CASE 16 expedition: Does the Wegener Fault exist in the southern part of the Nares Strait region (Canadian Arctic)?

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Werner von Gosen
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2014 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 262011051

The Wegener Fault in the Nares Strait between Greenland and Ellesmere Island (Canadian Arctic) is interpreted as a sinistral transform fault that connected the Early Tertiary spreading systems of northern Baffin Bay and the Eurasian Basin. An entirely contrasting opinion, however, suggests that this fault does not exist and, therefore, cannot be used for plate tectonic reconstructions and interpretations. A critical area to solve this Wegener Fault problem is the Smith Sound in the southern part of Nares Strait. Interpreted results of aeromagnetic studies in this area have shown that magmatic dykes cross the strait and end just at the east coast of Ellesmere Island. Based on results from two expeditions, structural analyses during the CASE 16 expedition in this eastern segment of Ellesmere Island intend to find evidence for the existence of the Wegener Fault in the southern Nares Strait area. The results can contribute to solve the problem of the Wegener Fault and with that can either confirm or reject present plate tectonic interpretations. By this they can provide an important contribution to the interpretation of the development of the Arctic in the Early Tertiary.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Dr. Karsten Piepjohn