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IRCCM BROCHURE 2004
International Research Consortium on Continental Margins
P.O. 750 561, D-28725 Bremen
Office
Tel: +(49) 421 200 4327
Fax: +(49) 421 200 49 4327
The International Consortium on Continental Margins (IRCCM) is a broadly based partnership in marine
research and education. It was formally founded in June 2002 to study processes on continental
margins, such as fluid flow, the methane/carbon cycle, as well as surface and subsurface imaging. The
IRCCM distinguishes itself from other research consortia by being supported by the three fundamental
pillars: research, infrastructure and education.
Thus IRCCM is more than just a research group - it provides a platform for access to large-scale
infrastructure, development of innovative marine science technologies, offers a broad range of
educational opportunities and avenues for direct and intense cooperation between industry and
academia as well as public outreach.
The Consortium is based on a Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by eight Academic
Members. Direct cooperation between industry and research is ensured by strategic Industrial Members,
who are also represented on the Steering Committee.
IRCCM PARTNERS:
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
AWI Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Sciences
IfM-Geomar
IES Integrated Exploration systems
IUB International University Bremen
MPI Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Rice University
Statoil/ASA
RCOM Research Center on Continental Margins of Bremen University
University of New Hampshire
University of Washington
SOC Southampton Oceanographic Institution
Ifremer
MAERSK
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I
Structure
Research
The goal of the IRCCM is to establish a material balance for the carbon/methane cycle in this sequence.
Special attention will be paid to the mixing of biogenic and thermogenic methane and quantification of
other relevant processes concerning microbial methane as well as the upward movement of
thermogenic methane.
IRCCM has decided to focus research activities on continental margins on surface and subsurface
imaging, fluid flow and the methane cycle. The research object is the entire sedimentary sequence on
continental margins starting with deeply buried sediments and moving upward to shallower sediments up
to the sediment/water interface. The water column above the sedimentary sequence will also be
incorporated in the research program, as far as input from the sedimentary column and the
interrelationship between water column and sediment in terms of exchange processes is concerned. The
air/water interface will be included mainly for considering exchange phenomena of relevance to climate
and global change. At the bottom of the sedimentary sequence, a base line will be drawn with respect to
those sediments, which cannot generate any more thermogenic methane. This baseline has to be drawn
around 2% to 3% vitrinite reflectance. It will be determined through basin modelling technology.
All of these different research activities will produce a massive flow of data. Data management,
therefore, is a central aspect for the success of such a research program. Furthermore, in order to
understand and quantify geological processes there is a definite need for an elaborate numerical
modelling capacity, output and visualization system. Therefore the Consortium Members formed a
working group Data-Visualization-Visualization
Infrastructure
The International Consortium on Continental Margins has access to a variety of research vessels and
equipment, which are operated by the partner institutions. Overall 22 ships are available. Some are
provided for coastal research and some are full sea worthy, spread all over the world engaged by
international programs and expeditions. In addition several remotely operated vehicles are available as
well as autonomous underwater vehicles, airplanes, and manned submersibles.
Current infrastructure of the IRCCM research institutions
Science and technical staff
1600
Deep sea research vessels
11
Research airplanes
2
Deep Sea ROVs
3
AUVs
3
IOVs (Internet operated)
3
Large computing facilities
5
Test basins
2
Free fall landers
15
Plus our partners from industry, who support IRCCM with additional infrastructure
Education
Goal is the concept of a joined educational program, which allows students, in particular graduate
students, insight to the research facilities at all consortium partners. Main interest of IRCCM is to provide
excellence in the field of marine science and link to trainee programs in the industry for students.
Research institutes have the additional interest in getting a hold on a new generation of well-educated
young geoscientists, especially at the PhD-level.
Lectures can be given on “consortium level” open for students from all consortium partners. The
Lecture system at PhD level could follow the Ecolmas (European Graduate College in Marine Sciences)
approach. ECOLMAS is the educational branch of NEBROC (Netherlands/Bremen Oceanography).
•
all partners should have a coherent credential system for all lectures given on
consortium level. Official rules will be established.
