EARTHLAB

MAIN OBJECTIVES: EARTHLAB (Earth Surface Sediment Laboratory) will provide new infrastructure (CT-scanner, hyperspectral-scanner, DigiSizer, Particulate System, FlowCam, CoreWall and LIDAR-scanner, technical personnel and one PhD grant) that will enable a new strategic unit providing the tools for solving new and important problems in the study of earth surface processes and climate-change driven processes. The existing Sediment Laboratory (SLB) at GEO is equipped for doing basic analyses of sediment properties (e.g. density, loss-on-ignition) in both marine and terrestrial sediment archives and has been upgraded with some new and important instruments over the last decade such as ITRAX XRF, Sedigraph and GEOTEK core logger. In addition there are excellent facilities at the Paleomagnetic Laboratory at GEO for doing a wide range of measurements of magnetic properties in soft sediments. The missing link in the chain of analyses on sedimentary archives and what is urgently needed is the upgrading of the facilities in Bergen and Norway high resolution analyses of the physical and specific chemical properties and composition of sedimentary sequences. The establishment of EARTHLAB with its new instruments including the existing SLB at GEO would result in facilities in an outstanding, earth surface sediment laboratory from international standards. The infrastructure will form a very strong national and international facility and will enhance the high national and international standing of palaeoclimatology and studies of earth surface processes.

FUNDING:NFR

PROJECT PERIOD: 2014-2018

PROJECT COORDINATOR: Jostein Bakke (UiB)

WEB PAGE: Earthlab

PROJECT PARTNERS: UiB, UMASS, LAMONT

PEOPLE INVOLVED AT UIB: Jostein Bakke, Haflidi Haflidason, Eivind Støren, Torgeir Opeland Røthe (PhD)