Deep Sea and Sub Seafloor Frontier

Deep Sea and Sub Seafloor Frontier
Workshop “Fluid flow in Arctic continental margins and sedimented ocean ridges”

Department of Geology, University of Tromsø, May 30th - 31st 2011

The objective of the workshop is to make sure that the science topics for improving our understanding of fluid flow in Arctic regions will meet today’s science needs.

The aim of this workshop is to produce a comprehensive overview of key drilling areas including requested technologies.

This includes not only existing technologies and necessary developments, but also best regional drilling strategies. The outcome of the workshop will feed into a major DSF conference to be organized in Barcelona.

View over part of Tromsø island, with the university in the middle.

[] Format and topics covered
[] Participation and agenda
[] Logistics and accommodation
[] Schedule, deadlines and contact information

Format and topics covered

One of the primary goals of this workshop is to develop a report towards a programme for conducting scientific drilling into fluid escape pathways in Arctic continental margins and sedimented ocean ridges, and to develop synergies with national and international ocean observatory programs. Drilling into fluid release areas has never been done before, but it is of regional and global relevance providing opportunities for fundamental, forefront interdisciplinary research involving geophysics and geology, geochemistry, biogeochemistry, microbiology and biology.

New discoveries at the seabed and beneath show vigorous methane venting from gas chimneys. Understanding past and present fluid leakage, associated geological and biological processes and the effects of climate change on the Arctic seabed region in general, and on the stability of gas hydrate and release of geofluids in particular, is therefore both a scientific challenge and of high societal relevance. Drilling into selected fluid-escape chimneys will increase our understanding in climate, environmental, energy and ecosystem research. However, such a drilling campaign has yet to be developed.

Participation

To register for the workshop; please fill in the registration form and send by e-mail.
Registration deadline: April 30th 2011.
Registration fee: 100 Euros.

Agenda

Monday, 30 May		Invited speaker	Title of the talk
08:30	Registration
09:00	Jürgen Mienert, UiT (Norway)		Welcome/opening
09:15	Espen Sletten Andersen, Statoil (Norway)		The Norwegian gas hydrate resource potential
09:45	Tim Collett, USGS, Hydrate Energy International (USA)		Degrading Permafrost and Gas Hydrates on the Beaufort Sea Shelf with a Special Focus on Research Downhole Logging and Coring Technologies
10:15	Michael D. Max, Hydrate Energy International (USA)		Groundwater transport of mineralizing fluids in continental margin sediments
10:45	Coffee break / posters
11:15	Dave Smith, BGS (UK)		Arctic drilling: success of ACEX and new opportunities using seabed drills
11:45	Tim Freudenthal, MARUM (Germany)		Scientific drilling with the sea floor drill rig MeBo
12:15	Lunch break / posters
13:00	Alexey Krylov, VNIIOkeangeologia (Russia)		Gas-related acoustic anomalies and shallow gas hydrate formation within the Barents and Kara seas
13:30	Matthew Hornbach, University of Texas (USA)		Anomalous Bottom-Simulating-Reflections at Hydrate Ridge: 3D Evidence for Subsurface Advection Driving Massive Hydrate Formation?
14:00	Mads Huuse, SEAES (UK)		3D seismic images of sub-Arctic fluid flow systems: a baseline for Arctic fluid flow studies
14:30	Stefan Buenz, UIT (Norway)		High-resolution 3D seismic imaging of fluid-flow features in sedimentary basins of Norwegian Arctic continental margins
15:00	Coffee break / posters
15:30	Achim Kopf, MARUM (Germany)		In situ, drilling/sampling and observatory technology in hydrogeologically active and gas hydrate areas
16:00	Javier Escartin, CNRS/IPGP (France)		Characterization and temporal variability at hydrothermal sites from repeated image surveys: Lucky Strike Hydrothermal field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
16:30	Rolf Birger Pederson, UoB (Norway)		Hydrothermal activity at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge
17:00	End of talks first day - excursion to drill rig "Polar Pioneer"
19:00	Conference dinner at Fjellheisen for pre-registered workshop participants

Tuesday, 31 May	Invited speaker	Title of the talk
09:00	Tom Feseker, University of Bremen (Germany)	The impact of seasonal bottom water temperature change on the gas hydrate stability zone
09:30	Graham Westbrook, IFREMER (France) and NOCS (UK)	The sub-seabed supply of gas to bubble plumes from the seabed on the upper continental slope of west Spitsbergen.
10:00	Dirk de Beer, MPI-MM (Germany)	Year long observations on sediment dynamics of the Hakon Mosby Mud Volcano
10:30	George Papatheodorou (Greece)	Areal surveys and monitoring of thermogenic gas seepage in the Katakolo Bay (Western Greece)
11:00	Writing groups
12:15	Lunch break
13:00	Writing groups continued
16:00	Summary of workshop and closing remarks (Jürgen Mienert)

Getting to Tromsø

Norwegian.com operates cheap flights to Tromsø (via Oslo) from many European cities.

Scandinavian Airways (SAS) also flies to Tromsø, directly and via Oslo.

To and from the airport

Both taxi companies and a dedicated airport bus (“Flybussen”) run regular services into town. The journey takes about 10-15 mins. The “Flybussen” drops off-picks up at several hotels. The fare is 55 NOK each way (about half the cost of a taxi).

The airport website gives further information.

Please note the last evening flight into Tromsø from Oslo is the 22.00 departure with SAS (arriving 23.50). The “Flybussen” will wait for this flight, but don’t linger in the airport.

Getting to the University

Buses:
Local bus service is operated by Cominor AS.
Bus #20 operates from downtown to the University (“Universitetet”, or “UiT”), and we recommend you take this one. It can be picked up at the junction of Fr. Langes Gate and Grønnegata in town at the stop called “Fr. Langes gate F1” (see map).

The journey takes about 10 minutes, and service is frequent (every 15 mins during the morning).

You need to alight as soon as the bus enters the University Campus at the Planetarium (“Planetariet”). Cross over the road, through a small car-park and walk up and over the foot-bridge. The Department of Geology is the building right in front of you (see Venue and Maps).

The #20 bus timetable can be downloaded here.

A single (one-way) bus fare from downtown to the University is 27 NOK.

Taxis:
Two taxi companies operate within the city:

Tromsø Taxi, phone: 03011
Din Taxi, phone: 02045

Venue and maps

Tromsø Maps
Maps of the city and region are available for download here.

University Campus Map
The workshop will take place in the Auditorium (room 1207) within the Department of Geology, University of Tromsø.
The University is located in the direction of the hospital along the eastern side of the island about 10 mins bus/taxi ride from downtown Tromsø.
The Department is housed within the science building “Naturfagbygget”.

The visiting address is:
Department of Geology
University of Tromsø
Naturfagbygget
Dramsveien 201
N-9037 Tromsø
Norway

The Department is located close to the University Campus, as seen on this map.

Department of Geology floor plan
A first (ground) floor plan of the Department is available here including the location of the auditorium.
Images of the department are available here.

Accommodation

A list of accommodation can be found at the website for Visit Tromsø.

Schedule and deadlines

Registration deadline: April 30th 2011.

Contacts

Conveners: Juergen Mienert (Dept. of Geology, University of Tromsø) and Angelo Camerlenghi (ICREA, Geociències Marines Universitat de Barcelona).
Organisation: Bénédicte Ferré, Kai Rune Mortensen and Chiara Consolaro.