[FAR-DEEP] FAR-DEEP - Fennoscandia Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project

ICDP-Topics:
Climate & Ecosystems


Year of Application: 2006

Expedition ID: 5018

Current Status: completed

FAR-DEEP
ICDP-2006/01
climate change
early life
earth evolution
fennoscandia
global environment
global events
paleoproterozoic
russia
Master Data

Prof. Dr. Heinrich Bahlburg (PI)
Prof. Dr. Harald Strauß (PI)

Claudia Gärtner (Scientific Participant)
Dr. Marlene Reuschel (Scientific Participant)
Dr. Benjamin Eickmann (Scientific Participant)
Prof. Dr. Ronny Schönberg (Workshop Participant)

Projektstart: 1 January, 2017
Projektdauer: 5
Geologisches Alter: Paleoproterozoic

Latitude: 67°52'35''N
Kontinente:

Europe

Regionen & Städte:

Kola Peninsula
Imandra-Varzuga Greenstone Belt

Longitude: 33°4'19''E
Länder:

Russian Federation

Themen:

continental
lake
soft sediment
hard rock

Drilling Data

Drilling Depth: 3731.8
Core Yield: 3558.2
Core Length: 3560.2
Amount of Drill Holes: 16
Amount of Drill Locations: 13

Core Length-Drill Depth-Ratio: 95.35
Core Yield-Core Length-Ratio: 99.95

Related DFG-Projects

[Bahlburg] The Archean to Paleoproterozoic transition as recovered in the FAR DEEP cores: LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology of detrital zircons and accompanying provenance analysis of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks (2008 - 2013)


[Strauß] Molecular and organic carbon isotopic evidence for the evolution of key metabolic pathways during the Archean-Proterozoic transition (2009 - 2012)


[Strauß] Resolving sedimentary sulphur cycling during the Shunga Event (early Paleoproterozoic) with sulphur isotopes (2010 - 2013)


[Strauß] The emergence of an aerobic world: isotopic evidence for biogeochemical changes at the Archean-Proterozoic transition (2007 - 2014)


[Schönberg] Coupled Cr and Mo isotope investigations of post-GOE Paleoproterozoic sediments: Testing the hypothesis of an oxygen overshoot in atmospheric O2 levels (2018 - 2019)


[Strauß] The emergence of an aerobic world: isotopic evidence for biogeochemical changes at the Archean-Proterozoic transition (2009 - 2014)


[Strauß] The emergence of an aerobic world: isotopic evidence for biogeochemical changes at the Archean-Proterozoic transition (2010 - 2014)


[Bahlburg] The Archean to Paleoproterozoic transition as recovered in the FAR DEEP cores: LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology of detrital zircons and accompanying provenance analysis of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks (2011 - 2013)


[Strauß] Molecular and organic carbon isotopic evidence for the evolution of key metabolic pathways during the Archean-Proterozoic transition (2011 - 2012)


[Strauß] Resolving sedimentary sulphur cycling during the Shunga Event (early Paleoproterozoic) with sulphur isotopes (2012 - 2013)


[Strauß] Resolving sedimentary sulphur cycling during the Shunga Event (early Paleoproterozoic) with sulphur isotopes (2010 - 2013)


Description

The development of new analytical techniques, and improved models for planetary evolution, has intensified research into the evolution of the Earth System and targeted several critical time intervals in Earth history when the biosphere and geosphere were experiencing global-scale changes. Two scientific drilling projects initiated recently by NASA and partners (Archean Biosphere Drilling Project and Deep Time Drilling Project) focus on the earliest of those, the early evolution of life in the Archaean. This drilling project addresses the next hallmark period in Earth history, a 500 million year interval defining the Archaean – Palaeoproterozoic transition (APT; 2500–2000 Ma), characterised by a series of unprecedented environmental upheavals out of which the nascent aerobic Earth System emerged. It complements a privately funded drilling operation in South Africa, the Agouron Griqualand Paleoproterozoic Drilling Project. During this interval of Earth history, global intracontinental rifting and associated mafic volcanism accompanied by widespread deposition of banded iron formation was followed by the oldest known world-wide glaciation(s), rise of atmospheric oxygen, the greatest ever perturbation in the global carbon cycle (Lomagundi – Jatulian Event), abundant marine Ca-sulphates, the first phosphorites and, finally, the extraordinary deposition of anomalously organic-carbon-rich sediments (Shunga Event). Subsequently, the Earth operated much as it does today as an aerobic system, although extensive anoxic environments existed during particular intervals of the Proterozoic. Existing data are inadequate to develop robust models to explain Earth System evolution through the APT and new data are sorely needed. This proposed drilling project aims to obtain those data in order to resolve the major outstanding problems which include: (i) the nature and timescales of the carbon, sulphur, phosphorous and nitrogen cycles; (ii) change in the redox state of the mantle; (iii) the causes and timing of the rise of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans; and (iv) biological evolution. The project is to core 14 drillholes (totalling 3740 m) to obtain fresh samples through the key intervals present in the APT rocks of Russian Fennoscandia. This region was chosen because it contains one of the most complete records on Earth of the APT, eleven of the twelve known global-scale environmental perturbations heralding the emergence of the aerobic Earth System are recorded there. These cores will establish an archive through this unique period of Earth history and enable obtaining the data required to fully comprehend this exceptional stage of Earth System evolution. This will be accomplished by an international, multidisciplinary research group comprising 60 earth scientists from thirteen countries.

