Alpha Ridge

E75802

Alpha Ridge is a major submarine volcanic ridge in the Arctic Ocean, extending beneath the polar ice and playing a key role in the region’s geological structure and continental shelf debates.

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Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf geologic feature
submarine volcanic ridge
ageCharacterization Mesozoic to early Cenozoic
associatedWith High Arctic Large Igneous Province
Lomonosov Ridge
Alpha–Mendeleev Ridge complex
surface form: Mendeleev Ridge
claimedAsNaturalProlongationBy Canada
Russia
coveredBy perennial sea ice
discoveredBy geophysical surveys
extendsBeneath Arctic sea ice
formedBy mantle plume activity (hypothesized)
formedDuring Cretaceous
surface form: Cretaceous period
forms major topographic high on Arctic seafloor
geologicalNature igneous province
volcanic
has thick igneous crust
hasUncertain crustal affinity
importantFor Arctic tectonic reconstructions
paleogeographic reconstructions
understanding Arctic Ocean evolution
influences regional crustal structure of the Arctic Ocean
isDifficultToStudyBecause permanent ice cover
remote Arctic location
isKeyStructureIn Amerasia Basin opening models
locatedIn Nansen Basin
surface form: Arctic Basin

Arctic Ocean
locatedOn oceanic crust
maximumWaterDepthAbove approximately 1000–2000 meters (order of magnitude)
morphologicalType submarine ridge
orientation roughly north-south
partOf Arctic Ocean seafloor
partOfDebate Arctic continental shelf delimitation
relatedTo Amerasian Basin
surface form: Amerasia Basin

Canada Basin
relevantTo United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
extended continental shelf claims
separates Canada Basin and Makarov Basin
studiedUsing bathymetric mapping
gravity anomaly data
magnetic anomaly data
seismic reflection data
subjectOf geopolitical interest
marine geological research cruises
tectonicSetting intraplate volcanic province (interpreted)

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.