•
Seagoing institutes see special chances for fieldwork related training. This could
include training, cruise participation, and post cruise data processing as a coherent project. Calls for
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student help for field trips should be posted on a common job and project opportunity database. The
same should be true for opportunities of internships in the private industry.
•
Students should have the opportunity to choose their project/internship activities with
regard to their main interest, i.e. whether they prefer an open industry or academic career.
•
Student jobs will be offered for all partners of the consortium
Currently three undergraduate programs, 18 graduate programs and several training programs are
offered by IRCCM
II
Long term Projects of IRCCM
1. Carbon Sequestration (Project coordination: Ifm-Geomar)
The possibility to mitigate future rise of atmospheric CO2 levels by innovative and advanced
CO2 disposal or conversion strategies is now considered as the foremost option complementing the
reduction of the use of carbon-bearing energy sources by enhanced energy-efficiency and the use of
regenerative energy sources. Within the marine environment, several types of disposal strategies have
been considered. These include the dilution of liquid CO2 in midwater depth as well as on depressions at
the seafloor at depths below 2800m, where it would remain gravitationally stable and could have a
considerable lifetime due to hydrate conversion and self-induced stratification. Another option is the
injection into the sub-seafloor with the aim to exclude the CO2 from the fast exchanging
(ocean/atmosphere) reservoirs for long time scales. The approach is justified by the fact that 90 % of the
man-made CO2 emissions will end in the deep ocean carbon system on a timescale of 1000 years
anyhow. Thus, direct injection just accelerates the predetermined pathway of industrial CO 2 to the deep
ocean reservoir, at the same time considerably decreasing the effect of the emission on the Earth
radiation budget, i.e. Global Warming.
A comprehensive investigation of the options of marine sequestration, including the currently discussed
options as well as some new approaches regarding marine carbon recycling developed within IRCCM,
require expertise in the complete range of disciplines of ocean sciences in a highly interdisciplinary
framework. Members of IRCCM are involved in ongoing European and international research efforts on
Marine Carbon Sequestration, and IRCCM projects could fully draw on results of these initiatives.
2. Data analysis (Project coordination: AWI)
Enhanced public and economic interest in the environmental sciences increased extraordinarily the
amount of geological, geochemical, oceanographic, and biological data compiled in marine research
within the last few years. This is due to considerably progress in marine technology, increased analytical
capacities, and joined research efforts within international projects. Combined with efficient data
management spatial analysis techniques offer a great potential for science and industry.
The closer coupling of data archiving systems with advanced tools for visualization, modelling, querying,
analysing and mapping will be a particular challenge for IRCCM information services. Geo-InformationSystems provide a high potential to fulfil these challenges especially in respect to large amounts and
different types of spatial data sets. Although GIS in marine science is just starting to develop rapidly,
compared to business applications and terrestrial research, GIS provides high capacities for coupled
data management as well as efficient and innovative exploitation of congregated Geodata. Examples are
seafloor characterization for studies on slope stability, benthic habitat mapping, prospecting, and
seafloor imaging, derived by multi-beam, video streaming, and other techniques.
IRCCM information services develop and maintain central program-wide web-based portals to
stakeholders such as scientists, educators, industry, policy-makers, and the general public. As a
curatorial platform to disseminate relevant information within the consortia these services will provide
scalable access to all IRCCM data, meta data and publications databases in accordance with
international standards.
3. Imaging (Project coordination: RCOM)
Fluids and gases are major elements of marine sedimentary systems, and they play an important role for
physical and geotechnical properties as well as for the dynamic changes in such systems as a function
of geologic time and varying boundary conditions. Sedimentation and compaction drive the typical
upward movement of fluids due to compaction, and together with dissolved or free gas, these fluids
preferably follow permeable pathways from greater depth, e.g. from hydrocarbon reservoirs, or shallow
depth, e.g. from biogenic gas production, towards the sea floor. Seismic and acoustic methods are used
by IRCCM partners to study the seafloor and sub-seafloor at all scales of resolution and penetration,
reaching from multiscale two- and three dimensional imaging with high to very high resolution
multichannel seismics through digital sediment echosounding from ship, and including ROV and robot to
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surface mapping with multibeam systems and side scan sonars. Spatial resolution is adjusted to target
sizes of objects related to the flow of fluids, e.g. fault planes, fluid conduits, pockmarks, mounds,
carbonate pavements, and shallow gas hydrates.
