Introduction

In 1988, 1992, and 1993, seismic reflection and sonobuoy refraction data from Canada Basin and the eastern portion of the Chukchi Continental Borderland of the Arctic Ocean, including Northwind Ridge and Northwind Basin in the eastern half of the borderland, were acquired to determine the geologic framework and tectonic history of the Arctic Ocean Basin north of Alaska. The survey area (Figs. 1 and 2) is characterized by a paucity of geophysical and geological data relevant to the structure and stratigraphy of the Amerasia Basin, and is of interest because the tectonic processes that created the basin were also instrumental in the formation of the supergiant Prudhoe Bay oil field and other large oil and gas deposits in the northern portion of the coastal Northern Alaska Petroleum Province to the south. Published results from these surveys include Grantz and others (1993); Grantz and others (1998), which describes the accompanying piston coring program; 1992 Arctic Summer West Scientific Party (1993); and Grantz and others (1994) which includes preliminary interpretations of the 1992 and 1993 seismic data. Jackson and others (1995) presents an interpretation of the seismic refraction and reflection data along the northernmost profile (93-06) in the data set.