Earth Sciences and Sustainable Environment

Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Earth Sciences and Sustainable Environment

Oslo 5-14 August 2008

Interim bidding document prepared by the Nordic countries for the IGC steering committee

08 OSLO

Florence, October 3-5th 2002 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 5

INTRODUCTION ...... 6 Nordic Natural Science Legacy ...... 6 Nordic Earth Sciences Today ...... 6 The Geology of the Nordic Realm ...... 9

THE CONGRESS ...... 10 Invitation...... 10 Organisation and timing of the congress...... 10 Congress structure and scientific program ...... 11 Symposia...... 11 General Symposia...... 11 Special Symposia ...... 11 Topical Symposia ...... 12 Example of Symposia Themes ...... 12 Arctic Environment, Resources and Global Climate...... 12 Physics of Geological Processes...... 13 How Earth sustains life – Integrating Ecology, Biology and Geoscience . . . . . 14 Medical Geosciences ...... 15 Earth processes in Space and Time ...... 15 Onshore and Offshore virtual reality ...... 15 Educational opportunities ...... 16

FIELD TRIPS ...... 17 Excursion 1: Isua, West Greenland – the oldest rocks on Planet Earth ...... 18

Excursion 2: Ice core drilling site, Greenland Ice Sheet...... 19

Excursion 3: The Skaergaard Layered Intrusion, East Greenland ...... 19

Excursion 4: Jameson Land, East Greenland, as the petroleum geology analogues Excursion 4 for the Norwegian continental shelf ...... 20

Excursion 5: Tectonics and active rift-volcanism in South and Southwest Iceland. . . . 21

Excursion 6: Subglacial volcanic activity in Southwest and West Iceland, Excursion 6: terrestrial processes as an excursion to Mars ...... 22

Excursion 7: A diverging plate boundary. One-day excursion to the Excursion 7: Reykjanes Peninsula in Southwest Iceland...... 22

Excursion 8: The Tertiary formation of Iceland-plateau basalts and Excursion 6:central volcanoes, with Krafla as a modern analogue...... 23

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Excursion 9: Weichselian interstadials and Late Weichselian deglaciation, Excursion 6: and relative sea-level changes in South-west Iceland ...... 24

Excursion 10: Faeroe Islands – Late Palaeocene/Eocene continent Excursion 10: splitting volcanism and sedimentatio...... 24

Excursion 11: The Caledonian infra-structure and evolution in Southern Norway. . . . 25

Excursion 12: The Cretaceous and Tertiary geology of Southern Sweden Excursion 12: and Denmark ...... 26

Excursion 13: Early Palaeozoic faunal and lithofacies developments in Excursion 13: Southern Scandinavia...... 26

Excursion 14: Baltic Sea marine geology – a sea-going mini symposium ...... 27

Excursion 15: Impact structures in Scandinavia...... 27

Excursion 16: Geology and radioactive waste disposal ...... 28

Excursion 17: Glacial and postglacial landforms, stratigraphy and history Excursion 17: of Central Sweden...... 29

Excursion 18: The Bergslagen metallogenetic zone, Sweden ...... 30

Excursion 19: Metallogenesis in Finland and Sweden ...... 31

Excursion 20: Archean-Proterozoic overview in Fennoscandia ...... 31

Excursion 21: Carbonatites and Alkaline rocks of the Fennoscandian Shield...... 32

Excursion 22 : Title: Postglacial overview of Finland ...... 33

Excursion 23: Glacial and post-glacial landforms, Excursion 23: stratigraphy and history of the fjord areas of Troms, Arctic Norway . . . 33

Excursion 24: Terrestrial and marine Quaternary stratigraphy of Spitsbergen, Excursion 24: high Arctic ...... 34

Excursion 25: The post-Caledonian depositional succession of Svalbard ...... 35

Preliminary list of additional field trips under consideration ...... 36

Excursion booklet ...... 36

Geoexpo exhibition at the 32rd IGC in Florence 2004...... 37

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Geohost program ...... 37

Accommodation and facilities at the Oslo Congress Centre ...... 37

Oslo, the host city...... 38 Tourist information ...... 38 Social functions ...... 39

Enclosures ...... 42 Innvitation for hosting the 33rd IGC in 2008 presented at the 31st IGC in Rio de Janeiro 2000...... 42

Support by governmental, national,regional and local authorities ...... 43

Support by national earth sciences institutions ...... 53

Norway Congress Centre (Brochure)...... 54

4 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Executive summary

The 33rd International Geological Congress is invited to Oslo 5 – 14 August 2008. In the spirit of the tra- ditional Nordic interstate co-operation, Oslo will be an efficient gateway to the Nordic countries in all their aspects. The Nordic countries covers more than a quarter of the Globe north of 60º N, spans the climates of the high Arctic and the European lowlands, and includes parts of two continents and two oceans. Geologically, the region ranges from Isua to Surtsey, i.e from the oldest to the youngest rocks on Earth, including Pre-cambrian shields, Palaeozoic orogens, Mesozoic rift systems, Tertiary seafloor spreading, and Quaternary to recent glaciations and hot spot volcanism. This is the geological setting of a long history of exploitation of natural resources, including mining for metal ores, minerals and coal, exploration and production of oil and gas, and the extraction of hydroelectric and geothermal energy. This will be reflected in the congress program and field trips. With a The 33rd IGC welcomes participants to the “lands of ice and fire”. proud tradition of well-known scien- (top, Svalbard, bottom, Iceland) tists and famous Arctic explorers, the Nordic countries are still a stronghold for general, special and topical. Field trips will the Earth sciences. Today, Nordic Earth be arranged as comprehensive pre- and sciences are moving into new multidiscipli- post-congress excursions, as well as short nary fields of research combining geo- syn-congress excursions to nearby locali- sciences with other branches of science, e.g. ties. A set of workshops and short courses medicine, biology, physics, meteorology will be arranged pre- and post-congress. A and ecology. These new fields of research Geohost programme will permit the atten- will be the basis for plenary sessions and dance of young scientists. The social pro- special and topical symposia giving the gramme will allow both spouses and other congress an avant-garde scientific profile. accompanying persons to visit Oslo and the Nordic countries. As a venue, Oslo offers The scientific program of the congress spacious, modern and easily accessible con- will be presented as a combination of ple- gress facilities and accommodation from nary sessions and three kinds of symposia: youth Hostels to First Class Hotels.

