CASE 16 expedition: Does the Wegener Fault exist in the southern part of the Nares Strait region (Canadian Arctic)?

位于格陵兰岛和埃尔斯米尔岛（加拿大北极）之间的纳尔斯海峡的韦格纳断裂被认为是一条连接巴芬湾北部早第三纪扩张体系和欧亚盆地的左旋转换断裂。然而，一种完全相反的观点认为，这个断层并不存在，因此不能用于板块构造重建和解释。解决韦格纳断层问题的关键区域是纳尔斯海峡南部的史密斯海峡。该地区航磁研究的解释结果表明，岩浆岩脉穿过海峡，并在埃尔斯米尔岛的东海岸结束。根据两次考察的结果，在埃尔斯米尔岛东部的CASE 16考察期间进行的结构分析旨在寻找纳尔斯海峡南部地区韦格纳断层存在的证据。这些结果有助于解决韦格纳断层的问题，并以此来证实或否定目前的板块构造解释。由此，它们可以为解释早第三纪北极的发展提供重要的贡献。

The Wegener Fault in the Nares Strait between Greenland and Ellesmere Island (Canadian Arctic) is interpreted as a sinistral transform fault that connected the Early Tertiary spreading systems of northern Baffin Bay and the Eurasian Basin. An entirely contrasting opinion, however, suggests that this fault does not exist and, therefore, cannot be used for plate tectonic reconstructions and interpretations. A critical area to solve this Wegener Fault problem is the Smith Sound in the southern part of Nares Strait. Interpreted results of aeromagnetic studies in this area have shown that magmatic dykes cross the strait and end just at the east coast of Ellesmere Island. Based on results from two expeditions, structural analyses during the CASE 16 expedition in this eastern segment of Ellesmere Island intend to find evidence for the existence of the Wegener Fault in the southern Nares Strait area. The results can contribute to solve the problem of the Wegener Fault and with that can either confirm or reject present plate tectonic interpretations. By this they can provide an important contribution to the interpretation of the development of the Arctic in the Early Tertiary.