New data on structural geomorphology of coastal plains and shelf of the East Arctic seas of the USSR

Abstract

A detailed structural-geomorphological analysis of coastal plains and shelf at East; Arctic sector of the USSR allows to distinguish four group of structures, including: archdome uplifts inherited from late erogenous stage, structures due to differentiated down-warping of the shelf; block structures at the zone of shear stress; rift structures. The delineated system of circumpolar faults shows similarity of submerged and emerged parts of the arctic margin of the continent, the system itself being a structure of planetary rank. Its special features and contacts with more ancient continental structures indicate that besides the shelf down-warping lateral shear movements were of importance.