5 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Introduction

The 33rd IGC in Oslo (2008) will constitute the Arctic. In this respect one may mention an ideal link from the 21st IGC in Nordic explorers like Vitus Jonassen Copenhagen (1960) returning to the Nordic Bering, Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Fridtjof countries after nearly a half century, and Nansen, and Vilhjalmur Stefansson. But 280 million years since the initial rifting of there are many more, both of their contem- the Oslo Graben. The 33rd IGC will coin- poraries and their successors, that might cide with the 150 years celebration of the have been equally mentioned. Common to foundation of the Geological Survey of many of the expeditions and the explorers Norway and Sweden. themselves, were the impressing multi-disciplinary skills and aims of their scientific The congress in Copenhagen in 1960, near- research, ranging from geology, zoology, ly 50 years ago, were the first time several marine biology and oceanography to countries had joined efforts in holding a archaeology, anthropology and history. geological congress. This congress also Fridtjof Nansen’s Fram Expedition gave the incentive for formalising the cre- through the Arctic Ocean from 1893 to ation of the International Union of 1896 is an excellent example of this tradi- Geological Sciences and initiated the close tion, besides being among the greatest co-operation between these two organisa- exploration adventure of all time. And with tions thereafter. Oslo hosted the winter Oslo being the venue for the 33rd IGC, a Olympic games in 1952 and again in special excursion to the Fram Museum, Lillehammer in 1994. The city of Oslo as with emphasis upon Arctic geoscience, will indicated by the invitation letter enclosed be arranged during the congress. from the mayor is well prepared to host the 33rd IGC in 2008 on behalf of the Nordic countries. Nordic Earth Sciences Today The 20th Century was in many ways the Nordic Natural Science Legacy time when natural science disintegrated The Congress will be into specialist’s disciplines. Today, there inspired by the pioneer- seems to be a growing awareness that sci- ing achievements of ence at present again advances through Nordic explorers from multidisciplinary research. Integration of the Viking area through marine research, geology and geophysics in modern times. the Norwegian/Greenlan Sea by academia In the early days the in the 1970ies was crucial for the further exploration was a matter study and understanding of how a conti- of navigation and discov- nental margin initiates and evolves. Fritjof Nansen ering new land around The same trend is clearly seen in the the North Atlantic and in the Arctic. applied science in the industry, e.g. the off- Among the most celebrated are the shore petroleum industry. Academia is Icelandic Eirik the Red who first discover- now moving ahead into fields of research ed Greenland, and his son, Leiv Eiriksson, integrating the classical earth sciences who first discovered America. with biology and medicine. At the same In more recent centuries systematic scien- time, there is a growing awareness that the tific observations of nature and data acqui- Arctic environment offers special opportu- sition became an increasingly important nities for the new fields of research. part of the many daring expeditions into The recent establishment of the new

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Centres of Excellence for scientific fined fields of research combining geology research in Norway shows that even policy with geophysics, mathematics, physics, makers now have recognised the necessity geotechnology, microbiology, chemistry, of a holistic approach in the natural sci- oceanography and meteorology. This rene- ences. The four Centres of Excellence for wed trend for multidisciplinary research earth sciences are intentionally based on will be the themes for special congress multidisciplinary integration, having de- symposia, e.g. medical geoscience, the

Geological Map of the Nordic countries and adjacent offshore areas

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Arctic and global climate, geology and internationally recognized as being of high marine biology, and geological hazards. quality. This reflects the economic dependency on The Nordic countries in general have a their natural resources and the long histo- higher number of earth scientists per capi- ry of exploring and exploiting these ta than in USA and European Union, with resources. In this respect, the classical Iceland in the unbeatable lead with 1 per fields of earth science still have a strong- 1000. Furthermore, the Earth sciences in hold in the Nordic countries, and will be general have a prominent position in the the subject of congress symposia and field overall publication profile in the Nordic trips. countries, and the published research is

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The Geology of the Nordic Realm scandia and Greenland. Thus, the geology The five Nordic countries reach from of the Nordic countries, from the Archean Greenland and the Svalbard archipelago in to the present, brilliantly demonstrates the the high Arctic to southern Denmark of the never-ending plate tectonic cycles of conti- Central European Plains. The region nental break-up, sea floor spreading, and includes parts of two continents, the continental collision, relentlessly building Eurasian and the North American, and the and forming new continental crust. This intermediate ocean, the Norwegian- complex continental crust today presents Greenland Sea of the Northern Atlantic. itself as the host rocks of the banded iron In plate tectonic terms, the region is formations, oxides, and sulfides constitut- shared between two lithospheric plates ing the classical metal ore deposits of the separated by the Mid-Atlantic Spreading Nordic region. Ridge. One of the countries, Iceland, strad- dles the actual plate boundary and is the The ancient shelf sequences of the vast only known example of a surface exposure continental margins around the Iapetus of a modern ocean ridge system, and there- Ocean comprise, inter alia, the classical fore represents a unique study area for all locality of the first Eocambrian tillites ever phenomena associated with ocean spread- to be described. By chance, the present ing and active volcanism. mainland and continental shelves of Denmark, Fennoscandia and Greenland In crustal terms, the Nordic Region spans comprise the modern versions of moraines from the oldest to the youngest rocks of the and other glacial deposits, among them the World, i.e. from the Archean continental classical localities of Professor Esmark’s crust in parts of the Baltic and Canadian pioneer work on the glaciations of Shields to the recent oceanic crust in parts Scandinavia in 1824. of Iceland. The 3800 Ma Isua supracrustal The present continental shelves of the sequence of the Isukasia area of southwest Nordic countries are part of one of the most Greenland is the most extensive occur- important hydrocarbon provinces of the rence of early Archean supra-crustal rocks world. The post Caledonian rocks similar known on earth and constitutes the oldest to those of the hydrocarbon habitat of the part of the Precambrian basement. The continental shelf may be viewed onshore in Shield areas in general reveal an outstand- Denmark, East Greenland and in the ing record of early Earth plate tectonic archipelago of Svalbard in the high Arctic. activity by the abundant occurrences of Although the main source rocks for the Archean and Proterozoic mobile belts and petroleum deposits are of Late Jurassic orogens containing greenstone belts, ophio- age, the formerly widespread Cambrian lites, and island arc sequences. black “Alun” shales of the ancient shelf of Similar remnants of an ancient ocean, the the Iapetus is still a viable source rock in Iapetus Ocean, are also very well displayed the Baltic Sea. Excellent exposures of these in the Silurian Caledonian Orogen that Alun shales and an almost complete strati- overprints the Eocambrian ancient shelf graphic section from the Lower Cambrian and the underlying Precambrian Shield. to the Upper Silurian are found in the City The Caledonian Orogen was later split of Oslo itself. These early Palaeozoic rocks along its axis through a 300 Ma long peri- are well preserved within the famous Oslo od of rifting that left behind some of the Rift, and locally show excellent examples of world’s largest extensional detachment contact metamorphism related to Permian structures and finally leading to the intrusive activity. Tertiary to present oceanic crust formation by sea floor spreading between Fenno-

9 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 The congress Invitation as Chairman of the Committee, as execu- A formal invitation was submitted by the tive members: Norwegian National Committee for IUGS to the Secretary General of the 31st IGC in - Director General of the Geological Rio on July 28, 2002 (see details in the Survey of Norway Arne Bjørlykke enclosure section). - President of the Norwegian Geological Society Harald Brekke - Chairman of the IUGS National Organisation and Timing of the Congress Committee Professor Richard Sinding- At a meeting of the Norwegian National Larsen Committee for IUGS in November 2001, in addition to the following Nordic mem- the decision was made to appoint a Nordic bers: Bidding Committee for the 33 rd IGC in - Associate Professor Karin Eriksson, Oslo 2008 with Professor Ivar B. Ramberg Sweden

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- Associate Professor Henning Haack, Symposia Denmark Some special and General Symposia are - Director of the Institute of Natural described below. The list and the titles of History Sveinn P. Jakobsson the Symposia below are provisional. Other - Iceland, Professor Reijo Salminen, Special or General Symposia will be includ- Finland and Professor Tore O. Vorren, ed. The General symposia will in addition Norway. to the themes listed be open to topics proposed by the IUGS Commissions and other A committee for finance and authority con- scientific bodies. tacts has been set up and contacts are The congress website will if our bid is suc- being made for sponsors support for the cessful in 2004 shortly after include the bidding process. complete list of Symposia, proposed up to that date, and the name of suggested con- The month of August has been selected as venors. The provisional home page of the the best period of the year to organise the 33rd IGC is already established 33rd IGC. Firstly, because August is a uni- (http://www.ngu.no/IGC2008). versity vacation period making it possible to obtain better rates from hotels and per- General Symposia mits the use of student residences for Precambrian basement and Shield areas cheap accommodation. Secondly, the cli- Caledonian mountain building processes, mate in Oslo is at its best in August and Mountain collapse and basin evolution, surprisingly mild for its latitude. These Crust –mantle interactions summer temperatures are perfect for Volcanism and seafloor spreading, exploring the parks and hiking paths or Archean-Proterozoic Transition: relaxing on the beaches of the fjord. Differences and Similarities in Crustal Thirdly, August also represents the Evolution warmest month in the arctic areas with Development of Postglacial Surface minimal amounts of snow and ice perfectly Deposits suited for geological field trips. Offshore resources and marine geology, Arctic and Polar Regions,

