Preface The expedition ARK XIX/3 with the German icebreaking RV ...

C. 4 Marine Geology
Kukina, N.
Major objectives of the marine geological program described herein were highresolution
studies of changes in paleoclimate, paleoceanic circulation and former seaice
distribution by investigations in the adjacent Arctic Ocean basins. The Late
Pleistocene and Holocene records are of main interest, as the Arctic Ocean is
regarded to be of great significance for the global climate system. The terrigenous
sediment supply is controlled by oceanic currents, sea-ice and iceberg transport, and
down-slope processes. Most of these mechanisms also influence biological processes
in the water column as well as at sea floor.
Research objectives will concentrate on studies of terrigenous sediment supply. For
these purpose detailed sedimentological and mineralogical analyses of surface
sediment samples taken by giant box corer are conducted. The close cooperation of
the geological work with biological, geochemical and other disciplines on board will
allow a better understanding of modern sedimentation, identification of major transport
processes and reconstruction of oceanic currents, which are necessary for the
interpretation of the geological records.
During expedition ARK XIX/3c from 19.07. to 7.08.2003 to the AWI-“Hausgarten” area
off West Spitsbergen, 13 geological stations were sampled (Tab. C4-1; Fig. C4-1) at
which this project was involved. More than 50 samples of bottom sediments were
taken for future investigation at the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute of the
Russian Academy of Science (MMBI, RAS) (Appendix 1). Sedimentological
investigations will include grain size, light and heavy minerals composition and
morphology of quartz grains.
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