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Properties and history of the central eastern Arctic sea floor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

J. Thiede ,
A. Altenbach ,
U. Bleil ,
R. Botz ,
P. Mudie ,
S. Pfirman  and
E. Sundvor
J. Thiede
Affiliation:
GEOMAR, Forschungszentrum für Marine Geowissenschaften, WischhofstraBe 1–3, Geb.4, D-2300 Kiel 14 FRG;
A. Altenbach
Affiliation:
Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, OlshausenstraBe 40, D-2300 Kiel 1 FRG;
U. Bleil
Affiliation:
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Postfach 330 440, D-2800 Bremen 33 FRG;
R. Botz
Affiliation:
Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, OlshausenstraBe 40, D-2300 Kiel 1 FRG;
P. Mudie
Affiliation:
Geological Survey Canada, Atlantic Geoscience Centre, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada;
S. Pfirman
Affiliation:
GEOMAR, Forschungszentrum für Marine Geowissenschaften, WischhofstraBe 1–3, Geb.4, D-2300 Kiel 14 FRG;
E. Sundvor
Affiliation:
Jordskjelvstasjonen, University of Bergen, AUégate 41 (Realfagbygg.), N-5000 Bergen, Norway
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Abstract

The deep eastern Arctic basin between the Lomonosov Ridge and the Eurasian continental margin differs from other ocean basins in the very slow spreading of its floor and unusual depositional environment under perennial sea-ice cover. The recent expedition ARK IV/3 of RV Polar stern for the first time made geoscientific investigations from the northern margin of the Barents Sea north to the Nansen-Gakkel Ridge. Much deeper than most other mid-ocean ridges, this ridge is poorly-surveyed, but has a central valley which in places is deeper than 5.5 km, 1–1.5 km below the basin floors on either side. Heat flow in the central part of the valley is very rapid; both basement rocks and overlying sediments showed unexpectedly the influence of intense and long-term hydrothermal activity. The sediments on the northern and southern flanks of the ridge are slightly calcareous pelagic mud layers alternating with carbonate-free horizons, where up to 40% of the sedimentary section is soft mud clasts. Similar mud aggregates were observed on the surface of the multi-year sea ice, appearing to represent a special type of sediment transport by sea ice in the Transpolar Drift. In contrast to the western Arctic, Fram Strait and the Norwegian-Greenland Sea, gravel is rarely found in sediment cores. Recovered cores indicate that icebergs and sea ice carrying coarse sediment seldom rafted detritus to the study area during the last approximately 300,000 years.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 26 , Issue 156 , January 1990 , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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