RSES Seminar Series 2024-11-07 Amando Lasabuda (University of Sydney)

The Cenozoic era of the Barents Sea, Norwegian Arctic: A forward modelling of basin and landscape dynamics and implications for ocean circulation between the Atlantic and the Arctic
Amando Lasabuda (University of Sydney)

Abstract: In this talk, we will explore a near North Pole region called the Barents Sea in the Norwegian Arctic and its evolution throughout its Cenozoic era (c. 66 Ma). The geological history shows a complex interplay between tectonic, climatic and surface processes. However, datasets are limited and sparse in exploring this frontier area. What did the actual paleotopography look like during the onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (c. 2.7 Ma)? How was the corresponding sediment routing from the source to the sink area? Can we constrain the oceanic basin configuration of an ultra-slow seafloor spreading in a magma-poor setting with a sharp and steep continental margin? Unlike the Fram Strait Gateway where the scientific community has largely reached a consensus on when it was opened (c. 17 Ma), what was the timing of the opening of the Barents Seaway? We will explore different factors, parameters and scenarios in reconstructing basin-fill stratigraphy and landscape evolution of the Arctic Barents Shelf and their implications for the ocean circulation between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans and the onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation. This project is part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) international mobility fellowship at the University of Sydney and the University of Oslo, funded by the European Union and the Research Council of Norway.