

Amerasia Basin

Arc

tic

Ala

ska-

Chu

kotk

a

Canada

Basin

Eurasia BasinAmerasia Basin

Rotational Model (Grantz et al. 1990)

Rotational Model

Restoration

Grantz et al. (1990)

Embry, 1990

Comparison of the Stratigraphy of the North Slope Basin to the Sverdrup Basin

North Slope Stratigraphy

K. Bird, USGS

MEGA-SEQUENCE

Brooks Range

North Slope

Canada Basin

Prince Prince Patrick Patrick IslandIsland

Seismic Line along the North Slope CoastNESW Barrow Arch

Brookian SequenceBrookian Sequence

Franklinian SequenceFranklinian SequenceEllesmerian

Ellesmerian

BeaufortianBeaufortian

Seismic Line along the North Slope Coast

NEBarrow Arch

Brookian SequenceBrookian Sequence

Franklinian SequenceFranklinian Sequence

Peard#1 Walakpa#1 S. Barrow#1

Carboniferous

CarboniferousLowerLower TriassicTriassic

Upper TriassicUpper Triassic

SW

Brooks Range

CarbCarb.

PermPerm..

L. Trias

L. Trias.

L. Jur.

L. Jur.

North Slope

R12

Brooks Range

North Slope

Canada Basin

Prince Prince Patrick Patrick IslandIsland

76o

77o

Eglington Is.

Melville Is.

Prince Patrick Is.

Brock Is.

MackenzieKing Is.

Lawver et al. (2002)150 Ma

Late Jurassic

120 MaEarly Cretaceous

Lawver et al. (2002)

Geology: Persits and Ulmishek, (2003), USGS

Aeromagnetic Data: Glebovsky et al. (2000), Naval Research Lab

Conclusions

• Ellesmerian onlap edges provide a specific link between the North Slope and Prince Patrick Island

• The Rotational Model best fits the geological and geophysical data

• The problematic area is in western Chukotka and the Siberian Shelf