SVALCLIME - Deep-time Arctic climate archives

Svalbard’s rocks record the Earth’s history over many millions of years and can inform us about how the climate changed in the “deep-time”. These include some of the world’s major mass extinctions, such as the one that occurred around 252 million years ago at the end of the Permian period, the largest mass extinction in the Earth’s history linked to extensive volcanism in Siberia. This event is visible at Festningen and has also been targeted by scientific drilling at Deltadalen. The SVALCLIME project brings together an international team led by UNIS geologists to use Svalbard’s rock record to understand how the global climate has changed in the past 300 million years. Specifically, the project will develop an international scientific drilling project to drill six scientific research boreholes in Spitsbergen. As part of the project we will visit all proposed drill locations and document the area. We will also develop innovative outreach products to bring the geology targeted by SVALCLIME closer to the general public, through online digital tours and in-person exhibits on the evolution of life. The overall objective of the 2 year project is to realize the first ever scientific drilling project under the auspices of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme in Svalbard.

The network project builds on an ongoing global project in the International Continental Scienctific Drilling Programme (ICDP) to characterize how past global climate changes (especially those related to large igneous provinces and associated hyperthermals - periods of rapid climate warming like the one we are experiencing now). Svalbard's rock record is well suited to study these events and also the important background levels. Outcrop and pilot well studies have already demonstrated the feasibility. The SVALCLIME-SSG project will visit the planned drill sites to conduct the necessary site surveys. We will also internationalize the project by involving relevant research groups from China, USA and Canada. Data integration, sharing and visualisation will build on already existing research drill cores that lay the foundation for the SVALCLIME initiative. Finally, we will develop innovative digital and in-person (including augmented reality) outreach components.