Amerasia Basin

basin, Arctic Ocean

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Last updated

June 18, 2026

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The Amerasia Basin is a deep submarine depression within the Arctic Ocean. It is located on the American side of the Lomonosov Ridge, which divides the Arctic Ocean into two main basins. The origin of the Amerasia Basin is not fully understood, but it is hypothesized to have opened during the Cretaceous Period through the rotation of the Arctic-Alaska lithospheric plate. The basin contains the Canada Basin, the largest subbasin in the Arctic Ocean, and the Makarov Basin. The Amerasia Basin is characterized by a significant portion of its area being underlain by a wide continental shelf, particularly off the coast of Eurasia.12

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Arctic Ocean
Origin
The origin of the Amerasia Basin is far less clear. Most researchers favour a hypothesis of opening by rotation of the Arctic-Alaska lithospheric plate away from the North American Plate during the Cretaceous Period (about 145 to 65 million years ago). Better understanding of the origin of the Arctic…
Read More
The origin of the Amerasia Basin is far less clear. Most researchers favour a hypothesis of opening by rotation of the Arctic-Alaska lithospheric plate away from the North American Plate during the Cretaceous Period (about 145 to 65 million years ago). Better understanding of the origin of the Arctic…
Read More