Different methods are combined, and data are integrated for joint interpretation, in geographical
information systems and databases with 3D visualization tools, to relate sub-seafloor features with the
sea floor, where detailed video and acoustic surveys are guided and sampling and monitoring sites can
be selected. Conceptually such projects are highly interdisciplinary, sharing ship time and resources
between institutions to optimise observational results during cruises, to utilize survey information for
sampling and immediately improve research strategies. New approaches and technologies are to be
developed to study the sediment-water interface, and to trace fluid and gas from depth along major
structural anomalies toward the shallow sediment cover, where increasingly smaller-scale structures
provide transport capacity and biogeochemical recycling occurs.
4. Observatories (Project coordination: IUB)
Our present knowledge about the functioning of the ocean in the earth system is mainly based on
seagoing expeditions and shipboard operation of equipment. The data sets thus obtained are
constrained in time and space, and generally lack sufficient knowledge of the temporal and spatial
variability of parameters. As the importance of the oceans to society grows, so does the need to
understand their variation on many temporal and spatial scales. Long term observing systems will
enable the study of processes in the ocean over varying timescales and spatial scales, providing the
scientific basis for addressing important societal concerns such as climate change, natural hazards,
industrial exploitation and the health and viability of living and non-living resources along our coasts and
in the open ocean. The cooperation in the construction of an ocean observatory network will provide the
IRCCM with a new view of the oceans and offer innovative approaches to the discovery and testing of
oceanic processes. These observatories are identified as prime instrumentation to address the scientific
questions of the IRCCM related to continental margin research in general, and observational and
experimental oceanography in combination with geoscientific process studies and modelling in
particular.
5. Continental Margins Tectonic (Project coordination: RCOM)
Active tectonics shaping continental margins are the consequence of a variety of highly dynamic, often
interacting processes. They occur in a biogeochemically most active low temperature regime and drive
faulting and folding, trigger geohazards like earthquakes, submarine landslides, or vigorous mud
volcanic eruptions and pockmarks, and fuel gas hydrate reactions and microbiological processes. Many,
if not all of those processes are driven by fluids, however, the amounts, flux rates and pressures of those
fluids are poorly constrained. Given the presence of hydrocarbons in this environment rich in organic
matter, and given further that other industry (telecommunication, tourism, etc.) is also located in those
shallow marine zones, a need emerges to better understand ocean margins. Hence, IRCCM proposes a
tight link between industry and academia to the benefit of each partner. This may include the use of
quality geophysical data in academic research, instrumentation of exploration wells, and joint projects on
certain continental margins. Although much of the activity by industry is dedicated to passive margins,
we favour a strategy to understand tectonics and related processes at suitable end members of passive
as well as active margins (namely Norway, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Cadiz). High priority objectives
include the understanding of the tectonic control of continental margin slope stability processes, and
their relationship to other factors such as sedimentary loading, glacial loading, (micro-)seismicity,
hydrocarbon formation, gas hydrate dissociation, etc. In addition, the interaction between deformation,
fluid flow and mobilization/origin, rock mechanics and structural properties have to be studied on microto macroscale, especially with respect to the causes of geohazards (earthquakes, landslides, but also
fluid emission from mud volcanoes or "leaky reservoirs"). In order to achieve our goals, various worldclass marine institutions and laboratories from industrial partners will jointly develop state-of-the-art
seagoing technology to characterize the crucial parameters in situ.
6. Methane Cycle (Project coordination: MPI)
Methane is one of the main energy sources to society and an important greenhouse gas. Interest in the
marine methane cycle was stimulated by the finding of immense amounts of methane stored as
clathrates in permafrost regions and along ocean margins. Such clathrates or methane hydrates are
solid compounds of an ice-like crystalline structure which host the methane in cages formed by water
molecules. Methane hydrates form at high pressure and low temperatures when the low molecular
weight gas is present in excess of solubility.
