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Research Applications: Template for Non-technical Project
Summary Description
• Project Title: CASE 19-Pearya
• Research Team:
o Principal Investigator: Karsten Piepjohn, Federal Institute for Geosciences and
Natural Resources (BGR), Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover, Germany
o Total number of participants: 54 participants, including 11 logistics (guides, cook,
pilots, engineers), 6 guests (including director of GSC Ottawa, president of BGR Hannover,
member of the Nunavut Government, possibly the German Ambassador), 27 senior geologists
and 10 MsC- and PhD-students)
• Project Objectives:
In 1992, BGR initiated the ongoing CASE-program (Circum-Arctic Structural Events) for
geological and geophysical terrestrial research in the Arctic. Since then, BGR has carried out
a number of geoscientific expeditions to Svalbard, Siberia, Yukon North Slope, and the
Canadian Arctic Archipelago, especially Ellesmere Island. This research has always been
characterized by very close cooperation with the national geological institutions, universities,
and museums of the countries where field work is conducted. In Canada, the most important
partners of BGR are the Geological Survey of Canada, the Yukon Geological Survey, and the
universities of Calgary and Ottawa.
BGR conducts geological research on land areas around the Arctic Ocean, giving scientists
who are involved in the CASE-program, a significant and unique opportunity to study and
compare the rocks, the evolution of sedimentary basins, and the plate tectonic history, of
circum-Arctic areas. The major scientific goal of the CASE-program is to understand the
deformation of rocks on Svalbard, North Greenland and the Queen Elizabeth Islands related
to the opening of the Arctic Ocean and the final break-up of the ancient northern continent
Laurasia. The geologic structures formed, the timing of faulting, and the direction of fault
movement related to opening of the Arctic Ocean is complex and complicated. The resultant
2,500 km long and 400 km wide mountain belts formed are poorly understood. Therefore,
study of the history of fault movement along northern Ellesmere Island is critical to getting
some answers to one of the most important questions in Arctic geoscience: how and when did
the Arctic Ocean (especially the Amerasian Basin) form?
The planned field work during “CASE 19 Pearya” in 2017 will concentrate on several major
questions concerning the role, the evolution and the plate tectonic relationship of a rock unit
known as the Pearya Terrane, at the north coast of Ellesmere Island, to other areas in the
Arctic which are separated today by the Arctic Ocean. Field work on the Pearya Terrane is
essential to our broader understanding because this area of Ellesmere Island is very remote
and has not been visited by geoscientists very often. Therefore, we are planning to involve as
many scientists as possible from a broad range of geoscientific disciplines in the CASE 19project:
- Structural geology of the Caledonian, Ellesmerian and Eurekan deformational events
and the superposition of the structures;
- Structural geology of the Eurekan fault zones parallel to the present continental
margin of North America and their possible relation to the fault zones in the
Mackenzie Delta area and in Alaska. The major question here is if the Atlantic and
Pacific plate-tectonic systems (mid-oceanic ridges) are connected?
- Petrology for comparing the pre-Ellesmerian rocks on Pearya with the pre-Devonian
basement rocks of the western and eastern terranes on Svalbard;
- Geochronology for determine the absolute ages of the origin of the rocks or their
deformation during orogenies. This is almost the most important part of the planned
-
field work in 2017, because there are only a very limited number of age
determinations in the Pearya Terrane until now;
Analyses of detrital zircons for the reconstruction and comparison of different
continents or terranes in the Arctic and their possible relation in the past;
Sedimentary, stratigraphic and paleontological studies in the post-Ellesmerian
sediments (Sverdrup Basin) and their comparison with other Arctic sedimentary
basins, e.g., on Svalbard.
• Project Timing:
o Duration of research:
In January 2016, we have submitted an application to Parks Canada for the transport and
storage of 350 barrels of fuel in Tanquary Fiord (01.06.2016 – 31.05.2017). After discussion
with PCSP, a transport of maximum 100 barrels of fuel will be organized in spring 2017 from
Tanquary Fiord to the planned location of the CASE 19-base camp in the valley between
Kulutingwak Fiord and Yelverton Inlet. The timing of this second part of the CASE 19-project
will be from 01.06.2017 to 31.12.2017.
o Fieldwork dates:
Field work is planned from 01.07.2017 (arrival from Resolute Bay) to 04.09.2017 (departure
to Resolute Bay).
• Location:
o Quttinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island
o The planned study areas within the National Park are located on Marvin Peninsula east of
M´Clintock Inlet, along the British Empire Range and in the area between M´Clintock Inlet
and the western boundary of the National Park.
The approximate coordinates are: NW-corner: 83°00’N and 77°30’W, NE-corner: 83°30’N
and 71°00’W, SE-corner: 82°00’N and 71°00’W, SW-corner: 82°00’N and 77°00’W.
In addition, we are planning a day trip to Salor Creek near Lake Hazen (81°44.265’N;
68°21.851’W.
o We have attached a geological map with the planned study area outside and inside
Quttinirpaaq National Park. Most of the planned field work in summer 2017 will take place
outside the Park, because we have already done a lot of work in the Park in 2008 during
CASE 11. However, some focused work is required to address a few remaining key questions.
All efforts have been made to keep planned field work in the Parkto a minimum, and largely
focused in regions with little to no visitor use to avoid distribution of visitor experience. We
would like to propose one or two small fly camps within the Park (max. 3 people). Exact
locations can be determined through discussions with Park staff to ensure they are in areas
that would have minimal to no impacts on natural or cultural features within the park.
• Methods:
Field work will be carried out with support of helicopters which will be mostly used for
transportation of the geologists in the field and back to the base camp located outside the
park. During the day, the geology groups will work by feet in their target areas. The
helicopters will also be used for the transportation of the fly camps, but only to bring in
camping equipment and people. The geologists in the fly camps will mostly work by feet and
will not be supported by helicopters. In the field geologist will conduct work by observing
rock units and taking measurements by compass, such as the orientation of faults and
fractures. Locations will be located by GPS and photos and notes of observations will be
taken. In some locations representative rock samples will be collect by use of a rock hammer.
For all sampling minimal hand-size pieces are collected, with a maximum 100 samples (~100
kg) of this size anticipated from throughout the study area within the Park. Some larger (2
kg) samples will also be collected for examination of detrital zircon grains (tiny crystals in the
rock that are separated within the lab later on). They can tell something about the origin of
the sediment that forms the rocks themselves. For these a maximum of 20 samples (~40 kg)
would be collected. A systematic suite of shale samples may also be collected across
sedimentary units in order to examine the evolution of ocean chemistry through geologic
time. This would consist of upwards to 100 samples of 500 g each (~50 kg). In one location
researchers are also interested in the occurrence of the crystal for called glendonite that has
been reported in shale units south of Lake Hazen. If found then upwards to 10 samples would
be collected to examine the chemistry of these features and to understand how they may
related to cold climate periods in the Cretaceous. When present in other regions of the arctic
islands glendonites occur in great abundance, such that 10 samples would be of minimal
impact.
The home labs for samples analyses are the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural
Resources (BGR) in Hanover, and Geological Survey of Canada (GSC Calgary). Some
additional specialized analyses of samples or subsets maybe be conducted in labs outside of
these institutions. Many analyses are destructive in nature, but any remaining sample would
be stored and catalogued in repositories at BGR and GSC-Calgary. Samples would be
analysed for the geochemistry of the rock, as well as the nature and properties of the
sedimentary rock or mineralogy of crystalline rock. For sedimentary rocks extraction
techniques may also be used to try and find microfossils (such as plant spores and pollen).
These are used to determine the age of the rock itself, from fossils too small to observe with
the naked eye.
• Aircraft Access:
For the transport of participants, equipment, fuel and food we will use Twin Otter fixed wings
from Resolute to Yelverton Inlet and back. In the field we will have 2 helicopters from 01.07.
to 04.08.-2017 and one helicopter from 04.08. to 04.09.2017. Except for Twin Otter landings
on the airstrip at Tanquary Fiord, we will not fly with fixed wings across the Park area. For
the work in the park we will only use a helicopter to bring field crews to specific study sites.
We have estimated about 50 hours of helicopter time. Flights will be straight line flight
segments to specific work areas, keeping at a minimum of 2000 ft. If any animals are sighted
flight lines will also be altered to avoid direct overflight. In addition, when arriving at a
planned work sight an initial high elevation scouting for wildlife will be conducted. If wildlife
are present then plans will be canceled and work would be conducted in an alternative
location. All efforts will be made to avoid landing near, or overflying any wildlife to minimize
any potential disturbance.
• Benefits of Research:
Our work will provide new information on the natural history of the Park, specifically the
geological history of the rock record as well as the process and history of mountain building
that formed the spectacular landscape of the park itself, including the formation of the
adjacent Arctic Ocean. We are happy to use our results to support Parks Canada with
development of layperson educational material on the geology of the Park and surrounding
area.
• Potential Adverse Effects:
All efforts will be made have minimal impacts of the natural environment of the Park – using
the ‘leaving only footprints’ approach. Helicopter flights will be kept to a minimal straight
line flight to work areas and kept at minimum 2000 ft flight level. All efforts will be made to
avoid any direct overflight of wildlife and no landings will be made were wildlife is present. In
the field workers will avoid any area were wildlife are spotted. Camps will also be minimal
and established by small ‘backpacking’ type tents greater than 30 m from any water body.
Water use in camps will be solely for drinking and domestic needs. Grey water will be
dispersed after first filtering any food particles. All garbage will be removed when camp is
closed. Human waste will be managed through small dug pits, burning of toilet paper after
use, and covering. Most work will be north of any typical areas used by park visitors so we do
not anticipate any disturbance to visitors. One work area south of Lake Hazen has greater
potential to disturb park users by helicopter overflight. We are happy to discuss with Parks
the best timing for this to avoid any disturbance.
Non-technical project descriptions should be approximately two pages in length.
Questions regarding project descriptions may be forwarded to: [email protected].