CRYOLITHOZONE  OF  THE  NORTHWESTERN  ARCTIC SHELF  OF  RUSSIA

М. А. Kholmyanskii*, А. О. Kartashev*, Е. М. Snopova**, M.V. Vladimirov

*Gramberg All-Russia Scientific Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean (VNIIOkeangeologiya), Angliiskii pr. 1, St. Petersburg, 190121 Russia.

E-mail: holm936@rambler.ru
**TechnoTerra Co. Ltd., nab.r. Fontanka, 113a, St. Petersburg, 190031 Russia.
E-mail: snopova-katya@mail.ru

Geocryological maps published at the turn of the 1990s and 2000s were based on scant actual data of drilling and logging of permafrost formations, on results of thermodynamic modeling and the use of the method of analogies, i.e., the transfer of characteristics of well researched land permafrost formations on similar in geological structure and paleogeography areas of the shelf.

Based on the analysis of paleogeography, paleoclimatic and geomorphological situation in the Barents, the White and Kara seas during the Quaternary period, the version of various options of the shelf permafrost structure of these seas has been formulated.

The authors analyzed existing materials, articles and reports, including rare data on drilling, logging and modeling; they studied the results of electric exploration with transient electromagnetic method in the near field that were carried out for the first time with geocryological purpose and examined all available seismic and seismic-acoustic materials. Based on the data obtained, the new version of geocryological map of the northwestern Arctic shelf of Russia with thickness determination of specific types of permafrost formations and their spatial boundaries has been created.

Key words: cryolithozone, geocryological map of the shelf, transient electromagnetic method in the near field, permafrost formations, the structure permafrost of shelf, seismic and seismic-acoustic data interpretation.

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