Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Late Precambrian-Early Phanerozoic biotic evolution: Neoproterozoic Snowball Earth, the Cambrian Explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification – evidence from the Arctic  (EPASCO)

Outline
Major advances in the knowledge of Earth systems and biotic history in the late Precambrian and early Palaeozoic, especially during the Neoproterozoic (1000–545 Ma), have driven a variety of new research areas during the last ten years. New research suggests that the Earth may have passed through several cycles of global glaciation during the period 750–580 Ma, each of them possibly characterized by the complete freezing of all of the planet’s oceans for an interval of 10 myr or longer. At the same time molecular clocks have suggested that major groups of complex multicellular organisms such as plants, animals and fungi were present during, if not before, these global glaciations. Moreover, fossils of more complex organisms, metazoan embryos and trace fossils have been found considerably earlier than expected. Nevertheless the main explosion of body plans occurred during the early to mid Cambrian whereas the main expansion of numbers of animals occurred during the early Ordovician. Key exposures in the Arctic region provide unequalled opportunities to chart these events and tie them to climatic and environmental changes over an interval of several hundred million years.The aim of the project is to investigate late Precambrian to early Palaeozoic palaeoclimate and biological change using biotic, isotopic and sedimentological signals thus providing data to test and frame hypotheses regarding, for example, the origin and early development of metazoans, evolution of biodiversity and biocomplexity in marine communities and the early colonization of land by fungi and plants. These data are a necessity for: 1. Palaeoclimatic studies associated with the transition from Proterozoic Snowball Earth, when the Earth was completely covered by ice, to greenhouse conditions of the Early Palaeozoic, and 2. Palaeontological studies of the Cambrian explosion, the following Ordovician Radiation and colonization of land. The approach is in the first instance field based. Collections from a series of incomparable exposures in eastern North Greenland, Northeast Greenland and Svalbard will form the basis of this multidisciplinary project.The Arctic regions provide some of the best-exposed and accessible sections through these critical intervals in earth history. These areas provide an unique opportunity to develop models for early metazoan evolution and to train younger scientists in field, laboratory and numerical methods. Field work is planned on Svalbard, in Northeastern and eastern North Greenland. The project requires logistic support for a basecamp with a convenient location in the Arctic region. Fixed winged aircrafts and helicopters are needed. The work will be carried out with groups in lightweight camps.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Climate change in deep time: Biological, isotopic, geophysical, and sedimentological criteria will be used to describe and analyze the transitions between icehouse and greenhouse conditions during the late Precambrian. Sustained greenhouse conditions during the early Palaeozoic will also be investigated. This will help establish a model for climate change in deep time.2. The early evolution of metazoans through the Snowball Earth interval, Cambrian explosion and Ordovician radiation will be tracked with a view to establishing the intrinsic and extrinsic controls on these macroeveolutionary events.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The working group is composed of staff members from Geocenter Copenhagen, the universities of Birmingham, Oxford and Uppsala; but the group has a large international network of relevant expertise. Harper is co-leader of IGCP project 503, voting member of the Ordovician Subcommission on Ordovician Stratigraphy and co-leader of the informal Working Group on the Ordovician of Baltoscandia.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Three main locations are planned: 1. Svalbard, to examine the upper Proterozoic and lower Palaeozoic successions. 2. North Greenland, to investigate the lower Palaeozoic successions in the eastern part of the North Greenland fold belt. 3. East Greenland Caledonides, to investigate the upper Proterozoic and lower Palaeozoic successions around Albert Heims Bjerge and on C.H. Ostenfelds Nunatak.

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

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The three field programmes require logistic platforms on North and East Greenland (possibly Station Nord and Mestersvig) together with Svalbard. Support from fixed wing aircraft (Twin Otter) and helicopter is also necessary to establish light-weight base camps in these areas.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
YES - It is hoped that the field campaign in NE Greenland will establish the basis for a permanent summer camp for Danish and international groups of students interested in field-based investigations. Ella Ø would be the natural choice.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

There are a number of possibilities. We have traditionally used the Danish Polar Centre for logistics but there are other options such as CASP, ourselves or independent operators.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
YES - See attached letter.

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?
YES

Although this is a series of new projects, they build on the groups expertise in N and NE Greenland together with Svalbard. The projects overlap with the cycle of the IPY.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will managed through The Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen. The university has many years of experience in such project management.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The research programme will feature in temporary and permanent displays in The Natural History Museum of Denmark. The museum is centre for outreach programmes such as public lectures, exhibitions, amateur clubs and field excursions. A series of popular articles in Danish and English are planned.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
All new geological material will be stored in the collections of The Natural History Museum of Denmark and also located in the museums databases. The research will form the basis for a series of scientific articles and a web page is planned to store and display current data.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The Danish Research Council (SNF), The Carlsberg Foundation and the National Geographic Society will be approached for funding.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The three-year programme will overlap with the 2007 and 2008 cycle of the International Polar Year. The programme is at present flexible and we would ideally share logistics with other potential groups.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor David Harper
The Natural History Museum of Denmark, Geological Museum
Øster Voldgade 5-7
Copenhagen
DK-1350
Denmark

Tel: 0045 35322371
Mobile: 0045 40598867
Fax: 0045 35322325
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation