During the period from 1996 to 2007 five cruises operated by BGR acquired seismic lines from the German EEZ. The aim of these expeditions was a detailed survey of the geological structure of the seabed from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The five GML files (for each cruise one) together with a Readme.txt file are provided in ZIP format (MSSP-EEZ-INSPIRE.zip). The Readme.text file (German/English) contains detailed information on the GML files content. Data transformation was proceeded by using the INSPIRE Solution Pack for FME according to the INSPIRE requirements.
Regarding the use of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, the geological storage of fluids is of particular interest. Therefore, reservoir and barrier formations in the German North Sea come into focus. Due to the widespread distribution of storage and barrier rocks at suitable depths and in combination with a relatively low tectonic overprint, the West Schleswig Block region in the German North Sea shows a high prospectivity for CO2 storage. By means of this high-resolution 2D reflection seismic survey, we want to investigate the potential impairment of geological barriers at the top of geological storage formations (i.e. claystones/mudstones and salt of the Upper Buntsandstein, mudstone dominated formations of the Lower Cretaceous and of the Tertiary). The seismic acquisition setup with a 2400 m active streamer cable with 384 channels will allow a precise image of near-surface structures, such as Quaternary channels, seismic pipe structures, chimneys, polygonal fault systems and crestal faults. In the time period between Nov. 13th and Nov. 24th we acquired 32 lines 2D seismic reflection data (about 1500 km in total) in combination with gravity data, multibeam data and sediment echosounder data. The seismic data resolve the sediments from the seafloor down to the base of the Zechstein. With the acquired data, the sediments of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic up to the seafloor (2-3 seconds of twoway-traveltime) will be imaged in high-resolution for the first time. The imaged fault systems will be investigated regarding their ability to build seal bypass systems. In addition, we acquired seismic data across the Figge Maar blowout crater and we intend to compare these data with the seismic data from the West Schleswig Block.
The major pre-alpine tectonic lineaments as the Glückstadt Graben and the Avalonia-Baltica suture zone run across the southern Baltic. The BalTec expedition aimed at the gapless imaging of these fault systems from the seafloor down to the Paleozoic basement. Scientifically the expedition was motivated by two hypotheses. We postulated that advances and retreats of icesheets during the glacials initiated and reactivated faulting of the Post-Permian succession, thereby generating several kilometers long near-vertical faults and anticlines. We further postulated that – in contrast to the generally accepted text book models – deformation of the initially up to 1800 m thick Zechstein salt started already during salt deposition as the consequence of salt load induced basin subsidence and resulting salt creep. The profile network was further designed to allow for linking the stratigraphy between previously generated local underground models in the frame of the TUNB project. Altogether we collected during cruise MSM52 onboard of R/V Maria S. Merian 62 reflection seismic profiles of an entire length of 3500 km. This data set contains all seismic lines located in the German EEZ (lines BGR16-212 to BGR16-264) as time-migrated version.
During the period from 1974 to 2023 various cruises from BGR acquired seismic lines worldwide. The aim of these marine expeditions were a detailed survey of the geological structure of seabed.
During the period from 1974 to 2018 various cruises from BGR acquired seismic lines worldwide. The aim of these marine expeditions was a detailed survey of the geological structure.
