Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Geoscientific surveys in the Nares Strait gateway (Lincoln Sea and Baffin Bay) - Investigating the plate tectonic history between Greenland and Ellesm  (NARES Gateway)

Outline
The geological evolution of the narrow marine channels between Ellesmere Island and Greenland (collectively known as Nares Strait) has been the subject of a long controversy. Geologically the strait was part of the plate boundary that separated the North American plate from the Greenland plate between late Cretaceous and mid-Tertiary time. In the southern part of this boundary, in the Labrador Sea, a northward propagating mid-oceanic rift system is indicated by marine geophysical work. Concerning the central segment in Baffin Bay, there is an ongoing debate whether extensional crustal thinning has led to the formation of true oceanic crust. The northern segment of the plate boundary, the Nares Strait between Baffin Bay in the south and Lincoln Sea in the north has been studied only poorly with marine geophysical methods. According to the data from the Labrador Sea, this part of the plate boundary is supposed to have acted as a transform fault, causing sinistral movement of Ellesmere Island with respect to Greenland. In the northern part the strait is crossed with an apparent offset by the compressional Eurekan fold belt caused by indentation of the Greenland plate into the North American plate. How both these processes can be caused by the same plate movement is an open and largely unexplained question. Therefore, the Nares Strait is key to understanding the pre-drift position of Greenland and consequently important in plate reconstructions of the North Atlantic and the Arctic ocean basins. Additionally, the opening of the Nares Strait as a gateway for the Arctic seawater is of special importance for oceanographic processes, and might have effected the Labrador currents and the climate in eastern Canada. Working out the plate tectonic history of the separation of North America and Greenland would be an outstanding geological and consequently an oceanographic contribution to the IPY. The discussion on the origin of Nares Strait revolves around three hypotheses: 1) the strait is a major strike slip fault; 2) plate motion has been taken up in a broad zone of deformation; and 3) the strait is not a tectonic boundary. Seismic, aeromagnetic, geodetic and geological investigations will be applied to decipher the plate tectonic model of the NARES gateway opening.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The multinational, multisdisciplinary geoscientific investigations in the Nares Strait will provide basic data for the evolution of the strait and the adjacent ocean basins Lincoln Sea and northern Baffin Bay during the Late Cretaceous/Tertiary plate-tectonic re-organisation. These data will help to (1) constrain reconstructions of the opening and deepening of the gateway at high spatial and temporal resolution, (2) deliver a new generation of high-resolution paleo-oceanographic and paleo-climatic models, (3) improve the understanding of the feedback of gateway openings/closures on the climatic system including the evolution of ice sheets (compare IPY 2007-2008 themes 2-4).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) Geological Survey of Canada (GSC Calgary) Geological Survey of Canada (GSC Halifax) Geologcal Survey of Denmark (GEUS)

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Nares Strait and the adjacent areas of Lincoln Sea, northern Baffin Bay, Jones Sound and Lancaster Sound.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/07 – 08/07            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
A successful marine seismic geophysical survey in the Lincoln Sea definitely needs a two ships operation. Shiptime on RV Polarstern has been applied for to support the marine seismic data acquisition which is planned to be performed in conjunction with a Canadian or Danish icebreaker. The ships can be used as support vessel and base for helicopter operations for programs such as aeromagnetics, onshore geology, and geodesy. Support of some oceanographic projects may also be possible.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No infrastructure will be left in the study areas.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
National agency
Own support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The project is based on a cooperation between German, Canadian, and Danish governmental institutions. Shiptime has been applied at AWI for usage of research vessel “Polarstern”. The project is endorsed by the German IPY-Committee.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New

The project is a new initiative and a multinational campaign and multidisciplinary approach to provide new fundamental data based on the earlier BGR-initiated projects CASE (Circum-Arctic Structural Events) and NARES.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be managed and organised through an international steering committee formed by the participating institutions. Specialist personnel will be drawn from BGR, AWI, GSC, and GEUS and several universities.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
TV documentation and educational programs are envisaged.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Workshop planned to release data for the community and discuss paths for its interpretation. The aeromagnetic data sets will be included in national and world data banks (e.g. WDC). Rock samples will be stored in a rock depository at BGR.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
BGR and AWI are currently reviewing funding and logistic support for “Polarstern” and the required accompanying ice-breaker . GSC and GEUS are also reviewing funding and logistic support.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The NARES Gateway project is a part of the overarching IPY project POLARGATES.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Detlef Damaske
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)
Stilleweg 2
Hannover
30655
Germany

Tel: +49 511 643 2692
Mobile: no
Fax: +49 511 643 3663
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation