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GDP-08 Basin subsidence and mantle dynamics
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Linking deep structures and basin formation in the Barents Sea
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S.A. Clark, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
O. Ritzmann, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
J.I. Faleide, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
R. Mjelde, Univ. of Bergen (Norway)
K.A. Leever, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
E. Glørstad-Clark, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
R.H. Gabrielsen, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
A.J. Breivik, Univ. of Oslo (Norway)
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The Barents Sea continental shelf in the European Arctic is composed of a variety of geological provinces, with substantial differences between the west and east. Basement terrains are strongly influenced by the Caledonian Orogeny in the west and the Timanian Orogeny in the east. The sedimentary basin styles are also distinctly different, though deep basins (15-20 km) typify both sides. The west comprises a series of narrow, fault-bounded basins formed by multiple rifting episodes between the Late Paleozoic and final breakup in the Eocene. In contrast, the east represents a wide sag basin formed in the Permo-Triassic, coeval with the formation of the Siberian Traps. These observations suggest a strong link between crustal deformation and mantle dynamics, but the controlling mechanisms of temporal and spatial evolution in the Barents Sea are not clear.
The PETROBAR (Petroleum-related regional studies of the Barents Sea region) project seeks to better understand these mechanisms by integrating geological and geophysical data from a range of scales. We incorporate basin stratigraphy, deep seismic reflection profiles, wide-angle seismic reflection/refraction data, gravity and magnetic data and surface wave tomography to link different depth levels into one coherent interpretation. By doing so, we significantly improve the resolution of structures and physical properties used as constraints in numerical modeling. This integrated approach represents a major improvement in methodology for understanding the geodynamic processes responsible for the evolution of the Barents Sea region.
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