Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentation in the circum-arctic belt. 2. Cretaceous-Paleogene

New data from the literature on the Cretaceous-Paleogene of the Circum-Arctic belt were used to revise lithological-paleogeographic maps published in 1983 by V.E. Khain, A.B. Ronov, and A.N. Balukhovskii. The region of our study is bounded by the present-day break of the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean in the north and the 60° N latitude in the south. The legend was simplified by omitting climatic and tectonic information and emphasizing lithofacies zoning. For each map, we calculated the areas and volumes of sediments of the distinguished lithofacies zones and particular rock groups. These data were used to estimate the masses of dry sediments and accumulation rates. The distinguished variations of these quantitative parameters in the Circum-Arctic belt were compared with respective global trends related to tectonic and climatic changes. The contributions of regional features of sedimentation and magmatism were identified. It was concluded that the global trends were the dominant factor controlling regional sedimentation history. Two stages, Cretaceous and Paleogene, were distinguished in the history of sedimentation.