Congress Structure and Scientific Program The scientific program of the congress will Special Symposia be presented as a combination of plenary Models for subsurface fluid flow and sedi- sessions and three kinds of symposia: gen- ment/rock interactions, eral, special and topical. Field trips will be Geohazards and engineering geology arranged as comprehensive pre- and post- Environmental tectonics congress excursions, as well as short syn- Geological resources for the 21 Century congress excursions to nearby localities. A Industrial minerals and Ore geology set of workshops and short courses will be Resources and Environment arranged pre- and post-congress. Sedimentary basins Exploration in Glaciated Terrain Neotectonics, surface processes and continental topography Regional Geochemical Mapping and Global Baselines Deglaciation Chronology in the Northern Hemisphere Geological processes in planetary science

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Classical earth science in climate and geo- Climatic changes from Arctic records hazards research Geotope-Biotope interactions Physical processes in geology Geology and marine biology Urban Geochemistry Nuclear Waste Disposal - a Challenge to Geology Soil Topical Symposia Science and Geology - Where do They Meet Environmental evolution in the last 100 Medical Geology. 000 years Polar geology in an environmental context

Examples of Symposia Themes resulted in a completely new framework for The following themes represent a selection the understanding of how the ocean floor is of research topics which will be highlighted formed. The concept of sea floor spreading during the congress. Emerging and estab- provided a plausible mechanism to explain lished centres of excellence in the Nordic how continental drift was possible. This countries will be encouraged to use the scientific framework, plate tectonics, 33rd IGC to present their results. became and remains today the guiding par- adigm for the understanding of most Arctic Environment, Resources and Global aspects of the evolution of the earth’s crust Climate and mantle.

The natural history of the ocean basins has The Arctic Basin has as shown in the figure only been well-understood in the decades above evolved through time. Subsidence, after the 21st IGC in Copenhagen in 1960. uplift, and sea floor spreading have At that time new results from ocean expanded the basin since the mid-Mesozoic drilling were being put together with the and regulated oceanic circulation patterns. then-new science of marine geophysics and Geological and geophysical studies of the the geologic study of ophiolites which Arctic Basin during the four last decades

Present configuration of the Arctic Ocean. Reconstruction of the configuration Topography is shown in meters. 118 million years ago.

12 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 has greatly improved our understanding of Physics of Geological Processes its tectonic evolution, which is crucial to This emerging field of science will greatly understanding much of the arctic history. expand during the next five years. The Nordic venue in 2008 will therefore be a As a complement to the tectonic evolution suitable forum for the presentation of our the sedimentary record in the Arctic Ocean understanding of the physics of geological holds the story of past climates. processes. The 33rd IGC will emphasise Understanding that story will give us per- cross disciplinary projects representing the spective on changes occurring now in the intersection of geology and the physics of Arctic and in the global climate system. complex irreversible processes such as This will be emphasised through a special deformation, transport, growth-dissolu- symposium led by the new centre of excel- tion, and tectonics. These processes will be lence in climatic change established in exposed at the congress using new methods Bergen. recently developed in physics to bridge the gap between field oriented studies and Evidence of glacial erosion and iceberg experiments, computer modelling and the- scouring is found on the shelves and on ory. The example below illustrates how shallow mid-ocean plateau’s and ridges. rocks are memory banks able to conserve These glacigenic bedforms provide crucial the results of past processes. information on Pleistocene glaciations in the Arctic and related paleoclimatic changes. The arctic continental shelves also sequester methane hydrates. There is evidence that massive slides have occurred along the shelf breaks. It is likely that these slides released methane gas to the atmosphere, where it would affect the long- wave radiation balance.

Understanding the tectonic history of the Arctic Basin will place paleoclimate studies in context, constraining the timing of the various fluid fluxes that are an essential control on ocean circulation in the Patterns to processes: Cross-bedding in 380 million years old northern hemisphere. desert sand from East Greenland, reflecting the dynamics of wind- blown granular media, the fluid flow that cause the colour varia- Understanding the sedimentological evolution, and the movements of the continents. tion of the Arctic basins will lead to a better assessment of their hydrocarbon potential. In view of the increasing importance of natural gas which, outside the Middle East, is predominantly found in the Arctic basins, a better geological understanding of these areas will be vital for resource management at a global scale.

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How Earth Sustains Life – Integrating Ecology, Biology and Geoscience Linking Ecological Biology and Geoscience in the Arctic: Basic environmental science will increasingly depend on collaborations between biologists and geoscientists. The 33rd IGC will provide an opportunity to enhance and sustain research across the interface of ecological biology and geological earth sciences with special emphasis upon the arctic. Aurora borealis in the arctic.

The disciplinary basis of environmental to predict and manage how humans impact science is in the process of reformulation. It the health of ecosystems across local, is increasingly clear that answers to many regional, and global scales. Such knowl- of the most vexing questions about how edge is a critical component of a safe, sus- humans are influenced by our natural tainable, and prosperous future and the environment depend on processes and phe- 33rd IGC will be a timely venue to discuss nomena that span biological and geological these issues. sciences. Biotic diversity and complexity depend intimately on processes in the Links between biology and geoscience are physicochemical environment. Conversely, not new; historical examples include semi- fundamental physicochemical phenomena nal ideas by Svante Arrhenius on carbon such as weathering, climate, and the devel- dioxide and global climate , Vladimir opment of soil fertility rely closely on geo- Vernandsky on global biogeochemical logical and biological processes. This cycles. What is new, however, is that both means that complex problems such as cli- biology and geoscience have now developed mate change, acid rain, eutrophication, to a point where convergence is broadly and biodiversity loss are inherently inter- available, and where the potential for disciplinary — that is, shaped by multiple interdisciplinary synergism is unprece- feed backs between biological and geo- dented and critical for resolving key envi- chemical processes. Our understanding of ronmental problems. Recent progress of basic environmental science has therefore concepts, methods (e.g., genomics, molecu- arrived at a new intellectual frontier: a lar biology, and isotopes), observational natural convergence of the historically dis- tools (e.g., satellites), databases (e.g., geol- tinct disciplines of biology and physical sci- ogy, soils, vegetation, and land-use ence. change), and computational abilities have virtually revolutionised scientific readiness This disciplinary convergence will over the and opportunities at this interface. next several decades transform our understanding of basic processes that control the The term “biogeosciences” refers broadly to stability and sustainability of natural envi- research that links biological, geophysical, ronmental systems. The arctic environ- and geochemical approaches to understand ment is specially suited to study these the earth system. These approaches interfaces and the Nordic countries repre- include biogeochemistry (fluxes of matter sents an ideal venue for promoting such and energy), biophysics (interactions of cli- studies. The ensuing findings will have matic, earth-system, and physiological extraordinary implications for our abilities processes), as well as geomedicine and