Recent studies show, that the main processes of methane (production) formation and consumption (on)
along continental margins are mediated by novel types of micro organisms Free living and symbiotic
microbes use the methane as source of energy and food. Due to their high activity, chemosynthetic
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marine ecosystems and carbonate (cements) precipitates form above (gas) methane hydrates and
active seepage sites (methane seeps). At these seeps, ecosystems control methane turnover efficiently.
At very high gas seepage rates, methane may be released to the hydrosphere in the form of gas
bubbles escaping microbial activity. A sudden catastrophic release of large amounts of free gas could
result in serious disturbances such as landslides as well as climatic change, and further positive
feedback mechanisms could cause a warming of the permafrost regions severely affecting climate
development.
Scientific progress in this field requires investigations of the entire methane cycle, from subsurface
sediments to the atmosphere. Cooperative projects among research institutes, industry and marine
technology must be promoted. Multidisciplinary activity is planned, including geophysical, geological,
chemical, biogeochemical and environmental microbiological investigations. Within IRCCM there is a
strong competence for methane-related research in all these fields.
7. Modelling (Project coordination: IUB)
The modelling efforts within the IRCCM focuses on fluid flow and methane cycle on the continental
margins and provides a viable physical, chemical, and mathematical conceptual framework within which
the observational and experimental parts can be tested. Currently the mathematically modelling is
concentrating on understanding the role and influence of the heat equation on fluid transport. Heat is
one of the primary driving forces for fluid flow in the subsurface. Various aspects of this research such
as the applicability of Wavelet Theory and Finite Element Modelling, will help to enhance computational
power and stability of the petroleum system modelling software such as PetroMod. Mathematically
modelling and numerical simulations are also being carried out to understand gas hydrate stability fields
and methane concentrations with the shallow subsurface. Testing of the results and models obtained will
be performed on a reconnaissance scale on the Irish continental margin where ideal conditions exist for
the development of gas hydrates. Small-scale hydrodynamics are an important part of IRCCM
modelling. Macro and micro scale experimental and mathematical models are being developed to
understand fluid flow patterns around cold and hot seep vents. This is of particular importance to help
explain vertical and horizontal distribution of bacterial colonies at such sites.
III
Target study sites
IRCCM concentrates its scientific efforts at the following locations: Black Sea, Gulf of Cadiz, North Sea,
Rockall, Norwegian Sea, Northeast Pacific
IV
Currently the following industry supported projects are run by IRCCM members:
IRCCM- Statoil projects
1.
Development of a cabled long-term observatory
The cooperation in the construction of an ocean observatory network will provide the IRCCM with a new
view of the oceans and offer innovative approaches to both the discovery and testing of oceanic
processes and to new kinds of monitoring capabilities around offshore installations. These observatories
are identified as prime instrumentation to address the scientific questions of the IRCCM related to
continental margin research in general, and observational and experimental oceanography in
combination with geoscientific process studies and modelling in particular. So far several pilot projects
have successfully installed or will install seafloor observatories using newly developed junction boxes
and fiber-optic cable protocols. IRCCM is actively involved in three major programs dedicated to cabled
long term observatories: a US/Canadian approach for the investigation of a whole tectonic plate, the
NEPTUNE program; the US MARS program, which develops a near-shore deep-sea observatory as a
proof-of-concept site for future regional cabled observatories; and the EU ESONET program, with
stations monitoring the rocks, sediments, bottom water, biology and events in the water column within
European waters. In 2003 IRCCM started the project. The aim of the development was to build the first
prototype of an internet operated vehicle (IOV) with the capability to move along the seafloor by video
control and to carry out detailed investigations on fluid –and particle fluxes in the benthic boundary layer.
The IOV is connected to the internet via a junction box (node) within an underwater network or via an
Ethernet/power connection at an offshore installation. The connection to a node should be established
by the use of a ROV. Once connected the system should remain on the seafloor for extended periods of
several months to study the temporal and spatial variations at a given location in the deep sea.
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2.
Data Analysis, GIS and Visualisation Laboratory
The spatial and temporal analysis of data is critical for understanding continental margin processes.
Geographic Information System (GIS) is a broad field that deals with the analysis, processing and
visualization of geoscience related data. To fulfil this need with the IRCCM, a GIS and enhanced
visualization laboratory has been setup in IUB. This laboratory is equipped with specialized high
performance pc's linked to the IUB and partner Linux clusters providing access to a vast amount of
computing power. In addition, industry standard commercial software technology such as ArcGIS and
Open Source tools such as Grass and GMT provide a range of tools to analyse data currently being
gathered by the partner from key targeted seep sites of the Norwegian Margin, North Sea, Irish
Continental Margin and Gulf of Cadiz. Exchange, delivery and monitoring of progress of IRCCM partners
is facilitated through Internet Map Server technology based on ArcIMS. These servers will be deployed
within the next few weeks. In order to visualize the gathered datasets, advanced visualization techniques
are currently being implemented. These include the immersive, real- and virtual 3D visualization using
stereo image enhancement and projection. Acquisition of specialist software such as Fledermaus will
provide the user the ability to immerse oneself into the data volume and analyse it from every possible
perspective.
IRCCM – IES
3.
Petroleum Systems Modelling
Petroleum Systems Modelling using advanced PetroMod software has concentrated on either the
shallow or deep aspects of fluid flow on continental margins. The long-term objective is to merge to two
approaches in order to provide a better understanding of the entire system i.e. whole earth fluid flow,
which includes the various scenarios possible. Currently research on the shallow part (upper 500 m of
the seabed) deals with gas hydrates and hydrofracturing models on the Cascadian Margin, while the
deep part focuses on the hydrocarbon play system on the Voring Plateau, Norwegian Margin. Results
from these modelling efforts are to be presented to partners such as Statoil for further analysis and
discussion. The modelling efforts support the observational side of IRCCM by providing the framework
for understanding the processes and postulating hypothesis, which can be tested by observational and
experimental oceanography. The study site on the Norwegian Margin is also one of the key locations for
the deployment of a long-term, internet-connected observatory. Forthcoming EU FP6 programs such as
the Hermes will also be collaborating with IRCCM and make use of experience gained.
IRCCM – Other
4.
Data Management
Seabed observatories that provide online, real time access to instruments generate a large volume of
data. The storage and archiving of this huge data volume needs a comprehensive and integrated data
management strategy flexible enough to meet the changing demands of users, technology and digital
standards. The goal and the vision within the IRCCM is to develop a system based on MarineXML. Data
from instruments will be wrapped in a MarineXML metadata header complying with international ISO
standards. This data package can be sent via the internet to users for direct analysis and to World Data
Centres such as Pangaea for long-term storage in relational databases.
Since most large geoscience relational databases deal with geo-coded vector data, a new concept has
to be developed for integrating image or raster data. IRCCM partners along with the SME Rasdaman
have submitted a proposal to ESA (European Space Agency) for supporting the development of a raster
(image) relational database. This technology will be able to store and access a very large (10 Terabyte
or more) raster relational database quickly and efficiently. It will also provide users with the functionality
to process and visualize data on the fly.
5.
Seismic Modelling
Seismic modelling of the shallow and deep sections of margins is currently ongoing. The
shallow part deals with various issues related to non-linear wave propagation in the subsurface.
High-resolution parametric echosounders use this parametric effect to provide detailed images
of the shallow subsurface. The physics, mathematics, experimental and numerical simulation of
this parametric effect is an integral part of an ongoing PhD thesis work. The instruments tested
in controlled conditions include the SES2000 from the leading company Innomar, Germany who
have provided the hardware free of cost. Contacts established with research groups within the
EU have provided access to data and hardware such as the parametric echosounder underdevelopment by Tritech, U.K. Exchange of ideas and views with other European Union FP5
projects such as AMAZON working with parametric echosounders has also been a very fruitful
development.
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Deeper (>500m), conventional 2D and 3D seismic data will be modelled using the recently acquired
software OpendTect and dGb. Of special interest are the ChimneyCube, Neural Network, AVO and
attribute analysis tools available within these software packages. In addition, conventional and industry
standard seismic software such as Charisma and Paradigm will be acquired during the course of the
year to provide additional techniques for visualization and modelling of fluid flow. 2D and 3D seismic
data sourced from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and StatOil will form the basis for this modelling
work.