Related Publications

Brüske, A, Martin, AN, Rammensee, P, Eroglu, S, Lazarov, M, Albut, G, Schuth, S, Aulbach, S, Schoenberg, R, Beukes, N (2020). "The onset of oxidative weathering traced by uranium isotopes" Precambrian research p105583


Planavsky, Noah J, Robbins, Leslie J, Kamber, Balz S, Schoenberg, Ronny (2020). "Weathering, alteration and reconstructing Earth's oxygenation" Interface Focus 10 p20190140


Montinaro, A., Strauss, H. (2016). "Sulphur tales from the early Archean world" International Journal of Astrobiology 15 p177-185


Gärtner, Claudia, Bahlburg, Heinrich, Melezhik, Victor A., Berndt, Jasper (2014). "Dating Palaeoproterozoic glacial deposits of the Fennoscandian Shield using detrital zircons from the Kola Peninsula, Russia" Precambrian Research p281-295


Strauss, Harald, Melezhik, Victor A., Lepland, Aivo, Fallick, Anthony E., Hanski, Eero J., Filippov, Michael M., Deines, Yulia E., Illing, Christian J., Črne, Alenka E., Brasier, Alex T. (2013). "7.6 Enhanced Accumulation of Organic Matter: The Shunga Event" Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation: Volume 3: Global Events and the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project p1195-1273


Strauss, Harald, Melezhik, Victor A., Reuschel, Marlene, Fallick, Anthony E., Lepland, Aivo, Rychanchik, Dmitry V. (2013). "Abundant Marine Calcium Sulphates: Radical Change of Seawater Sulphate Reservoir and Sulphur Cycle (ch 7.5)" Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation: Volume 3: Global Events and the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project p1169-1194


Summons, R.E., , Illing, C.J., , van Zuilen, M., , Strauss, H. (2013). "Biomarkers and Isotopic Tracers." Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation. Volume 3: Global Events and the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project. p1395-1405


Melezhik, Victor A., Prave, Anthony R., Fallick, Anthony E., Kump, Lee R., Strauss, Harald, Lepland, Aivo, Hanski, Eero J. (2013). "Reading the Archive of Earth's Oxygenation : Volume 1: The Palaeoproterozoic of Fennoscandia as Context for the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project" Frontiers in Earth Sciences


Reuschel, M., Strauss, H., Lepland, A. (2013). "The End of Mass-Independent Fractionation of Sulphur Isotopes (ch 7.1)" Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation: Volume 3: Global Events and the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project p1049-1058


Kump, Lee R., Fallick, Anthony E., Melezhik, Victor A., Strauss, Harald, Lepland, Aivo (2013). "The Great Oxidation Event (ch 8.1)" Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation: Volume 3: Global Events and the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia - Drilling Early Earth Project p1517-1533


Reuschel, M., Melezhik, V. A., Whitehouse, M. J., Lepland, A., Fallick, A. E., Strauss, H. (2012). "Isotopic evidence for a sizeable seawater sulfate reservoir at 2.1 Ga" Precambrian Research p78-88


Melezhik, Victor, Prave, Anthony R, Hanski, Eero J, Fallick, Anthony E, Lepland, Aivo, Kump, Lee R, Strauss, Harald (2012). "Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation: Volume 3: Global Events and the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia-Drilling Early Earth Project" Book 3


Melezhik, Victor A, Prave, Anthony R, Fallick, Anthony E, Hanski, Eero J, Lepland, Aivo, Kump, Lee R, Strauss, Harald (2012). "Reading the archive of earths oxygenation. volume 2: the core archive of the Fennoscandian Arctic Russia-drilling early earth project" Frontiers 2


Reuschel, M., Melezhik, V. A., Strauss, H. (2012). "Sulfur isotopic trends and iron speciation from the c. 2.0 Ga Pilgujärvi Sedimentary Formation, NW Russia" Precambrian Research p193-203


Reuschel, Marlene (2011). "The Redox Evolution of Atmosphere and Ocean in the Paleoproterozoic: Geochemical Evidence from Fennoscandia" Dissertation