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Geological Structure of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (West Russian Arctic) and Peculiarities of the Tectonics of the Eurasian Arctic

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Abstract

Our study considers the structure and tectonics of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, located in the west Russian Arctic and part of the Eurasian Arctic: (i) the age of the Pre-Paleozoic basement of the North block of the archipelago and the geodynamic sedimentation conditions in its northern end, where many kilometers of turbidite sedimentary strata accumulated in the paleobasin during the Late Vendian-Silurian; (ii) the significance of Caledonian tectogenesis in the geological history of the archipelago; (iii) the age and causes of the Late Hercynian (?)-Early Cimmerian orogeny in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and the relationship of the archipelago structures with the structures of the Urals; (iv) the age and causes for the formation of the modern relief of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago; (v) evidence of active movements of the shelves of the Barents and Kara Seas surrounding Novaya Zemlya. The age of the most ancient rock dating in the area of the Main Novaya Zemlya Fault corresponds to the Vendian (598 ± 26; 609 ± 4 Ma), and the model age of the protolith is estimated at 1 Ga. Two blocks have been established for the Precambrian (North and South) and three, for Middle-Late Paleozoic (North, Central and South). The Middle-Late Paleozoic stage is considered as a reflection of the tectonic-magmatic activation manifested in the Caledonides of Greenland and Scandinavia. The episodes of basic and granitoid magmatism in the intervals of 730–690 and 610–590 Ma indicate the presence of blocks of the former Arctida (?) in the west (Novaya Zemlya), in the central part (Severnaya Zemlya), and in the east (New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island) of the modern Arctic. Basic areal (plume) magmatism occurred in the Late Devonian, in the Late Permian-Early Triassic and Late Mesozoic. The features of the geological structure of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago strictly correspond to the three orographic areas (tectonic blocks) of the archipelago. The Western and Eastern Novaya Zemlya troughs are the tectonic pairs with the Novaya Zemlya orogen. The heights of the dated sea terraces indicate significant rates of neotectonic uplift of the archipelago.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to N.N. Sobolev, who died prematurely during the creation of the article (VSEGEI, St. Petersburg, Russia) for discussing the materials–we will keep the memory of our colleague and friend forever.

The authors express their gratitude to the reviewer Prof. S.D. Sokolov (GIN RAS, Moscow, Russia) and anonymous reviewers for comments that made it possible to improve the article, to the editor M.N. Shoupletsova (GIN RAS, Moscow, Russia) for careful editing and preparation of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. All-Russia Scientific Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean (VNIIOKEANGEOLOGIA), 190121, St. Petersburg, Russia

    E. A. Korago, G. N. Kovaleva, E. A. Gusev, A. A. Krylov & D. A. Gorbunov

  2. St. Petersburg Mining University, Department of Geological Prospecting, 199106, St. Petersburg, Russia

    R. A. Schekoldin

  3. Polar Marine Geosurvey Expedition (PMGE), 198412, St. Petersburg, Russia

    V. F. Il’in

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  1. E. A. Korago
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Correspondence to R. A. Schekoldin.

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Korago, E.A., Kovaleva, G.N., Schekoldin, R.A. et al. Geological Structure of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (West Russian Arctic) and Peculiarities of the Tectonics of the Eurasian Arctic. Geotecton. 56, 123–156 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016852122020030

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