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Terrestrial Polar Research TERRESTRIAL POLAR RESEARCH AT THE FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR GEOSCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES Preface 3 1 Facts in brief 4 1.1 History 4 1.2 BGR Polar Geology: Scientific expertise and sound policy guidance 6 1.3 Antarctica: Continent of Science 8 1.4 The Arctic: International cooperation across national borders 10 2 Methods: Success through diversity 12 2.1 Structural geology 12 2.2 Petrology/Geochemistry 13 2.3 Geochronology 13 2.4 Sedimentology 14 2.5 Aerogeophysics (geomagnetics) 14 2.6 Geological mapping 15 2.7 Remote sensing 15 2.8 Marine seismics 15 3 Antarctica 16 3.1 The Heart of Gondwana 18 3.2 Diverse projects with numerous partners: the BGR projects in Antarctica 20 3.3 East Antarctica: Puzzle under the ice 23 3.4 Gondwana: Life story of a major continent 25 3.5 Drilling in Antarctica: Geological findings from the depths 30 4 The Arctic 32 4.1 Key to the Earth system: 34 The continents on the perimeters of the Arctic Ocean 4.2 Exploring the landmasses around the Arctic Ocean: 36 BGR projects in the Arctic 4.3 Roller coaster climate 38 4.4 The North American continental margin - an Arctic San Andreas Fault 40 4.5 Spitsbergen: An archipelago on a journey 44 5 The National Polar Sample Archive 46 6 Logistics 48 6.1 Indispensable basis for polar research 50 6.2 Logistics in Antarctica: 52 A research station with a small ecological footprint 6.3 Logistics in the Arctic: 55 Strong partners for research under challenging circumstances 7 Linked up at home and abroad 58 8 Glossar 60 1 PREFACE The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Na- at Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea serves as the tural Resources (Bundesanstalt für Geowissen- basis for its scientific research, which is carried schaften und Rohstoffe, BGR) has been making out in cooperation with international partners. important contributions to research into the Earth‘s crust in the polar regions, and thus con- In contrast to Antarctica, the land masses of the tributing to a better understanding of the Earth Arctic and parts of the Arctic Ocean are sove- system as a whole, for more than four decades. reign territories of the neighbouring states. The BGR cooperates with domestic and foreign Therefore, the BGR depends on intensive co- institutions in its geoscientific research. As a de- operation with these respective states for its partmental research institution, it supports the research programmes and expeditions on land Federal Government in furthering the develop- and at sea. In addition, international cooperation ment of the Antarctic Treaty System and streng- in Arctic research is growing in importance due thening co-determination rights in economic, to increasing financial costs. A good example is environmental and research policy decisions re- the CASE programme, which has been opera- lating to the Arctic regions. ting under the direction of the BGR since 1992. A number of different partner institutions have Research work in the polar regions is marked by already participated in our research work on the various political, scientific and logistical chal- geological and plate tectonic development of the lenges. As a common heritage of humankind, entire Arctic region over the past decades. The Antarctica is protected by international law, and bilateral research cooperation between Germa- any exploitation of resources is prohibited. Wit- ny and Canada in which the BGR and the Geo- hin the framework of its GANOVEX research logical Survey of Canada (GSC) work closely to- programme, the BGR conducts basic terrestrial gether studying the geological structure of the research and studies the structure, composition Canadian Arctic, is also exemplary. and geological development of the Antarctic con- tinent. The BGR‘s GONDWANA summer station More than 40 years of polar research at the BGR – this stands both for high-level scientific expertise and sound policy guidance as well as close partnership and high scientific visibility in research. Prof. Dr. Ralph Watzel President of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources 3 1 FACTS IN BRIEF 1.1 HISTORY 1973 1983 1995/1996 2009/10 First BGR geophysical Construction of the Gondwana Expansion of Antarctic research BGR starts first high- research projects in the Station at Terra Nova Bay activities from northern Victoria resolution aeromagnetic North Atlantic to explore the Land (Ross Sea region) and the survey flights in hydrocarbon potential of Shackleton Range (Weddell Sea northern Victoria Land continental margins 1984/85 region) to Dronning Maud Land within the framework of With GANOVEX IV, the BGR (GeoMAUD). GANOVEX X conducts the first comprehensive, 1976 combined geophysical and BGR’s first Antarctic geological expedition to northern 1997-1999 from 2010 geoscientific