Alison Till Julie A. Dumoulin 2014 <p><span>The tectonic evolution of the Arctic realm, particularly in the Mesozoic, remains a subject of considerable uncertainty. The nature of the crustal entities involved, their origins, and the nature, location, and age of major tectonic boundaries are incompletely studied and understood (</span><a class="link link-ref link-reveal xref-bibr" data-open="i978-0-8137-2506-2-v-b10">Pease, 2011</a><span>). The largest piece of continental crust of uncertain origin that plays a role in Arctic tectonics is the Arctic Alaska–Chukotka terrane or microplate. The terrane includes northern Alaska, northeasternmost Russia, and the adjacent continental shelves (</span><a class="link link-reveal link-table xref-fig" data-open="i978-0-8137-2506-2-v-f01">Fig. 1</a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a class="link link-ref link-reveal xref-bibr" data-open="i978-0-8137-2506-2-v-b7">Natal'in et al., 1999</a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a class="link link-ref link-reveal xref-bibr" data-open="i978-0-8137-2506-2-v-b6">Miller et al., 2006</a><span>). Because of its size, the origin of this microplate and its movements during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic are critical components of tectonic and paleogeographic models (</span><a class="link link-ref link-reveal xref-bibr" data-open="i978-0-8137-2506-2-v-b10">Pease, 2011</a><span>).</span></p> application/pdf 10.1130/2014.2506(00) en Geological Society of America Preface chapter