The cruise SO267 ARCHIMEDES I started on December 11th, 2018 in Suva (Fidji) and ended in Suva on January 26th, 2019. Over half of the world´s presently exploited metal deposits were formed during major episodes of crustal growth related to subduction and microplate tectonics. These processes are observed today along the entire margin of the Western Pacific, where complex microplate mosaics offer unique opportunities to study accretion and the emergence of new continental crust. The focus of SO267 was a series of crustal cross-sections at the outer edge of the Indo- Australian Plate, in the largely uncharted waters of the Kingdom of Tonga. The project, entitled “Arc Rifting, Metallogeny and Microplate Evolution – An Integrated Geodynamic, Magmatic and Hydrothermal Study of the Fonualei Rift System”, was designed to document the geological evolution of an emerging microplate mosaic in the NE Lau Basin, a region with some of the fastest growing crust on Earth, and to better understand the sequence of events that cause arc rifting and related magmatic-hydrothermal activity. Using a coordinated approach of high-resolution 2D seismics, electromagnetics and sampling, ARCHIMEDES I imaged the deep structure of the Fonualei Rift system and adjoining back-arc crust of the Niuafo’ou microplate. The goal was to address a major unsolved question concerning crustal growth in complex arc-backarc systems: at what stage in the structural and thermal evolution of the crust does arc rifting occur and seafloor spreading initiate? Planned operations included large-scale reflection and refraction seismic surveys, and a dense program of gravity, magnetics, heat flow, bathymetric mapping and sidescan imaging using the AUV ABYSS and ship-based multibeam systems. This ambitious program was made possible by a close collaboration between GEOMAR and BGR scientists, bringing together diverse expertise and state-of-the-art technologies. To understand the large-scale tectonic processes, we studied 6 different locations within an area of 300 km x 300 km: i) the southern Fonualei Rift Spreading Center (S-FRSC), ii) the region between the S-FRSC and the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (FRSC-ELSC Transfer Zone), iii) the northern tip of the Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC), iv) the northern tip of the Fonualei Rift system (N-FRSC), v) the Mangatolu Triple Junction (MTJ), and vi) the southward propagating Northeast Lau Spreading centre (NELSC). The combined data represent one of the most comprehensive records of microplate formation from the modern oceans.
The expedition PS155/1 started on August 5th, 2018 in Tromsø (Norway) and ended in Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen) on September 3rd, 2018. In the course of BGR’s GREENMATE project the geological development of the European North Atlantic and the northern and north eastern Greenland shelf was analyzed using various marine geophysical methods (seismics, magnetics, gravity, heatflow measurements) and geological sampling (gravity corer, box corer, multi-corer, dredge). Sampling of marine Shelf sediments was undertaken in close correspondence with co-users from Geomar (add-on project ECHONEG), aiming to reconstruct Holocene paleo environmental and climatic evolution. Using the ship’s helicopters, marine sampling was complemented by onshore sampling operations to extract geological material at selected near coastal locations. Other scientific project groups used the cruise PS115.1 as an opportunity to quantify marine mammals and sea birds and their statistical distribution in our research area as part of the long-term project (add-on project Birds& Mammals) and to gather additional meteorological data via radiosondes (add-on Project YOPP). Against all expectations, outstanding ice conditions along the northern coast of Greenland enabled us to carry out reflection seismic surveys north of 84°N at the southern tip of Morris Jesup Rise with a 3 km long streamer. Structural data of this particular region of North Greenland is of special importance for BGR’s project GREENMATE for reconstructing the continental margin evolution. A 100 km long refraction seismic profile was measured to complement the reflection seismic data. After completing this, scientific work was concentrated on the northeastern Greenland shelf area between 76°N and 82.5°N. Over the time of the cruise a total of 2500 km of reflection seismic profiles (2250 km measured with 3km streamer length) and 100 km of refraction seismic profile (using nine ocean bottom seismometers) were measured, accompanied by gravity and magnetic surveys and seven heat flow measurement stations. Along the shelf and deep-sea area 21 geological sampling sites were chosen, with all together one dredge (around 200 kg of sample), 16 gravity cores (total core length 65 m), 12 box corers and 6 multi-corer stations. Onshore sediment sampling was done at 11 sampling sites. Beside sediment sampling hard rock from near coastal outcrops was collected in a total amount of 250 kg that will be used for age dating. The entire science program was carried out under consideration of the highest ecological standards to protect marine mammals and to meet all environmental requirements of the permitting authorities. In addition to external marine mammal observers (MMO) various acoustic monitoring systems and AWI’s on board infrared detection system AIMMS monitored any activity of marine mammals in the ships perimeter, especially during seismic operations.
