Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Tectonics of New Siberian Islands and adjacent East Arctic shelf: a key to a non-contradictory model of Amerasian Basin opening  (Amerasian Basin origin: a view from New Siberian Islands)

Outline
The origin of Amerasian oceanic basin surrounded by continental terranes is the most outstanding unresolved question in Arctic tectonics. Several plate tectonic models have been proposed to explain its opening at the onset of Cretaceous. The most popular hypothesis suggests the rotation of large continental block that makes up the East Asian and Alaska Arctic shelf and also includes adjacent portions of mainland occupied by northern Chukotka and Alaska North Slope. According to this concept, in Late Palaeozoic – Early Mesozoic time this block belonged to the North-American continent but at the onset of Cretaceous it broke away from Arctic Canada, rotated anticlockwise and accreted to north-east Asia. This resulted in opening of Amerasian oceanic basin and the accompanying closure of the Anyui Ocean that left South-Anyui suture after it. All modifications of this hypothesis assume that arched continental-scale transform passes eastward from New Siberian Islands and cuts the East Siberian shelf into two terranes. All geologists agree that the hypothesis cannot satisfactorily explain the known tectonic features of surrounding continental blocks. New Siberian Islands and adjacent shelf is the major “stumbling-block” which hinders to accept the rotation. On the one hand it is a genuine part of a large continental block, which has presumably been detached from the Arctic Canada. On the other hand, with this terrane the block became too long to fit the presumed original position. Thus, the main purpose of the project is to reconstruct the Arctic tectonic framework prior to the Amerasian basin formation and find the location of the New Siberian Islands block within it. The main themes of proposed investigation are as follows:1. Palaeomagnetic sampling through the Mesozoic sedimentary succession of Kotel’ny Island to compare the block position before and after the Amerasian basin creation. 2. Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary basins features and their circum-Amerasian correlation for palaeogeographic reconstructions.3. Kinematics of deformations and their possible relation with the Amerasian basin opening.4. Studies of bedrock on the poorly-known northernmost De Long Islands which assumable host Palaeozoic foldbelt. 5. Bedrock composition of submerged northern shelf that can be discovery through the erratic boulders scattered on Anjou islands and forming boulder conglomerate on Jeanette Island. 6. The second team (leader Sergey Sokolov) will study the southern boundary of hypotheticaly rotated continental block delineated by the South-Anyui suture, Chukotka.7. The geophysical team (leader Andrey Zayonchek) will expand onland results to surrounding shelf.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
100 words max We expect that the investigation will make a significant advance in the development of a new plate-kinematic model of Arctic Amerasian basin. It seems important not only for Russian geologists but also for all those from different sides of the Basin. The geology of northern part of the New Siberian Shelf is very poorly known. The bedrock study on norhernmost De-Long Islands promises new scientific discoveries. Erratic boulders study will get to know the basement composition of submerged northern shelf. We believe that earlier in Cenozoic there was a large mountainous land, which was at times glaciated and provided the erratics.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
First team (leader A.Kuzmichev): New Siberian Islands, particularly: Jeanette Is., Kotel’ny Is, Benett Is. (Northern Yakutia)Second team (leader S.Sokolov): Anyui region (Northern Chukotka)

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/07-08/07      06/08-08/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Each field season on New Siberian Islands requires 20 to 40 helicopter flight hours, which depend on the number of participants and remoteness of particular island. A flight to remote islands requires managing of one or more mid-way fuel stations by additional helicopter flights. A helicopter will be rented in Tixi town, Northern Yakutia Northern Chukotka fieldwork requires the rent of a track-vehicle at Anyui State Mining Enterprise (Anyui settlement, Chukotka)

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Fieldworks on the target objects have already been carried out for last few years and will be continued in 2005-2006. The team leaders have good experience in fieldwork management.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
YES - The Russian National Committee on IPY endorses the proposal

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
YES
The Project is the expansion of existing activity

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project is a self-managed

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The project has a purely research orientation, but educational processes are be involved in two ways:1) Student(s) from Moscow State University will take part in the fieldwork2) Our expedition used to supplement geological exposition to the Museum of Natural History in Tixi town (Northern Yakutia) after each field season. The museum was established by A.Gukov - Director of Ust’-Lena Reservation to provoke interest for surrounding nature and to natural sciences in schoolchildren (particularly native ones).

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
No WDC for Arctic GEOLOGIC data was established up to now, and we hope that such centre will be set up in the course of IPY preparation. Evidently, geologists need to be informed on the results obtained on the opposite sides of the Arctic Ocean, since this Ocean is a newly-formed tectonic feature, and before its opening its sides were contiguous to each other. If such centre is founded we are ready to convey the data in appropriate electronic format. Otherwise, we are going to place fieldmaps, loggings, photos, analyses, reports, etc. on the Geological Institute (Moscow) website.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Up to now the research activities and fieldwork on New Siberian Islands were funded by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Russian Foundation for Basic Research. If the Russian National Polar Committee receives money from the Government for IPY, it will provide additional funding, permitting to reach the remotest Jeanetta and Henrietta Islands.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr.Sci. Alexander Kuzmichev
Geological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
Pyzhevsky lane 7
Moscow
119017
Russia

Tel: 7(095)9512789
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Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information