Origin and Deformation of the Forlandsundet Basin, Spitsergen: Tertiary Plate-Margin Dynamics in the Arctic Region

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This study will evaluate the deformational history of the Tertiary Forlandsundet basin of western Spitsbergen and will relate the deformational sequence to basin evolution and plate dynamics along the Tertiary transform plate margin as it evolved to the modern spreading margin between Svalbard and Greenland. Preliminary field work in the basin suggests multiphase deformation including strike-slip and thrust components. In addition, sandstone and conglomerate samples display signs of ductile deformation with recrystallization of mica grains and development of penetrative foliation. Earlier field work also emphasizes the need to resolve the timing of the deformational episodes. Investigators will use macrostructural mapping, paleostress analysis, microstructural study, and 40Ar/39Ar dating to test working hypotheses for the tectonic evolution of the basin. A multiphase deformational history is certain, and the goal of this study is to decipher the kinematic history of the basin and relate that history to the evolution of the Tertiary margin and the opening of the Norwegian-Greenland Sea.