Results from Prior Support

The slightly submerged Bering Shelf-Chukchi Sea region comprises over 50% of the total U.S. continental shelf area and forms a broad isthmus of continental crust connecting the North American and Asian continents (Fig. 1). Although harsh climate and remoteness make this a difficult area to work in, there has been much interest in the stratigraphic framework and evolution of sedimentary basins on this shelf because of substantial oil and gas reserves in the region. However, the overall geologic and tectonic evolution of the continental crust beneath this region, the continuity of geologic structures between North America and Russia, and the plate-tectonic origin of the Arctic Ocean remain poorly known.