The MSM67 SEGMENT research cruise was carried out between August 31st and October 4th 2017 aboard the research vessel MARIA S. MERIAN. Survey MSM67 SEGMENT it is intended to study the architecture of the rifted continental margin off East Greenland around the Jan Mayen fracture zone. Key issues to be addressed are margin segmentation and the location of the continent-ocean transition (COT). Both subjects are highly debated. Symmetric segmentation of conjugate margins has significant implications on our general understanding of continental rifting processes, and a margin-parallel COT off East Greenland would indicate an N-S opening in the Norwegian/Greenland Sea. The latter challenging most publications on the early evolution of the North Atlantic. A major open question is also the timing, duration and distribution of magmatism that resulted in the formation of the North Atlantic large igneous province. Previous suggestions of very short (~3 Myr) periods of intense magmatism have been challenged and a much longer duration and/or a post-breakup origin are under discussion. Here, we want to establish the amount of post-breakup magmatism as evident in high-velocity lower crust and test the dependence of magmatism with distance from the proposed hot-spot under Iceland and the influence of major fracture zones on volcanism.
Continuing the systematic work which was started during a previous BGR expedition with RV AURELIA in Sept./Oct. 2003 the late Tertiary and Quaternary development of the German EEZ was further investigated by seismic profiling. The data format is Society of Exploration Geophysicists SEG Y. Again the research vessel AURELIA was chartered for a period of 21 days from 31st of May to 19th of June 2004. During the cruise the grid of seismic profiles which was aquired in 2003 was completed and data gaps were closed. A total of 2618km of high quality MCS lines were surveyed.
The 3rd cooperative BGR/SMNG Arctic cruise was designed to acquire new scietific data for a better understanding of temporal and spatial lithospheric variations during rifting and its influence on the tectonic and structural evolution of the continental crust of the Laptev Sea undergoing extension since at least the Early Tertiary, and for tackling open questions regarding the evolution of the submarine permafrost zone. Although conditions for seismic measurements were worse in 1997 than in 1993 and 1994, along 4,622 km of seismic traverses reflection seismic data and wide angle reflection/refraction data from 23 OBH-(ocean bottom hydrophone) stations were collected in the Laptev and East Siberian Sea. The most prominent rift basin is the Ust' Lena Rift, which is at least 300 km wide at latitude 75°N. The Cenozoic sedimentary cover exceeds 3 km everywhere, increasing up to 14 km at two locations. In the northern part of the shelf, the complex mainly N–S-trending Anisin Basin has a basin fill of up to 10 km thickness. The New Siberian Basin which is located in the northwestern part of the study area shows an up to 9 km thick graben fill. The Laptev Horst crust is locally subdivided into several tilted blocks by deep-reaching faults and there are several half grabens of smaller extent which divide the Laptev Horst into three parts: the North, the South and the East Laptev Horst. A major west dipping listric fault of at least 250 km length separates the Laptev Horst from the Ust' Lena Rift. Results from the seismological investigation indicate that recent extension is concentrated within the narrow rift basins of the eastern Laptev Sea. From wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic measurements the seismic velocities of the crustal layers were estimated along five profiles. The layers with velocities of up to 3.5 km/s apparently consist of predominantly Cenozoic sediments. The sedimentary section showing relatively high seismic velocities of 4.5 to 5.2 km/s might be interpreted as Late Paleozoic to Mesozoic deposits or overcompacted/cemented syn-rift deposits. In the eastern shelf area a layer beneath the acoustic basement was interpreted to represent Ordovician to Early Mesozoic carbonates. The lower crust in the area under study shows relatively uniform seismic velocities of about 6.0-6.8 km/s and the velocities estimated for the crust-mantle transition are in the range of 8.0 to 8.2 km/s. The origin of a several 100 m thick layer with a relative high velocity of 3 to 3.5 km/s directly beneath the seafloor was inferred as sub-sea permafrost.