14 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 hydrology (interactions of geology, living mate in relation to the geological substra- species, landforms, and water). tum. This area focuses on how to improve Biogeosciences is a new discipline, based our understanding of the tremendous on technologies and concepts that enable structural and functional diversity that the study of earth-system processes and characterises land- and ocean-based mechanisms across a continuum of spatial ecosystems. How do functional differences and temporal scales — from microbes to across ecosystems emerge from the multi- global environments, and from physiologi- tude of interactions between biological, cal responses to the geologic record. Just as geochemical, and physical processes? the development of molecular techniques Knowledge of mechanisms that control has powered an explosion of basic biologi- geographic variations is central to the cal knowledge, the development of new development of dynamic and unified mod- satellite sensors, computer models, and els. For example, dramatic geographic global informatics resources are fuelling a variations in medical conditions of humans parallel explosion for understanding how are fundamentally important, and the earth system processes scale from local to underlying mechanisms depend on poorly global and how they interact with living understood feed backs between life metab- species. Building on basic knowledge about olism relative to, soils, climate, and geolog- underlying mechanisms, biogeosciences ical substrates. thus examines basic aspects of the function of the earth system. Earth Processes in Space and Time Despite these opportunities, however, Integration of critical earth system there exist barriers to developing and sus- processes across broad spatial and tempo- taining integrated research and training ral scales. It is urgent that we understand across the biology-geoscience interface. We how key processes are coupled across spa- will at the 33rd IGC convene a special col- tial and temporal scales within the earth loquia to discuss opportunities for, and system. While local-scale and short-term obstacles to, developing sustained, broadly processes dominate the proximate inclusive, and effective research collabora- turnover of carbon and other nutrients in tions among ecological biologists and geo- local environments, many essential ecosys- scientists. This colloquium will address the tem-level properties develop over much emerging field of “biogeosciences”, identify larger spatial extents and over periods of barriers to further growth, and examined decades, millennia, or longer. For example, opportunities for developing initiatives to while emissions of the greenhouse gas address intellectually broad questions that methane is controlled at scales of microbes are central to understanding the interplay within anaerobic environments, the effects between living species and the earth sys- of methane on climate become apparent at tem. global scales, and the dynamic coupling of methane and climate emerges only within The 33rd IGC has identified two core areas millennial-scale atmospheric records such for special symposia that presently are of as those from the Greenland ice cores. particular importance to progress on both basic and applied issues: Onshore and Offshore Virtual Reality One of the missions of the 33 IGC is to Medical Geosciences demonstrate a 3D Virtual Reality geology Geomedicine in the perspective of co-devel- model of the Svalbard archipelago. The opment of biota, soils, atmosphere, and cli- geology of Svalbard is recognised as one of

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The North Sea will be presented as an international laboratory using Caves / Visionaria. The impact of Virtual Reality technology on Earth science concepts will be highlighted. the best terrain’s in the world to learn opportunity from an educational stand- about depositional settings that contain point. The challenge is to use the 33rd IGC some of the worlds largest reservoirs of oil to provide a strong foundation in science to and gas. undergraduate and graduate students, in combination with a broad perspective Increasingly, oil and gas companies are across a range of sciences. The opportunity turning to integration through GIS sys- is to bring new students into science at tems. The 33rd IGC will take this concept both undergraduate and graduate levels as a step further by integrating GIS data in a is already seen in the growth of environ- 3D Virtual Reality (VR) environment. mental science programs around the world. These issues of education are central to training the next generation of leaders in Educational Opportunities the earth sciences and to educating stu- By its nature, the organisation of the 33rd dents in critical environmental issues. The IGC requires an interdisciplinary perspec- Nordic research councils and other funding tive that is perhaps unmatched, and that agencies have the opportunity to influence will be embraced by leading academic and lead the development of novel interdis- institutions across the Nordic countries. ciplinary earth science and environmental This represents both a challenge and an science curricula at academic institutions.

16 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Field trips

A selection of field trip highlights are pre- The work on the field trips is in progress sented below succeeded by a list of addi- and will go on until the date for the final tional excursion themes identified so far. announcement of the congress program.

2 24 25

1 3 4

23 6 8 7 5 9 19

17 20 10 21 11 15 16 22 18 14

12 13

Map of the Nordic region showing the location of proposed excursions.

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Excursion 1: Isua, West Greenland – the oldest rocks on Planet Earth

Isua is located on the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet on the west coast of Greenland

The excursion will focus on the lithos- - The Amitsoq Gneisses tratigraphy and interpretation of the - The oldest known pillow lavas World’s oldest known rocks. - The 3800 Ma marine carbonaceous - The excursion will include: metasediments and the recent theories on - The banded iron formation their origin.

3.8 Gy old ocean sediments Thin section prepared from 3.8 Gy old ocean sediments from Isua. Black dos are graphite composed of isotopically light Carbon – proposed remains from algae in a very early ocean.

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Excursion2: Ice-core drilling site, Greenland Ice Sheet A one day visit to the 2008 drilling site where ice cores are recovered for glaciolog- ical, climatic and environmental studies. Planned as an add-on to other excursions.

Preliminary drilling site on the Greenland Ice Sheet Fresh ice core. DY3, Southern Greenland 1981.

Excursion 3: The Skaergaard Layered Intrusion, East Greenland The Skaergaard intrusion, a world-class The climate is maritime arctic, which geological locality, is a beautifully layered means that extreme temperatures are not Tertiary gabbroic body, splendidly exposed to be expected and rainy days may occur at on the east coast of Greenland just north of the time of the excursion, although bril- the Arctic Circle. It is roughly oval-shaped liantly sunny days are also common. The in plan, measuring 10 km north to south intrusion scarcely needs description as it and 7.5 km east to west. The terrain is forms part of most undergraduate courses alpine, rising to 1300 m, although it is dis- in igneous petrology and has one of the sected by a narrow sound, and much can be largest literatures of any single geological seen close to tidewater. locality. The excursion will permit the study of: - extreme composi- tional differentia- tion and spectacular structures - one of the world’s largest igneous provinces (recently estimated to comprise 10 x 106 km3 of magma) - a spectacular coastal dike swarm.

Rhythmic layers interspersed with average gabbro, Skaergaard Base Area

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Excursion 4: Jameson Land, East Greenland - petroleum geology analogues for the Norwegian continental shelf The excursion will focus on the stratigra- formity between the Late Palaeozoic basal phy and lithofacies of the late Triassic and sedimentary deposits and the Precambrian Jurassic sedimentary sequence in Jameson basement of Liverpool Land Land. Helicopter visit to sites of Palaeocene dolerite sills in Jameson Land reservoir The excursion will include: and source rock analogues - Profiles by foot in hillside outcrops - On-site comparison of sequence strati- through the Triassic and Jurassic stratig- grapy and lithofacies with the Triassic and raphy Jurassic of the Norwegian continental - Helicopter visit to the fault block uncon- shelf area – similarities and differences.

Outcrop of shallow marine sandstones in the uppermost Triassic of Harrisfjeld, Jameson Land.

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The Hekla volcano, South Iceland

Excursion 5: Tectonics and active rift-volcanism in South and Southwest Iceland

Iceland is in the process of an active rift- ridges and table mountains in the area jump, and the different volcano-tectonic south of Langjökull regimes will be investigated. The excursion - The eruptive products of the central vol- will focus on tectonic fissures, active rift canoes Hekla, Eyjafjallajökull and volcanism, subglacial volcanism, and Torfajökull active central volcanoes with their geother- - The sandur outwash plains of mal activity and distinctive petrology. Myrdalssandur and Skeidarársandur. Some of these geological and volcanological events are dated with tephrocronology.

The excursion will include the study of: - Tectonics and volcanism of the active rift zones of Reykjanes, Thingvellir and the Eldgjá-Laki area - Geothermal activity and its utilization at Reykjanes, Geysir and Landmannalaugar - Pleistocene subglacial hyaloclastite

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Excursion 6: Subglacial volcanic activity in Southwest and West Iceland, terrestrial processes as an excursion to Mars The excursion will focus on the subglacial hyaloclastite ridges and table mountains of Iceland, which appear to have very few counterparts except perhaps on the planet Mars.

