Rocks exposed along both sides of the Smith Sound in Ellesmere Island and NW Greenland record the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the whole Phanerozoic, including two periods of mountain building—the Palaeozoic Ellesmerian Orogeny and the Palaeogene Eurekan Orogeny—and the formation of two major sedimentary basins, the Franklinian and the Sverdrup Basins. We used geo- and thermochronology and apatite chemistry data to unravel this evolution. Apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He dates vary strongly from >600 to <100 Ma. We present internally consistent thermal history models, which allow to explain the data variations by a unitized exhumation and burial history. Our models suggest that the cratonic areas were buried beneath a several km-thick succession of Franklinian Basin deposits. During the Ellesmerian Orogeny, the craton acted as sediment source, as also suggested by the composition of apatite and by U-Pb ages of zircon contained in Devonian foreland sediments. The Ellesmerian foreland was buried by up to 4–5 km thick strata on top of the preserved sedimentary rocks. During the Triassic, the Sverdrup Basin strongly widened and extended at least ∼370 km further toward the east, as compared with previous reconstructions of the basin based on the preservation of Triassic deposits. Thermal history modeling suggests Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic reheating, which may be caused by deposition associated with the Eurekan Orogeny and/or enhanced heat flow associated with continental breakup. Our data also show that low-temperature thermochronology is not suitable for resolving potential strike-slip movements along the Wegener Fault.

中文翻译：

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北极显生宙构造和沉积历史：来自埃尔斯米尔岛和格陵兰西北部深时低温热年代学数据的约束

埃尔斯米尔岛和格陵兰西北部史密斯海峡两侧暴露的岩石记录了整个显生宙的构造沉积演化，包括古生代埃尔斯梅里亚造山运动和古近纪尤里坎造山运动两个造山时期，以及富兰克林盆地和斯弗德鲁普盆地两个主要沉积盆地的形成。我们利用地质年代学、热年代学以及磷灰石化学数据来揭示这一演化过程。磷灰石裂变径迹和 (U-Th)/He 日期变化很大，从 >600 Ma 到 <100 Ma。我们提出了内部一致的热历史模型，可以通过统一的挖掘和埋藏历史来解释数据变化。我们的模型表明，克拉通地区被埋藏在几公里厚的富兰克林盆地沉积物之下。在埃尔斯梅里亚造山运动期间，克拉通是沉积物源，泥盆纪前陆沉积物中磷灰石的成分和锆石的 U-Pb 年龄也表明了这一点。埃尔斯梅里亚前陆被保存完好的沉积岩顶部厚达 4-5 公里的地层所掩埋。在三叠纪期间，与之前基于保留三叠纪沉积物的盆地重建相比，斯维尔德鲁普盆地大幅加宽，并向东延伸了至少~370公里。热历史模型表明白垩纪晚期到新生代早期再加热，这可能是由与尤里卡造山运动相关的沉积和/或与大陆破裂相关的增强的热流引起的。我们的数据还表明，低温热年代学不适合解决沿韦格纳断层的潜在走滑运动。泥盆纪前陆沉积物中磷灰石的成分和锆石的 U-Pb 年龄也表明了这一点。埃尔斯梅里亚前陆被保存完好的沉积岩顶部厚达 4-5 公里的地层所掩埋。在三叠纪期间，与之前基于保留三叠纪沉积物的盆地重建相比，斯维尔德鲁普盆地大幅加宽，并向东延伸了至少~370公里。热历史模型表明白垩纪晚期到新生代早期再加热，这可能是由与尤里卡造山运动相关的沉积和/或与大陆破裂相关的增强的热流引起的。我们的数据还表明，低温热年代学不适合解决沿韦格纳断层的潜在走滑运动。泥盆纪前陆沉积物中磷灰石的成分和锆石的 U-Pb 年龄也表明了这一点。埃尔斯梅里亚前陆被保存完好的沉积岩顶部厚达 4-5 公里的地层所掩埋。在三叠纪期间，与之前基于保留三叠纪沉积物的盆地重建相比，斯维尔德鲁普盆地大幅加宽，并向东延伸了至少~370公里。热历史模型表明白垩纪晚期到新生代早期再加热，这可能是由与尤里卡造山运动相关的沉积和/或与大陆破裂相关的增强的热流引起的。我们的数据还表明，低温热年代学不适合解决沿韦格纳断层的潜在走滑运动。