6.
IRCCM- E.ON Ruhrgas collaboration
Gashydrate research
Since August 2004, IRCCM member IFM-GEOMAR started scientific consulting and advice by
energy holding E.ON Ruhrgas AG. The company wants to be informed about all aspects of
scientific progress in the field of research on gas hydrates, including recent best estimates of
the amount of gas (i.e. energy) stored in gas hydrates, the characteristic of the deposits,
progress in the development of exploitation-, transport-, and storage strategies, as well as the
hazard risks involved. Also, information about national and international gas hydrate research
initiatives will be provided. This form of contract presents an ideal win-win situation for both
partners. E.ON Ruhrgas gets semi-annual progress reports on the fast emerging field of applied
gas hydrate research through the expertise of an institute with a main research focus on the
topic, and the contract allows IFM-GEOMAR to fill administrational gaps and to be present at all
important conferences, crucial means to stay amongst the leading institutes of gas hydrate
research. The realization of the contract was facilitated by activities of IRCCM, and all partners
will benefit from some of the anticipated outcomes, like a well organized literature data base or
better exchange between gas hydrate related programs with IRCCM members involved.
CO2 sequestration/transformation
Carbon sequestration, sometimes referred to more broadly as carbon management, is a way to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Sequestration covers technologies that capture carbon at its source and
direct it to non-atmospheric sinks, as well as processes that increase the removal of carbon from the
atmosphere by natural processes (e.g., forestation). Biological carbon sequestration, in particular
engineered photosynthesis systems, offers advantages for reduced carbon emissions in the energy
sector and produces usable byproducts (biomass). Further, such systems will reduce capital and
operating costs, complexity, and energy required to transport CO 2. Enhanced natural sinks could be
among the most economically competitive and environmentally safe carbon sequestration options
because they do not require pure CO2 and they do not incur the costs of separation, capture, and
compression of CO2 gas. Among the options for enhanced natural sinks, the use of existing marine
microorganisms in an optimal way in an engineered photosynthesis system is lower risk, lower cost, and
benign to the environment. The objectives of an IRCCM-Eon feasibility study focus on the development
of a practical large scale photosynthetic system for greenhouse gas control with special focus on the
application at an EON power plant near Bremen to allow measurement and verification of the system
effects, to investigate the efficiency of CO2 stripping from biogas and in order to sequester 1 % of the
yearly CO2 emission from that facility.
IRCCM – EU projects
HERMES
Hermes is a new upcoming project of the EU to provide new insights into the biodiversity, structure,
function and dynamics of ecosystems along Europe´s deep-ocean margin which will underpin future
development of a comprehensive European Ocean amd Seas Integrated Governance Policy. Hermes
will develop concepts and strategies for the sustainable use of marine resources and provide an
integrated framework for data management, training, education and outreach. 36 scientific organizations
from across Europe and 9 SMEs are involved in this 4 years project with a total amount of 40 M€ and
strong support from hydrocarbon industry. IRCCM partners are represented with five of ten workpackage
leaders and the project coordinator. There is a strong overlap of the target study sites which allows great
support with industry data for the project. Within the first 18 month HERMES will mobilise 50 research
cruises. High levels of support with firm commitments to provide data and attend meetings come from
BP, Total, Schlumberger, Repsol, Norsk Hydro and Statoil.
7.
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Hermes study sites, which overlap IRCCM target project sites in
the Black Sea, Gulf of Cadiz, Rockall, and the Norwegian Sea.
Steering committee
Chair: Dietrich Welte
ViceChair: Raymond O. Wells
IUB/IES
IUB
Per Arne Bjørkum
John Delaney
Wolf-Christian Dullo
Bo Barker Jorgenson
Andreas Lüttge
Larry Mayer
Erwin Suess
Jörn Thiede
Gerold Wefer
Statoil
University of Washington
IfM-Geomar
Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology
Rice University
University of New Hampshire
IfM-Geomar
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar Research
University Bremen
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