research Victoria Land Implementation of the „Cape Expansion of CASE as part of US expeditions Roberts Project“, an international Programme research to drilling programme in the Ross the New Siberian Islands 1987/88 Sea, with the participation of the (Russian Arctic) and Ellef Expansion of Antarctic BGR Ringnes Island, Yukon North 1978 research to the Shackleton Slope and Banks Island in the First German marine Range (Weddell Sea region) Canadian Arctic geophysical expedition in with the GEISHA expedition 1998–2003 Antarctic waters after World Expansion of Arctic research War II by the BGR activities to the Polar Urals 2010/2011 1988/89 (Russia) and Ellesmere Launch of the GEA research Expansion of the Gondwana Island (Canada). BGR’s first programme in cooperation 1979 Station to a multi-container combined terrestrial/marine with the AWI in Dronning Accession of the Federal building geoscientific expedition to Maud Land in East Republic of Germany to the Nares Strait Antarctica Antarctic Treaty 1988 & 1991 First Arctic geoscientific 2002/2003 2015–2017 1979/1980 research within the framework Antarctica: Expansion Principal phase of the renovation First land expedition (GANOVEX) of an expedition of the of work to the Lambert and environmentally responsible, to northern Victoria Land, University of Münster in Glacier in East Antarctica technical modernisation of marking the start of terrestrial 1988 and the Geoscientific (PCMEGA) Gondwana Station polar research by the BGR Spitsbergen Expedition SPE‘91 to Spitsbergen 2006/07 2017 1980 BGR participates in the BGR and AWI start geological Construction of the Lillie 1990 ANDRILL international and geophysical exploration Marleen Hut on Mount Dockery Integration of personnel and drilling programme in the of potential drilling locations at the Lillie Glacier in northern work priorities from the GDR’s Ross Sea under the Ekström Ice Shelf Victoria Land geoscientific research in (Sub-EIS-Obs) Antarctica into the BGR’s polar research 2008/09 1981 BGR participates in AGAP 2017 Admission of the Federal (Gamburtsev Subglacial Most extensive terrestrial Republic of Germany to the 1992 & 1994 Mountains) in the High Antarctic geoscience expedition to date Round Table of Consultative Initiation of the CASE as part of the International Polar since the start of BGR‘s terrestrial States of the Antarctic Treaty programme on Spitsbergen and Year 2007-09 Arctic research to the northern North Greenland shore of Ellesmere Island, Canada (CASE 19) 4 5 1.2 BGR POLAR GEOLOGY: SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE AND SOUND POLICY GUIDANCE Germany has earned a good reputation in polar Research is one of the means by which Germa- Research often depends on international net- research over the past 40+ years. Supported ny gains influence at the poles without having working and collaboration, which is explicitly by elaborate programmes at both poles and any territorial claims there itself. Through inten- implemented in Article 2 of the Antarctic Treaty; the work of hundreds of scientists, the coun- sive polar research in Antarctica, Germany docu- for this reason, international partners also regu- try can play an influential role when the futu- ments its interest in the region, which, according larly participate in polar expeditions. The BGR res of the Arctic and Antarctic are negotiated. to the Antarctic Treaty, justifies the consultative has transferred this concept to its Arctic activi- status of a state. In the Arctic, a commitment ties, thereby developing an extensive network of After the former German Democratic Republic such as this supports the attainment of observer national and international cooperation partners had already joined the Antarctic Treaty in 1974, status at the Arctic Council, which, although it over the past decades. With this network, the the Federal Republic of Germany followed suit in does not have a say in decision-making, can par- BGR team is able to cover all aspects of research 1979 and launched an ambitious polar research ticipate in discussions and provide advice. Toge- into the complex issues that the Federal Institute programme. Since then, Germany has continued ther with the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz is working on in the polar regions. These interna- to expand its involvement in the Antarctic and the Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in tional contacts also make it possible to pool re- View from the western margin of the Campbell Glacier towards Arctic and is now considered a leading research Bremerhaven, the German Aerospace Centre sources and regional and international scientific the Mt. Melbourne stratovolcano in northern Victoria Land. nation. Germany is one of the consultative parties (DLR) and project funding from the German Re- expertise and thus continue to carry out deman- of the Antarctic
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