Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agufm.c21a0969l&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2004, abstract #C21A-0969
Physics
8100 Tectonophysics, 8105 Continental Margins And Sedimentary Basins, 8120 Dynamics Of Lithosphere And Mantle: General, 8125 Evolution Of The Earth, 8155 Plate Motions: General
Scientific paper
Exploring new scientific frontiers, including those of planetary scale, is a recognized IPY 2007-2008 priority. Among such frontiers awaiting scientific exploration is a comparative study of tectonic structure and evolution of the Earth's Polar regions - the Arctic and the Antarctic. An overall objective of such study would be to understand whether the sharply contrasting morphostructural settings of these antipodal planetary segments (that is, the Arctic geodepression with broad peripheral shelf and central deep oceanic core versus Antarctica's thick continental crust surrounded by oceanic deeps) and their characteristic concave versus convex crustal profiles are merely incidental or have a fundamental geodynamic cause. A striking example of antipodal symmetry is represented by Gakkel and Lomonosov Ridges and adjoining Nansen, Amundsen and Makarov Basins in the Arctic Ocean that in Antarctica are mirrored by high-standing chain of the Transantarctic Mountains and subsided subglacial continental rifts along its both sides. On the other hand, some major rift-related deep sedimentary basins in one polar region appear antipodal to principal shield areas in the other (e.g. Canada Basin in the Arctic versus the oldest Antarctic cratonic nuclei, or the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica versus the Greenland Shield). Formation of present-day structural framework of both Polar Regions occurred during the Alpine stage mainly in extensional environment with only very negligible convergent component. This may indicate an essentially similar geodynamic background influenced by planetary-wide tension fields and tectonic forcing generated by mantle plumes and related advection flows. It is proposed that all earth science datasets already existing in the Arctic and the Antarctic and additional data acquired prior to and during IPY 2007-2008 will be synthesized in a Tectonic Map of the Polar Regions of the Earth to be compiled under the auspices of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World. A unified legend for that map should be specifically elaborated in such manner that would enable to highlight the Arctic and Antarctic antipodal structural features and identify their evolutionary links.
Grikurov G. E.
Leitchenkov G. L.
Leonov Y. G.
Zayonchek A. V.
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