The excursion will permit the study of: - The main lithofacies of the young ridges and table mountains as well as the palago- nitization of the hyaloclastites in the Jarlhettur and Hlödufell formations - The eroded hyaloclastite ridges and table mountains of Kálfstindar and the Laugarvatn region - The polygenetic hyaloclastite and pillow lava ridges of Sveifluháls and Undirhlidar - The Holocene fissure lavas in the Reykjanes Peninsula, as parallels to subglacial hyaloclastite ridges - Holocene lava shields in the Skjaldbreidur and Kjölur areas, as coun- Reykjanes, young volcanic craters and a row of craters. Grindavik terparts to the subglacial table mountains. village in the background.

Excursion 7: A diverging plate boundary. One-day excursion to the Reykjanes Peninsula in Southwest Iceland A journey to the subaerial extension of the canic, geochemical and geothermal process- submarine Reykjanes Ridge. Tectonic, vol- es at a spreading center.

The excursion will include the study of: - The diverging plate boundary on the Reykjanes Peninsula and Thingvellir with its active extensional rift volcanism - High-temperature geothermal activity at various sites on the Reykjanes Peninsula - The active South-Iceland transform fault south of Hestfjall - The Pleistocene subglacial volcanic landforms at Sveifluháls and Hengill, as com- pared to the Holocene volcanic products in the Reykjanes Peninsula

The geothermal area in Krisuvik, SW Iceland.

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Excursion 8: The Tertiary formation of Iceland-plateau basalts and central volcanoes, with Krafla as a modern analogue.

Krafla fires in 1984, North Iceland.

Excursion covering Northeast, East and and Myvatn areas Southeast Iceland, with focus on the - The Plio-Pleistocene marine fossiliferous Tertiary lava pile and the kinematic sequence in Tjörnes processes giving rise to it, and the sea floor - The Pleistocene subglacial hyaloclastite in general. The interspersed sedimentary ridges in Mödrudalsfjallgardur layers, the dike swarms, central volcanoes, - The Tertiary volcanic lava pile with its petrology and low-T alteration are demon- dike swarms in Reydarfjördur and strated. The active Krafla center in Berufjördur Northeast Iceland is taken as a modern - The denuded Tertiary central volcanoes of analogue for the processes at work. Thingmúli, Breiddalur and Álftafjördur - The Tertiary plutonic intrusions of The excursion will permit the study of: Eystrahorn and Vestrahorn - Tectonics, volcanism and geothermal - The flank-zone volcanic activity in Öraefi. activity of the active rift zone in the Krafla

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Excursion 9: Weichselian interstadials and Late Weichselian deglaciation, and relative sea-level changes in Southwest Iceland Iceland offers an exceptional opportunity to - Younger Dryas – Preboreal marine sedi- study the extremely rapid Late- ments and landforms Weichselian deglaciation and the resulting - Early Bölling Raised shorelines and sedi- relative sea-level changes caused by the low ments below Akrafjall and Skardsheidi viscosity of the upper mantle below Iceland. - Subglacial volcanic formations and early Voluminous eruptions in Early-Holocene postglacial shield volcanoes along are also related to the rapid isostatic Kaldidalur and Uxhryggir rebound. The excursion will take us from - Younger Dryas – Preboreal moraines and the westernmost Reykjanes Peninsula proglacial sediments in Southern Iceland through the Reykjavík area, around Hvalfjördur to the Borgarfjördur District Two possible alternative additions focussing on Weichselian interstadial stratigraphy, deglaciation and relative sea- 1. Through the central highlands to the level changes. While crossing the interior of Eyjafjördur area to study the retreat of an western Iceland the focus will be on the outlet glacier, formation of ice-dammed interaction between glaciers and volcan- lakes and the formation of the ism. In southern Iceland the main empha- Skogar/Vedde tephra. sis will be on a Younger Dryas - Preboreal 2. To Sólheimajökull and Myrdalsjökull to re-advances of the inland ice-sheet and for- study modern development of glacier mar- mation of concurrent shorelines. ginal environments with formation of tills, moraines and outwash planes. The excursion will allow the study of: - The interstadial sediments of Reykjanes and Reykjavík

Excursion 10: Faeroe Islands – Late Palaeocene/Eocene continent splitting, volcanism and sedimentation The excursion will focus on the stratigra- - Inter-bedded clastic sediments and coal phy, volcanology, and petrology of the vol- horizons canic sequences of the Faeroe Islands, and - Visit to local coal mine their relationship with the volcanic passive - Uplift history, island morphology and margin of the northernmost Atlantic. landslides - Comparison with ODP drilling results The excursion will include: and seismic mapping of the Vøring Plateau - The lower lava series volcanic margin off the Norwegian coast. - The upper lava series

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Excursion 11: The Caledonian infra-structure and evolution in Southern Norway

Late orogenic folding of Eocambrian and Silurian pre- and syn-orogenic sediments

The excursion will focus on the history and Kristandssand in Norway and return to processes of the evolution of the Oslo. Caledonian Orogen, including the con- structional contraction phase as well as the The excursion will include: subsequent late- to post-orogenic exten- - Visit to the world famous KT-boundary sional phases. location at Stevns Klint and the scenic cretaceous Møns Klint. The excursion will include: - Further West on the island of Langeland - Evidence for extreme crustal thickening we will look at the classical section of provided by the ultra-high pressure eclog- Ristinge cliff where a spectacular glaciotec- ites tonic setting with over 30 thrust slices - The World’s largest demonstrated exten- including the Eemian deposits are exposed. sional detachments - In Jutland stops will include the fossil - The Devonian supra-detachment sedi- rich cliffs on the island Fur with their char- mentary basins in Western Norway acteristic volcanic ash layers, Skagen spit, - Pre- and syn-orognic lithostatigraphy. and the active sand dune Raabjerg Mile. A bus trip from Oslo through Southern Sweden to the University of Copenhagen and the Cathedral in Roskilde. From Hirtshals in Northern Jutland we take the ferry to

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Excursion 12: The Cretaceous and Tertiary geology of Southern Sweden and Denmark

Stevns Klint. The Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary is the clear horizontal surface at one third way up the escarpment.

A bus trip from Oslo through Southern taceous Møns Klint. Sweden to the University of Copenhagen - Further West on the island of Langeland and the we will look at the classical section of Cathedral in Roskilde. From Hirtshals in Ristinge cliff where a spectacular glaciotec- Northern Jutland we take the ferry to tonic setting with over 30 thrust slices Kristandssand in Norway and return to including the Eemian deposits are exposed. Oslo. - In Jutland stops will include the fossil rich cliffs on the island Fur with their char- The excursion will include: acteristic volcanic ash layers, Skagen spit, - Visit to the world famous KT-boundary and the active sand dune Raabjerg Mile. location at Stevns Klint and the scenic cre-

Excursion 13: Early Palaeozoic faunal and lithofacies developments in Southern Scandinavia

The excursion will focus on the lithofacies and faunal record of the Middle Cambrian to Lower Silurian in classical localities from Öland through southern Sweden to Oslo.

Hellekis limestone quarry at Kinnekulle, W. Götaland, Sweden. Section showing the western carbonate platform facies influenced by the peri-platform Oslo depositional area to the west.

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Excursion 14: Baltic Sea marine geology – a sea-going mini-symposium

The excursion will focus on the post-glacial history of the Baltic Sea basin, environmental aspects of a semi- enclosed sea, marine geology and acoustic surveys, evolution of the Baltic Sea area through geological times.

