ArcOP, Arctic Ocean Paleoceanography, Proposal 708, planned IODP Expedition 377

ArcOP drilling campaign aims for the recovery of a complete stratigraphic sedimentary record on southern Lomonosov Ridge to elucidate paleoceanography and Cenozoic climate history of the central Arctic Ocean. The link to seismic data via synthetic seismograms will enable a spatial extrapolation of drilling findings. The incorporation will serve to define and refine seismostratigraphic models with respect to tectonic processes, ocean currents development, and glaciation history of the Arctic Ocean.

Existing data types:

  • 2D seismic reflection lines
  • Subbottom-profiler profiles
  • Bathymetry

Planned data types:

  • ODP drill cores, well-log and core-log data, including CT scans of the drill cores

Funding agencies: ECORD/IODP, AWI, DFG

Principal Investigators: Rüdiger Stein, Estella Weigelt, Catalina Gebhardt (all AWI), and people from several institutes, covering various sub-projects. Contact concerning CLSI: estella.weigelt@awi.de Catalina.Gebhardt@awi.de

IODP Proposal 708 (IODP Expedition 377): Map shows the location of the projected ArcOP site (red) and the formerly drilled ACEX site (green). The seismic section shows a depth-conversion of line AWI-20180310 and the location of the primary Site LR-10B on the crest of the Lomonosov Ridge. Depths and ages of target reflectors were preliminary defined after a seismostratigraphic model of Weigelt et al., 2014 (https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JB010727 ); and Weigelt et al. (in prep.). Further reading: Stein R., W. Jokat, F. Niessen, and E. Weigelt (2015), “Exploring the long-term Cenozoic Arctic Ocean climate history - A challenge within the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP),” Arktos 1 (2015) (https://doi.org/10.1007/s41063-015-0012-x).

The Opening of the Fram Strait

The Opening of the Fram Strait and its influence on sediment transport, climate and ocean circulation between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic

The Neogene opening and subsequent widening of the only deep-water connection between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans had fundamental influence on global ocean circulation, paleoclimate evolution, and on sedimentation processes in adjacent ocean basins and continental margins. To unravel the evolution of the Fram Strait on tectonic time scales, the project proposes to drill sediment sequences that directly address hitherto unresolved questions about the Fram Strait opening dynamics and timing. In addition, the project also aims to gather information about tectonic and climate interplay, namely in the framework of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation. The project will combine the improved seismic stratigraphy (see “ongoing projects” tab) with the new information from the planned drill holes.

Existing data types:

  • 2D seismic reflection lines

  • ODP Leg 151 drill cores, well-log and core-log data

Planned data types:

  • ODP drill cores, well-log and core-log data, including CT scans of the drill cores

Funding agencies: DFG, IODP

Principal Investigators: Wolfram Geissler, Catalina Gebhardt, Jens Matthiessen (all AWI). Contact: Wolfram.Geissler@awi.de, Catalina.Gebhardt@awi.de