ICDP/ESF Workshop in Svalbard, Norway

[ © Copyright Geir Paulsen ]

The 40-km-diameter marine Mjølnir Crater in the central Barents Sea represents one of the best preserved impact structures on Earth and is among the very few craters globally where both the source-crater and ejecta-layer have been detected and stratigraphically coupled. The extensive data and studies unequivocally substantiate a ~2-km-diameter asteroid impact at about 142 Ma into a thick sedimentary platform covered by a wide, ~300-500 m deep, epicontinental sea.

The workshop will present and discuss the current research status of marine impact cratering and related environmental consequences, both based on field observations, mineralogical and geochemical information, as well as modeling and numerical simulations. The goal of the meeting is to define scientific key objectives, drilling sites, and an international science team and to prepare preliminary and eventually full drilling proposals to ICDP and IODP for the Mjølnir Crater and its surroundings.

The 3-day workshop will be held in Longyearbyen, Svalbard in September 10-13, 2007, and will include a half-day excursion to visit the exposed distal ejecta beds of the Mjølnir impact. Up to 40 participants from a variety of disciplines will attend the meeting. Members of the international scientific community who are interested in contributing to the workshop are invited to submit an application with their name, affiliation, brief summary of their research interests, relevant expertise and intended contribution to Henning Dypvik (henning.dypvik@geo.uio.no) or Filippos Tsikalas (filippos.tsikalas@geo.uio.no). The deadline for applications is February 15, 2007.

Researchers will be invited on the basis of their research and interests related to the goals of the workshop. Limited travel and participation funding is available; a small number of other researchers will be able to attend using their own funds (space constraints apply). Participation of individuals with scientific drilling experience and with first-hand offshore expertise will be highly appreciated.