The excursion will Marine research in the Baltic Sea include: - Åland Rapakivi-granite, Mariehamn - Rocks and skerries, roches moutonne’es of - Cambrian sandstone dikes, witness of an island in the Archipelago Sea (Kökar) this level being in almost present position - Outermost part of the Salpausselkä III during the accumulation of the sandstone, ice-marginal formation (Jurmo) of which only the remnants exist (Prästö). - Gullkrona, skerries exposed from the sea - Jotnian sandstones of the Åland Sea area. by isostatic uplift of the bedrock.

Excursion 15: Impact structures in Scandinavia

The excursion will focus on terrestrial and Precambrian Shield of Scandinavia. Some marine impact structures with various tar- of the impact events are ancient but some get rocks, impact tectonism, impact melt are relatively young. The field trip will rocks, shock metamorphism, and geo- focus on seven of them. physics of impact. There are more than 20 meteorite impact structures in the The excursion will include: - The Gardnås Crater in central Norway - Siljan- crater collapse, pseudotachylite formation, shatter cones - Lockne- influence of a marine environment on crater formation, resurge deposits - Dellen- impact melt rocks, geophysical signatures of melt rocks - Lappajärvi: impact melt exposures, drill core exhibition, impact diamonds, overview of a young complex impact structure - Karikkoselkä: geophysics of a simple impact structure, shatter cones, drill core exhibition - Söderfjärden: drill core exhibition, breccia dykes, geophysical characteristics and Limestones and shales in vertical position caused by Silurian probable a new drilling site with drill meteroite impact at Siljan. cores.

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Excurison 16: Geology and radioactive waste disposal The excursion will focus on disposal of 1 km in the Forsmark candidate area radioactive waste, and technical aspects - Deformation of Quaternary sediments in and geology of the candidate areas for the the Stockholm area - evidence for late- to disposal of highly-radioactive nuclear post-glacial faulting and seismic activity? waste. - Visit to the temporary repository for highly-radioactive nuclear waste at Simpevarp The excursion will include: (CLAB) - Visit to the underground repository for - Visit to the underground research labora- the disposal of low- and medium-radioac- tory at Äspö tive waste at Forsmark (SFR) - Geology of the candidate area for the dis- - Geology of the candidate area for the disposal of highly-radioactive nuclear waste posal of highly-radioactive nuclear waste close to Simpevarp close to Forsmark - Drillhole samples and data to a depth of c. - Drillhole samples and data to a depth of c. 1 km in the Simpevarp candidate area.

The Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory is perhaps SKB’s most important research and development resource. Here, SKB can test techniques for site investigation and deposition in a realistic environment.

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Excursion 17: Glacial and postglacial landforms, stratigraphy and history of Central Sweden

Glacial varved clay can be seen in the High Coast area.

The excursion will focus on Glacial and Styggforsen postglacial development; deposits and Koppången soligenousmire complex, processes in Central Sweden. The excur- Interglacial and interstadial deposits, sion will use bus, helicopter and foothikes Glacifluvial and fluvial erosion, Varve along the route Stockholm-Uppsala- chronology Rättvik-Östersund-Sollefteå-Örnsköldsvik. Recent delta deposits, Highest glacial uplift on earth and ongoing shore process- The excursion will include the following es. topics: De Geer moraines,Varved glacial clay, Eskers, Gully system in Säter, Canyon of

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Excursion 18: The Bergslagen metallogenetic zone, Sweden

The enormous mining excavation known as the Great Pit at Falun, a part of the World Heritage of the Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun.

The excursion will focus on the following - characteristic Fe- and Mn-oxide deposits themes: 1.9 Ga volcanism, synvolcanic Zn- (e.g. Långban which is world famous as the Pb-Cu deposits, banded iron formations type locality for hundreds of mineral and skarn iron ores, intrusive suites, gran- species). ite-associated tungsten deposits in a regional structural and metamorphic set- Visit to the Wigström granite-associated, ting. 1.8 Ga W-deposit

The excursion will include:Visits to several types of volcanic-associated mineral deposits, including: - active mine at Garpenberg (marble- and skarn-hosted Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag sulphide deposit with Mg-alteration) - active mine Zinkgruvan (Zn-Pb-Ag sulphide deposit with K-alteration) - closed mine at Falun with over 800 years of mining history (pyritic Zn-Pb-Cu-Au sulphide deposit with Mg alteration)

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Excursion 19: Metallogenesis in Finland and Sweden The excursion will focus on metallogeny of style of mineralisation: Kolari deposits in and mining in Palaeoproterozoic intrusions westernmost Finnish Lapland, Aitik in and greenstone belts of the northern part Gällivare and other Au-Cu deposits around of the Fennoscandian Shield Gällivare and Kiruna in Sweden (all Palaeoproterozoic) The excursion will include: - The Kirunavaara and Luossavaara - 2440 Ma layered intrusion-hosted Cr mines. The Kiruna iron deposits also deposits: the Kemi mine belonging to the Iron oxide-copper-gold cat- - 2440 Ma layered intrusion-hosted PGE egory? deposits: the Portimo deposits and mine(s) (the potential Suhanko mine) - Orogenic gold depsotis in the Palaeoproterozoic Central Lapland greenstone belt: Suurikuusikko deposit (mine?), deposits along the Sirkka Line shear zone - Iron oxide-copper-gold

Pahtavaara mine, Sodankylä, Finland. Orogenic mesothermal gold deposit hosted by komatiitic volcanic rocks.

Excursion 20: Archean-Proterozoic overview in Fennoscandia

The excursion will focus on crustal scale island arc and 1.89 Ga HT-LP granulites 3D modeling, Archean and Proterozoic - Tampere 1.90 Ga island arc and Central ophiolites, collisional structures, stabiliza- Finland Granitoid Complex. tion of thick crust.

The excursion will include: - Archean ophiolite and Belomorian mobile belt - Archean granite-greenstone association and Paleopro-terozoic overprinting - Jormua ophiolite – 2.08-1.96 Ga mantle fragment - Basement-cover relationships – structural style of foreland deformation - Archean-Proterozoic boundary – 1.92 Ga

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Excursion 21: Carbonatites and alkaline rocks of the Fennoscandian Shield

The excursion will focus on alkaline intru- more kimberlitic versions of the alnöites sions of Norway, Sweden and Finland also form diatremes north of Alnö, which are presently being prospected for dia- The excursion will include: monds. - Fen Complex: With a surface area of 4 - Siilinjärvi Carbonatite: The 2.6Ga km2, the 600 Ma Fen complex contains and Siilinjärvi carbonatite complex in Eastern array of rock types, including carbonatites, Finland is one of the oldest carbonatites in ijolites, and ultramafic lamprophyres (it is the world. It consists of a steeply dipping the type locality of damkjernite). The latter lenticular body roughly 16 km long with a is one of the few rock types in maximum width of 1.5 km and a surface Fennoscandia known to contain mantle area of 14.7 km2. In 1979 an open pit mine xenoliths. for phosphorus ore was commissioned that - Alnö Complex: Of similar age to the Fen presently has an annual production of Complex, this area of alkaline rocks and some 750,000 t apatite and 100,000 t car- calcite carbonatite contains central intru- bonate concentrates from 9.0 Mt ore with sions up to 5 km in diameter. Over 1200 550 Mt of reserves and probable reserves. dikes have been recorded ranging from melilitites to alnöites to carbonatites. The

Carbonatite.

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Excursion 22: Title: Postglacial overview of Finland

Postglacial esker An esker surrounded by lakes in Central Finland.

The excursion will focus on mires, margin- voirs, raw material for aggregate al formations, clays, groundwater, and - Post glacial land uplift; problems to land uplift. marine traffic, saline agricultural fields - Clay deposits of the saline and fresh The excursion will include: water phases of the Baltic sea - Mires of post glacial age: different types, - Wind blown material: dune field along the development, fuel peat production, balneo- Bothnian Bay shoreline, loess on the logical peat, reclaim of peat production Salpausselkä marginal formation area, target for tourism and education - Palaeosoils and places of Neolithic and - The Salpausselkä marginal formations: younger historical settlements. genesis, structure, ground water reser-

Excursion 23: Glacial and post-glacial landforms, stratigraphy and history of the fjord areas of Troms, Arctic Norway

The excursion will focus on glaciogene The excursion will include: morphology, Quaternary stratigraphy, de- - Glacially shaped landscape morphology glaciation history , and post-glacial cli- - Modern glacial deposits mate. - Raised beaches and sea-level changes.

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Excursion 24: Terrestrial and marine Quaternary stratigraphy of Spitsbergen, high Arctic

Icebergs broken off of the Ice Shelf in Hornsund.

Western Svalbard exhibits an extensive Linnédalen. record of Quaternary climatic change. - Climatic reconstruction from sediment records and correlation to the marine The excursion will focus on the Quaternary record and palaeoceanographic changes of history of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard the North Atlantic. Archipelago in the high Arctic .. The excur- - Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene sedimen- sion will be made by boat into the fjords of tation and landscape development in the Spitsbergen with geological surveying and Kongsfjorden area. onshore outcrop visitsThe excursion will - Holocene raised beach systems and sea focus on stratigraphies from the last inter- level change. Various localities in glacial/glacial cycle, geomorphology and Billefjorden, Bellsund and Kongsfjorden. raised marine shorelines, and present day - Permafrost and karts features processes in the high arctic environment. (Mathisondalen, Billefjorden and Linnédalen). The excursion will include: - Glacial and periglacial processes. - Well exposed stratigraphies of Eemian to Longyeardalen, Advendtdalen and Weichselian marine and glacial deposits at Brøggerhalvøya. Kapp - In addition to the geology: Arctic wildlife, - Ekholm (Billefjorden), S coast of cultural sites as old trapper station ana- Bellsund, Prins Karls Forland, and in bandoned mining settlements.

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Excursion 25: The post-Caledonian depositional succession of Svalbard

The Hyrne mountain in Hornsund.

The excursion will focus on presenting the ite rythms Carboniferous to Tertiary geology of - Mesozoic clastic succession with Triassic Svalbard by boat and on foot in delta sandstones, Triassic and Jurassic Spitsbergen. black shale successions, and Cretaceous coastal barrier environments The excursion will include: - Jurassic major sequence boundary with - Middle Carboniferous clastic-evaporite phosphatic lag deposits, oolites, etc. halfgraben sequence with interfingering - Early Cretaceous dolerite sills and dykes fault-scarp deposits - Tertiary foreland basin succession - Late Carboniferous marine carbonate - Coal production, visit to a coal mine. shelf sequence with bioherms and evapor-

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Preliminary list of additional field trips under consideration

1. The Precambrian geology of the West 19. Late Palaeozoic to Tertiary sedimentary Troms Gneiss Complex and the Lofoten basins in Spitsbergen: Billefjord, Isfjord area and Adventdalen. 2. The Precambrian crustal evolution in the 20. The Tertiary fold belt: The west coast southwest Baltic Shield – The Middle and outer fiords between Kongsfjord and Proterozoic to Sveconorwegian evolution South Cape on Spitsbergen 3. The greenstone belts of Finnmaark 21. The Devonian basin in northern 4. The Seiland Igneous Complex Spitsbergen – sedimentology, tectonic set- 5. Layered intrusions in Norway ting and Quaternary volcanism 6. The Leka Ophiolite Complex 22. The Quaternary of Arctic Eurasia 7. A traverse through the North-Norwegian 23. The Quaternary of Svalbard Caledonides 24. Arctic Quaternary geology: Central 8. Caledonian granite batholites in Mid- fiord regions and the west coast of Norway Spitsbergen 9. Highlights of the regional geology of cen- 25. The glaciology and glacial morphology tral-western Norway of Svalbard 10. The geology of northernmost Europe – A 26. Falling stage deltas and postglacial geotraverse from Kirkenes to Alta fjord-valley-fill stratigrphy, northern 11. A geotraverse at the Polar Circle Norway 12. A geotraverse of the Caledonides in cen- 27. Raised beaches and postglacial sea- tral Scandinavia level change in Troms, northern Norway 13. Post Caledonian tectonics of the 28. The fiords of western Norway: Norwegian mainland Quaternary geology and geo-morphology 14. The Permian Oslo Rift, volcanism and 29. A traverse of the Quaternary geology of tectonic phases South Norway 15. Virtual Reality visit to the petroleum 30. Karst landforms and aquifer develop- reservoirs of the North Sea ment in the Scandinavian Caledonides 16. Lofoten eruptives 31. Karst and sub-permafrost aquifers in 17. The hard rock geology of Svalbard Spitsbergen 18. A section through the geology of 32. Quarries and industry minerals Svalbard – The Precambrian to the 33. The Holsnøy eclogites Quaternary of Isfjord and the west coast of 34. Tour of the steep railroad of Flåm Spitsbergen

Excursion booklet

A short text as well as an indication of the which will be presented to the general pub- itinerary on a map with pictorial highlights lic at the exhibition in Florence 2004. will be collected into a excursion booklet

36 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Geoexpo exhibition at the 32nd IGC in Florence 2004

A special initiative by the bidding commit- A free e-mail facility will be available to tee have been dedicated to the preparation everybody at the GEONOR booth. of the Nordic booth (GEONOR) for the Geoexpo Exhibition of the 32nd IGC in It is our hope that in Florence the IGC Florence 2004. The GEONOR booth will be Council will recommend the General designed to review the ongoing Nordic geo- Assembly to ratify the choice of Oslo as the science research, present interactive geo- venue for the 33rd IGC 2008, hopefully by scientific maps on line and provide infor- endorsing a majority vote of the Steering mation and/or interaction regarding the Committee. organisation of the 33rd IGC. Geohost programme The intention is to follow the policy adopt- young scientists). ed by the 32nd IGC in Florence in 2004. 2. Higher support, in the forum of no regis- This policy which is summarised in the fol- tration fees and no accommodation and lowing points will ensure the active partic- food costs to 5% of the participants. ipation of young talented geoscientists 3. Reduced registration fee (50%) granted with limited financial resources: to Convenors and co-Convenors asking for 1. Partial support, in the form of no regis- it. tration fees for 20% of participants (mainly Accommodation and facilities at the Oslo Congress Centre In Oslo 63 hotels total about 8,500 rooms greater Oslo area an additional 50% capac- from luxury hotels to youth hostels, corre- ity is available. All 6,500 rooms are at a sponding to about 15,000 accommodations. distance less than 20 minutes (either walk- Approximately 6,500 rooms have already ing or by car or public transportation). The been optioned for the 33rd IGC in 2008. city presents a range of accommodation Additional 1,000 beds are guarantied in facilities that satisfy all tastes and require- youth hostels, university residences at ments. Information about the New prices ranging from 20-40 US$. Within the Congress Centre is enclosed.

37 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Oslo, the host city of the proposed 33rd IGC

Oslo as a city combines splendid outdoor possibilities either on the fjord or in the hills surrounding the city with diverse art museums ranging from painters like Edward Munch, the Viking ships and the boats of famous explorers like Fridtjof Nansen and Thor Heyerdahl. Oslo has all the necessary facilities: an airport with daily flights from the most important European capitals, as well as railway and ship connections to the continent Oslo, besides being the city delivering the Nobel peace price also hosts an important university and many renowned research centres Oslo – the Viking Capital – is situated in the heart of Scandinavia, (SINTEF, NORSAR, IFE, etc.). We would surrounded by magnificent scenery from fjords to forested hills. like to draw your attention to the following Already at the turn of the 10th century, a settlement was built at technical information regarding Oslo as a the end of the Oslo fjord. This makes Oslo one of the oldest cities perfectly suitable place to host the 33rd in Scandinavia, and the only Scandinavian capital with an urban International Geological Congress. settlement dating back to the Viking Ages.

Tourist information

Oslo Promotion (Oslo Visitor’s and Convention Bureau) will be able to give you information about Oslo at: Tourist Information Brynjulf Bulls Plass 1 NO-0250 Oslo, Norway

Telephone: +47 23 11 78 80 Fax: +47 22 83 81 50 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.visitoslo.com

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Social functions Frognerseteren Despite its northern location, Norway is With its mag- decidedly more solar than polar, thanks to nificent view, the warming effects of the Gulf Stream 435 meters flowing along its coast. At the time of the above the Congress, the weather should be pleasant everyday life (18-25ºC). There is daylight as late as 10 in the p.m. and the sun rises as early as 5 a.m. Norwegian Further north, above the Arctic Circle the capital, sun never fully sets during the summer. Frogneseteren is a popular resort for day- trippers. Built in the time typical “Dragon People in Oslo are friendly and enjoy host- style”, designed by Architect Holm Munthe ing visitors. Almost all Norwegians speak the building was completed in 1892. English, so communication is easy. The Frognerseteren has since its opening centre of Oslo is small and compact, and always been a restaurant/cafe. most hotels, meeting facilities, shopping Frognerseteren is situated near the areas and entertainment venues are with- Holmenkollen tramline and the in walking distance of the Royal Castle. Holmenkollen jumping hill arena.

Holmenkollen Ski Jump

The Royal Castle in Oslo.

The city of Oslo has a number of museums The Holmenkollen Ski Jump plays an and parks, such as the “Vigeland Park”, important part in the Norwegian and inter- the National Gallery and the “Munch national skiing history, and is for many the Museum”. The peninsula, Bygdøy, is a site main symbol of international ski sport. The of unique attractions: the museums: “Kon ski jump has been the centre of Norwegian Tiki”, “The Viking-ships”, “Polar- ski sport for the last 100 years. You can Expeditions” and the “Norwegian Folk enjoy a panorama view of the city of Oslo Museum”. The area, suitable for walking from here, and also take part in summer and relaxation, can be reached either by a concerts and other activities. Inside the ski short bus ride or by boat. jump is an impressive ski museum.

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Viking Ship Museum Edward Munch Edward Munch’s (1863-1944) art is the most significant Norwegian contribution to the history of art, and he is the only Norwegian artist who has significantly influenced European art trends. This espe- cially as a pioneer of Expressionism in Germany and the Nordic countries. In his art, he returned again and again to the memory of illness, death and grief. Many of his most famous paintings, such as The Scream, Vampire, Madonna, Death in the Sickroom,The Dance of Life, and Girls on the Bridge etc., can be viewed at the The Viking Ship Museum is on Bygdøy, a Munch Museum and National Gallery, short distance from the centre of Oslo. It both in Oslo. houses findings from the great ship burials at Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune, and from a chieftain grave at Borre, Vestfold county. The three ships, which are the best preserved Viking ships in existence, were found in large burial mounds in the Oslo fjord region. Beautifully crafted furnish- ings of wood and textiles from the Viking period are exhibited, therefore you can see some of the finest examples of art and craftsmanship made in Norway over a thousand years ago.

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Ibsen (1828 - 1906) is considered the father of modern Kon Tiki Museum drama and one of the world’s most famous playwrights. Amongst his most well known plays are A Doll´s House, Hedda Gabler, Peer Gynt, Brand,The Wild Duck, An Enemy of the People etc. As relevant today as 100 years ago, his plays are still staged the world over. If you wish, you may ask for information about the Henrik Ibsen Visit the Kon-Tiki Museum and see Thor Museums in and outside of Oslo. Heyerdahl’s exiting world for yourself! The Museum houses a range of boats and arte- facts from different expeditions. You can see the original Kon-Tiki raft (1947)with a

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30 foot shark underneath, statues and a Oslo City Hall secret family cave from Easter Island, the Oslo City Hall is centrally located within papyrus boat Ra II (1970), and an exciting walking distance of the Royal Palace and collection of archaeological finds from the Parliament. On the waterfront, overlook- Easter Islands, East Polynesia, the ing the fjord, the City Hall reflects Oslo´s Galapagos and Peru. historic role as a seafaring nation. Because of delays due to the second World War, the official opening didn´t take place before Akershus Fortress 1950. Famous Norwegian artists like Henrik Sørensen and Alf Rolfsen and many others have decorated the rooms. The building is open to the public and is well worth a visit.

Norway’s coastal mountains From the bustling towns of Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and Oslo to the grandeur of Norway’s coastal mountains and its inti- mate villages visitors will find an endless array of places to visit and things to do and see in Norway. Snow lovers can enjoy summer skiing on mountain glaciers and in Akershus Fortress and Castle are national Spitsbergen, you may even catch a glimpse treasures, dating from the 13th century of a polar bear. and located in the heart of Oslo. To get to the main entrance, you cross the draw- bridge and find yourself in the Information Welcome to Virtual Oslo Centre with access to the Norway’s The Norway Experience Virtual Travel Resistance and Armed Forces Museums Guide of Oslo, Norway and Akershus Castle with its Church. The (www.virtualoslo.com) , include hotel Fortress grounds are an ideal recreation guide, transport, activities, events and area, just as they were in the 19th century. shopping guides. Personal Travel Guide, From the Fortress you can enjoy the beau- Interactive maps and multimedia Virtual tiful view over the Oslo fjord. Guided Tours through Oslo. Online Virtual Walk through the inner town. Click Walks are visual web-sites http://oslo.click- Gustav Vigeland sculpture park walk.no/indexe.html) that lead you on a The famous Gustav Vigeland sculpture virtual walk through Oslo. They are fun park is one of the artistic highlights of and fully interactive with good images and Norway, featuring 192 sculptures and useful information. You decide where you more than 600 figures. want to walk and what you want to see! Further information may be obtained by consulting the following web sites: http://www.norway.org/ http://www.oslo.clickwalk.no/ http://www.visitoslo.com http://www.hurtigruten.com/ http://www.nsb.no/ http://www.flaamsbana.no/

41 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Enclosures INVITATION FOR HOSTING THE 33rd IGC IN 2008 PRESENTED AT THE 31st IGC IN RIO DE JANEIRO 2000

Norwegian National Committee for IUGS

42 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Support by governmental national, regional and local authorities The Prime Minister of Norway Mayor of Oslo, Per Ditlev Simonsen Danish National Committee for IUGS Finnish National Committee for IUGS Icelandic National Committee for IUGS Norwegian National Committee for IUGS Swedish National Committee for IUGS Geological Survey of Sweden Geological Survey of Norway Finnish Ass. of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Geological Society of Finland Geological Survey of Finland The Norwegian Geological Society Norway Congress Centre (Brochure)

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55 Nordic International Geological Congress in 2008 Support by national earth sciences institutions

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Norway Congress Centre (Brochure)

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Norway Congress Centre

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Norway Congress Centre

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Norway Congress Centre

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Norway Congress Centre

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Norway Congress Centre

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Norway Congress Centre

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Norway Congress Centre