HR: 1340h
AN: T13D-1572 [Abstracts]
TI: Seismic studies along the East Greenland margin between 72°N- 81°N
AU: * Berger, D
EM: Daniela.Berger@awi.de
AF: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am alten Hafen 26, Bremerhaven,
27568, Germany
AU: Jokat, W
EM: Wilfried.Jokat@awi.de
AF: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am alten Hafen 26, Bremerhaven,
27568, Germany
AB:
Due to previous offshore investigations along the East Greenland margin between 72°N-81°N a
detailed seismic stratigraphy could not be developed. The history of the Northern Hemisphere is a subject of
controversy. Especially speculations about the onset of the glaciation of East Greenland varies from
Plio/Pleistocene to Eocene.
The seismic dataset, gathered in 2002 and 2003 along the North East Greenland margin in combination with
analyses on the ODP sites 908, 909 and 913 give for the first time the possibility to provide an age estimation of
the sediments between 72°N-81°N. First results show the greatest glacial sediment deposits are
located beneath the East Greenland continental shelf. A basement high in the Greenland Basin (77°N-
75.8°N), presumably a 230 km wide basement structure prevents continuous sediment transport from the
shelf into the deep sea area in times before 14 Myrs. On the basis of our correlation we assume the ice-rafting in
the Greenland Basin has probably occured since the middle Miocene.
Additionally the compilation of sediment thickness provide an insight into the regional sediment distribution along
the northern East Greenland margin. The sediment thickness ranges between 1 km in the Greenland Basin and
up to 2.5 km in the Boreas and Molloy basins. A partially interpolation and extrapolation of ages in the region
between 72 and 81°N provides a first age estimation along the northern East Greenland margin. The latest
results along the northern East Greenland margin will be introduced.
DE: 3002 Continental shelf and slope processes (4219)
DE: 3022 Marine sediments: processes and transport
DE: 3025 Marine seismics (0935, 7294)
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting