Plate Boundaries Around the Chukchi Borderland; An Integrated Geophysics Cruise to Test Models for the Formation of the Canada Basin

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。科克利0909568阿拉斯加大学费尔班克斯分校楚科奇边界是嵌入加拿大盆地洋壳的一块延伸的大陆地壳。作为一件不适合简单的？挡风玻璃雨刷？作为这一盆地中生代开放的模式，它在所有为亚细亚盆地开放而提出的构造模式中都占有重要地位。提供资金使用多道地震(MCS)反射技术来检验这些假设。通过对沉积剖面成像，并追踪这一高耸陆块边缘的构造、地壳厚度和地层学的连续性，应该可以区分走滑、伸展和挤压边界。通过将盆地地层学与楚科奇陆架上的测年沉积物联系起来，将有可能将地震地层年龄控制传播到北冰洋盆地，以确定边界的伸展解剖日期，并为科学钻探奠定基础。楚科奇边界的四个边缘提供了独特的科学机会，也有可能产生更广泛的影响。有两个特别的边缘被选为提供最佳回报的边缘，尽管考虑到这个项目可用的有限船日，只有一个可能会被调查：从楚科奇大陆架到楚科奇边界的过渡？势场数据(例如，重磁异常数据)表明，楚科奇陆架的北美大陆地壳和邻近的楚科奇边界地壳之间存在不连续，但亲和力不确定。除了直接观察定义过渡的任何结构外，收集拟议的数据还将使人们有可能将大陆架上实质性的历史二维MCS网格和那里的年龄控制与北冰洋的地层学联系起来。这是对海冰最不具挑战性的区域。这一地区在8-9月期间应该是开放水域。楚科奇边界的北缘？水深测量数据似乎表明，来自边界内盆地内部的伸展结构俯冲到大陆高压附近的沉积物覆盖之下。这与一些模型相冲突，这些模型要求在测深高的北端有一个转换断层。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Coakley 0909568University of Alaska FairbanksThe Chukchi Borderland is a block of extended continental crust embedded in the oceanic crust of the Canada Basin. As the piece that does not fit the simple ?windshield wiper? model for the Mesozoic opening of this basin, it figures prominently in all tectonic models proposed for the opening of the Amerasian Basin. Funds are provided to use multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection techniques to test these hypotheses. By imaging the sedimentary section and tracing the continuity of structure, crustal thickness and stratigraphy across the edges of this high-standing continental block, it should be possible to distinguish between strike-slip, extensional and compressional boundaries. By tying the basinal stratigraphy to well-dated sediments on the Chukchi Shelf, it will be possible to propagate seismic stratigraphic age control into the Arctic Ocean basin to date the extensional dissection of the Borderland and lay the groundwork for scientific drilling.The four edges of the Chukchi Borderland present distinct scientific opportunities as well as possibilities for broader impact. Two particular edges have been selected as offering the best pay-off, although only one may be surveyed given the limited ship days available to this project: The transition from the Chukchi Shelf to the Chukchi Borderland ? Potential fields data (eg. gravity and magnetic anomaly data) suggest a discontinuity between the North American continental crust of the Chukchi Shelf and the adjacent Chukchi Borderland crust of uncertain affinity. In addition to directly observing any structures that define the transition, collecting the proposed data would also make it possible to link the substantial historical 2-D MCS grid on the shelf and the age control there to the stratigraphy of the Arctic Ocean. This is the least challenging area for sea ice. This region should be open water during the August-September period.The northern edge of the Chukchi Borderland ? Bathymetry data appear to show extensional structures from the interior basins within the Borderland plunging below the sediment cover off the continental high. This is in conflict with some models, which require a transform fault at the northern limit of the bathymetric high.