The geobiology of Arctic hydrothermal springs

The hydrothermal springs of Svalbard occur at the boundary between land and sea. This heterogeneous, photic setting may have given rise to communities and interactions that are more relevant to the origin of life than the dark mid-ocean localities that ha ve been more intensively studied. The Trollosen spring discharges large amounts of nutrients onto a beach and into the sea. The biology in this area deserves close study in order to identify trophic pathways that depend on the hydrothermal activity. Chem ical and biological parameters will be mapped and analyzed using methods from multivariate ecology and mathematical modelling. We will also try to get a first glimpse of putative vents in the fjords of Spitsbergen. A second focus is on hot springs on lan d, where carbonate forms spectacular structures in a poorly understood process. Studying this process will generate knowledge about chemistry, biology and hydrodynamics of hot springs, carbonate geology in general, and theoretical aspects of pattern forma tion. We will use the Troll springs in Svalbard as a model, together with laboratory experiments and mathematical modelling.