Axel Heiberg Island

Axel Heiberg Island is a large island in Nunavut, Canada, within the Arctic Ocean’s Sverdrup Islands. It is known for fossil forests and salt-dome formations.

Fossil Forests of Axel Heiberg Island: Preserved trees and forest soils on Axel Heiberg Island record ancient high-Arctic ecosystems. These forests are the island’s best-known evidence of a much warmer past Arctic climate.
Salt Dome: A roughly dome-shaped structure formed when mobile underground salt rises through overlying rocks. Axel Heiberg’s domes are local examples of this broader geological structure.
Paleocene: The geological epoch from about 66 to 56 million years ago, following the Cretaceous Period. Some of the island’s fossil-bearing strata formed during this warm interval after the mass extinction.
McGill Arctic Research Station: A research station near Expedition Fjord on Axel Heiberg Island, operated by McGill University. It supports scientific fieldwork directly on the island.
Sverdrup Islands: A group of islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, named for Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup. Axel Heiberg Island belongs to this island group.
Eureka Sound Formation: A Paleogene sedimentary rock unit exposed in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, including Axel Heiberg Island. Its strata preserve many of the island’s fossil forests and associated plants.
Salt Tectonics: The deformation and movement of rock layers caused by the flow of buried salt. This process explains how salt beneath the island rises and deforms its sedimentary rocks.
Eocene: The geological epoch from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago, marked by an initially warm global climate. Eocene deposits on the island preserve evidence of forests in a far warmer Arctic.
Expedition Fjord: A fjord on Axel Heiberg Island that provides access to the island’s interior and research sites. The station and many field studies are based in this part of the island.
Canadian Arctic Archipelago: A vast group of islands in northern Canada between the mainland and the Arctic Ocean. The Sverdrup Islands, including Axel Heiberg, form part of this larger archipelago.

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