Volcanic evolution of the ultra-slow Knipovich ridge

Project title

Volcanic evolution of the ultra-slow Knipovich ridge

Supervisors

Rolf Birger Pedersen

Håvard H. Stubseid

Haflidi Haflidason

Jarle André Vikebø (DeepOcean)

Project description

The Center for Deep-Sea Research has been working for the past 20 years to enhance our understanding of crust formation and volcanic processes along ultra-slow spreading ridges, particularly in Arctic regions. Exploration and mapping activities have increased in recent years due to growing interest in marine minerals. The Center, in collaboration with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), has conducted annual expeditions, collecting large amounts of acoustic data. In recent years, through the Directorate's own expeditions, high-resolution sensor data has been collected using AUVs. A recent study (Stubseid et al., 2023) utilized sediment thickness data from sub-bottom profiler data and sedimentation rates from various cores to create an age map of volcanic rocks along the Mohns Ridge. This has provided an enhanced understanding of volcanism in time and space along ultra-slow spreading ridges.

This master's project will use the same method and approach, with similar data collected along the Knipovich Ridge. The work will involve interpreting sediment thickness from SBP data and studying volcanic terrains and morphology from high-resolution bathymetry, backscatter, and side-scan sonar data. The main objective is to create an age map of lava flows along the Knipovich Ridge, as well as investigate where eruptions occur in the rift valley, the types of eruptions that occur, and the magnitude of eruptions to expect. This will be based on data already collected, with the possibility of additional data from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s expeditions in spring/summer 2023. Sedimentation rates will be established through radiocarbon dating of sediment cores, with gravity cores planned to be collected during expeditions in summer and autumn 2023.