NORRUSS-Nordområdene og Russland

The last years have shown an increased interest in possibilities for gas and oil exploitation in the Barents Sea and the whole European Arctic. At the same time, seismic studies have shown that this region has the potential for larger earthquakes. Today's seismic monitoring of the European Arctic suffers from patchy seismic networks and limited exchange of seismic data between institutes in Norway and Russia. This cooperative project between institutes in Norway and Russia focused during the last three years on improving the knowledge of geophysical processes in the European Arctic. The principle project partners were NORSAR, Norway, and the Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Russia. The project also involved the Kola Branch of the Geophysical Survey of the RAS, the Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo and the glacial seismology group at the Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo. Joint seismic monitoring of the European Arctic combined for the first time results from the networks of all partners and other available stations in the region. After removing the high number of glaciogenic events, a new, very high quality seismic event bulletin for the Barents Sea and surrounding areas has been compiled. Such an event bulletin is crucial for establishing the earthquake risk level and obtaining a baseline for background seismicity, which again is essential for monitoring of microseismicity related to oil and gas production. In addition, the relationship between seismicity, heat flow, Earth structure and hydrocarbon resources was investigated. A long-term purpose of the project was the establishment of a sustainable framework for future cooperation between Norway and Russia on seismic monitoring in the whole region. During the project a more regular data exchange had already been established between the institutions. At the end the project, the partners wrote a common document with the title "Recommendations for Future Norwegian - Russian Geophysical Cooperation in the European Arctic". The joint work was coordinated during research visits at NORSAR and project workshops in Norway(3) and Russia(2). The seismological community was informed about our plans and results at international conferences (e.g., 2014: 2ECEES, AGU; 2015: EGU, AGU, IUGG, S&T 2015, Int. Seism. School Azerbaijan; 2016: EGU, ESC, Int. Seism. School Kyrgyzstan). The project provided e.g., 9 of in total 31 contributions to a special session on Polar Research at the European Seismological Commission (ESC) in Trieste.

We propose a 3-year project between the principal partners NORSAR, Norway, and the Institute of Environmental Problems of the North, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEPN UB RAS), Russia. The project also involves the Kola Branch of the Geo physical Survey of the RAS (KB GS RAS), the Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics (CEED), University of Oslo and the group engaged in glacial seismology at the Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo (DG UiO). The project involves joint seismologi cal monitoring of geophysical processes in the European Arctic, using the combined seismic networks of the parties and other available seismic stations in the region. IEPN currently operates a seismic network of 11 stations in the study region, which will make a significant contribution to the monitoring of its eastern part, in particular for the Barents Sea. Emphasis will be given on maintaining high quality operation and establishing joint data analysis for the existing station networks. The enhanced mo nitoring capabilities of the joint network will contribute to a vastly improved mapping of the seismicity in the region, crucial for establishing the level of earthquake risk and obtaining a baseline for background seismicity, and essential for monitoring of microseismicity related to oil and gas production. Discrimination between tectonic and glaciogenic seismicity will ensure the correct estimation of the background seismicity levels. Our primary aim is to produce a very high quality seismic event bulle tin for the Barents Sea and surrounding areas, for all future seismic risk studies. In addition, the relationship between seismicity, heat flow, Earth structure and hydrocarbon resources will be assessed, by compiling a joint measured and projected heat f low database. A long-term purpose will be to establish a sustainable framework for future cooperation between Norway and Russia for seismic monitoring in the region.