Geological Society of America

T92 Sigma Gamma Epsilon Undergraduate Research (Posters)

Monday, 5 November 2012
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Hall B

TECTONIC HISTORY OF THE KHIBINY MASSIF, KOLA PENNINSULA, RUSSIA

Paper number: T92-74
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Authors

Cody Dunning Presenting Author
West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Aaron Maas
West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Matthew Kauffman
West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Emily Caufman
West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Maurice Bezdek
West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Daria Nikitina
West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Jakub Ondruch
Masaryk University, N/A

Abstract

The Khibiny massif, located in the central part of the Kola Peninsula, Northwestern Russia, is the largest alkaline pluton of nepheline syenites in the world. The massif is landlocked between the Archean rocks of tectonically inactive Baltic shield. Three stages of Paleozoic magmatic activity produced intrusive complexes throughout the Kola Peninsula. The initial stage occurred 410-390 mya and resulted in formation of the Khibiny mountains. Post-magmatic stage of Khibiny landscape development involved ~350 my of denudation during which igneous rocks were exhumed, uplifted and eroded forming flat-topped mountains.

In the summer 2012, the field investigation of the selected sites within the Khibiny massif and Baltic shield conducted by students and faculty from Lomonosov Moscow State and West Chester Universities revealed multiple geomorphological evidence of Quaternary neotectonic activity within the southern and western parts of the Khibiny mountains. Tectonic gorges, fault complexes, grabens, steep bedrock slopes, rock falls and boulder fields were mapped in the field and used to propose possible mechanisms of recent tectonic activity. This paper presents geomorphological evidence and discusses plausible explanation of neotectonic activity of the Khibiny mountain due to long-term unloading, glacial isostatic crust movement, and anthropogenic impact related to active mining.