K-Ar ages of Basaltic rocks collected during a traverse of the Frans Josef Land Archipelago (1895-1896)

Abstract

Age determinations for rock samples collected by Fridtjof Nansen during his trans-Arctic expedition from 1893-1896 have yielded additional information on the tectonic chronology of the Arctic Basin. The data suggest pulses of volcanic activity in the Frans Josef Land Archipelago with approximate averages of 120 ma and 135 ma. These ages are consistent with postulated opening dates for the western Arctic and thus suggest that initial volcanism affected the entire Arctic margin.