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Sedimentary Rocks in the Basement of the Alpha–Mendeleev Rise, Arctic Ocean

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Abstract

The results of petrographic, petrogeochemical and isotopic studies of sedimentary rocks obtained from bedrock outcrops of the Alpha–Mendeleev Rise, Arctic Ocean, using manipulators of a submarine research vessel (SRV) of the Russian Ministry of Defense during two expeditions conducted in 2014 and 2016 are considered and discussed in the article. Three sequences are identified in the basement of this Rise. The lower sequence (O3–S2) is composed of pure dolomite rocks (hereafter, dolomites proper), as well as dolomites with the terrigenous and bioclastic admixture, limestones with the terrigenous and bioclastic admixture, and quartz sandstones. They were formed in the coastal and shallow shelf environments of the tropical sea associated with carbonate platforms adjacent to river discharge areas. The middle sequence (D2–D3) is composed of limestones with the terrigenous and bioclastic admixture, as well as quartz–feldspar sandstones, which originated in coastal and shallow environments of the tropical sea. The upper sequence (K1) is represented by the calcareous, clayey, and calcareous–clayey sandstones formed in shallow marine conditions. Maturity degree of the clastic material, which makes up sandstones of the three sequences, decreases from almost monomictic quartz arenites and sublitharenites of the lower sequence to subarkoses of the middle sequence and subarkoses, arkoses, litharenites, and wackes of the upper sequence. All sediments were accumulated in interacratonic sedimentary basins developed successively at passive margins of the Mendeleev microcontinent along with supercontinents Laurussia and Laurasia.

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Notes

  1. Hereinafter, dark unidentified mineral grains are defined as ore minerals. Based on the chemical composition of rocks, they can be represented by Fe and Fe–Ti oxides or Fe sulfides.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the SRV team of the Russian Ministry of Defence for the mastery and preseverance during the recovery of rock samples, as well as to researchers at the Geological Institute M.I. Bujakaite and O.L. Petrov for the isotopic measurements.

Funding

This work was carried out under the State Task of Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (project no. 0135–2019–00500), with the financial support of AO GEOSURVEY Geological Institute RAS, and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 18-05-70 061).

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  1. Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017, Moscow, Russia

    S. G. Skolotnev, A. I. Khisamutdinova, B. V. Ermolaev, O. I. Okina & T. S. Skolotneva

  2. AO GEOSURVEY Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 123242, Moscow, Russia

    S. I. Freiman

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  1. S. G. Skolotnev
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Translated by D. Sakya

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Skolotnev, S.G., Freiman, S.I., Khisamutdinova, A.I. et al. Sedimentary Rocks in the Basement of the Alpha–Mendeleev Rise, Arctic Ocean. Lithol Miner Resour 57, 121–142 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0024490222020079

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