Date

Session Announcement and Call for Papers
Oceanographic Studies in the Eastern Arctic Basin During the
International Polar Year
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting
10-14 December 2007
San Francisco, California

Abstract Submission Deadline: 6 September 2007

For further information, please go to:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/?content=search&show=detail&sessid=681


Papers are invited for Session OS14: "Oceanographic Studies in the
Eastern Arctic Basin During the International Polar Year" being convened
at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting on 10-14 December
2007 in San Francisco, California.

Session Description:
Several major oceanographic research expeditions were carried out in the
Eastern Arctic Basin during the International Polar Year with
complementary objectives to characterize geological, biological, and
chemical processes in this sparsely sampled region. Special focus was
given to the Lomonosov Ridge and the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridges, both of
which span the length of the entire basin. The H2DEEP (Ultraslow
spreading and hydrogen-based deep biosphere) and AGAVE (Arctic Gakkel
Vents Expedition) projects will explore for hydrothermal vent fields
along the mid-ocean ridge. The H2DEEP project (aboard RV G.O. Sars) will
focus on sites south of the Fram Strait, while AGAVE (aboard MV Oden)
will work further north along the Gakkel Ridge. CTD casts will be used
to characterize the physical and chemical characteristics of the water
column and to search for hydrothermal plumes. Several deep-sea
technologies, including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous
underwater vehicles (AUVs) will also be used to generate
micro-bathymetric maps and digital photomosaics and to obtain samples
from the deep seafloor in regions of hydrothermal venting. The overall
goal is to characterize the geological and biological trends of
hydrothermal fields across the Fram Strait and along a major portion of
the Arctic mid-ocean ridge. The LOMROG (Lomonosov Ridge off Greenland)
project is targeting unmapped portions of the Lomonosov Ridge north of
Greenland where the thickest sea ice in the Arctic has heretofore
prevented research vessel operations. A high-resolution multibeam system
newly installed on the MV Oden will be used together with piston coring,
CTD casts, and seismic reflection profiling to study the glacial
history, ocean circulation, and seafloor tectonics of the region.

This session encourages results and observations from the complete range
of multi-disciplinary studies conducted in the Eastern Arctic Basin
during the past field season and seeks to provide a forum for
coordination and synthesis of scientific results.

Conveners:
Henrietta Edmonds
University of Texas
E-mail: edmonds [at] utmsi.utexas.edu

Martin Jakobsson
Stockholm University
E-mail: martin.jakobsson [at] geo.su.se

Christian Marcussen
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
E-mail: cma [at] geus.dk

Rolf Pedersen
University of Bergen
E-mail: rolf.pedersen [at] geo.uib.no

Robert Reves-Sohn
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
E-mail: rsohn [at] whoi.edu

Ingunn Thorseth
University of Bergen
E-mail: Ingunn.Thorseth [at] geo.uib.no

Further information and abstract submission procedures are available at:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/