Timing and mechanisms controlling evaporite diapirism on Ellef Ringnes Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Abstract

The Permo -Carboniferous to Eocene Sverdrup Basin in Canada's Arctic Archipelago is strongly in£uenced by evaporite diapirism. However, salt structures within the basin have not been extensively investigated recently due to their remote location.This study includes the interpretation of legacy seismic re£ection and borehole data to characterize the geometry of selected evaporite domes, and1D backstripping of wells to investigate tectonic and sedimentary in£uences on diapirism. Extensional rift-structures appear to have played a signi¢cant role in the formation of evaporite domes by triggering and directing salt movement. Diapirism was initiated by at least the MiddleTriassic and continued to develop during the Mesozoic. Di¡erential loading of salt on opposing east^west dome margins led to their present day asymmetric geometries. Diapir growth rates in the Mesozoic were closely linked to the rate of sedimentation and in£uenced by regional tectonism.

Cenomanian to Santonian radiolarian biostratigraphy, carbon isotope stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Sverdrup Basin, Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut, Canada

“…The depositional setting of the Sverdrup Basin shifted from being a carbonate shallow shelf setting during the Carboniferous and Permian to a siliciclastic-dominated basin in the Triassic, when flooding of the basin's margins allowed for deltaic progradation and further sediment influx (Embry and Podruski, 1988;Embry, 1990Embry, , 1991Embry and Beauchamp, 2008). Furthermore, diapirism associated with differential loading and regional compression mobilizing evaporites of the Carboniferous Otto Fiord Formation, had initiated by Middle Triassic and was contemporaneous with sedimentation throughout the Mesozoic (Embry and Beauchamp, 2008;Boutelier et al, 2010).…”

“…Modified after Embry and Beauchamp (2008). within the central Sverdrup Basin coincides with Mesozoic compressional tectonics and diapir emplacement (Boutelier et al, 2010). This locality provides exposure of the uppermost Christopher, Hassel and Kanguk formations providing insight into the Late Cretaceous history of the Polar Sea.…”

Geological features of the northeastern Canadian Arctic margin revealed from analysis of potential field data

“…In addition, the Hansen Point Volcanics (HPV), consisting of a thick (~ 1000 m) sequence of lava flows and pyroclastics with intercalated clastic fluvial and marine sedimentary layers, occur on northwestern Ellesmere Island (Trettin and Parrish, 1987; Figure 3) and are of Late Cretaceous (88-94 Ma) (Embry and Osadetz, 1988;Richard et al, 2013;BGR, 2014) to Early Palaeogene (~ 64 Ma) age (Estrada and Henjes-Kunst, 2004;BGR, 2014). Salt diapirs (and other salt-cored intrusive structures/features) assigned to the Carboniferous Otto Fiord Formation are also widespread across the onshore Sverdrup Basin area and have in places penetrated the entire overlying, younger sedimentary successions/strata (Balkwill, 1978;Stephenson et al, 1992;Boutelier et al 2011; Figure 3). …”

Соляная Тектоника В Окраинно-Континентальных Эвапоритовых Бассейнах Арктики

“…А. Волновая картина на сейсмическом разрезе МАГЭ иллюстрирующая проявление соляной тектоники в бассейне Воронина (Карская плита). Б. Соляная тектоника (Dumbells Dome) в Свердрупском бассейне, о-в Эллеф-Рингнес [12]. В. Сейсмогеологический разрез на с-в Енисей-Хатангского прогиба (Хатангский залив) [11]: 1 -соляной диапир, 2 -тела базальтоидов, 3 -разломы.…”

“…2 Б). Диапиризм начался в сред-нем триасе и продолжался весь мезозой [12]. Рифтовый сценарий развития бассейна, очевидно, как и в бассейнах западной части Баренцева моря, сыграл определяющую роль в запуске диапиризма и формировании эвапоритовых куполов.…”