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IceSUSTAIN

Project MATIS number: 
60102433
Project period: 
2017-2019
Project funding entity: 
Rannis excelence grant
Project description: 

IceSUSTAIN is the Iceland-based part of the SUSTAIN drilling program (Surtsey Underwater volcanic System for Thermophiles, Alteration processes and INnovative Concretes), a multidisciplinary international project bringing together over 40 scientists from 10 countries (Australia, Germany, Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA). The project focusses on the volcanic island of Surtsey, created by 1963–1967 basaltic eruptive activity within the southern offshore extension of the SE Icelandic volcanic rift zone. Two new drillholes are planned. One will extract a 210 m vertical core adjacent and parallel to the 180 m hole drilled in 1979 (Jakobsson & Moore 1986) and the other will extract a 300 m inclined core that further explores the volcanic edifice of Surtsey. The drilling will be complemented by analysis of the eruptive activity and geophysical surveys. Surtsey was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 (Baldursson & Ingadóttir 2007), and "has been protected since its birth, providing the world with a pristine natural laboratory.” It represents a world-class example of a rift zone volcano that has grown from the sea floor in historic time.

The totality of the hydrothermally altered deposits of Surtsey can only be sampled by drilling. The proposed drilling project will use the natural laboratory of the Surtsey tephra above and below sea level and interdisciplinary volcanological, microbial, geochemical, mineralogical, and geoarchaeological research programs to undertake scientific investigations situated within the larger International Scientific Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) research themes of hydrothermal seawater–rock interactions in rift zone volcanism, the succession of early microbial life, and the development of industrial resources using palagonitic tuff as a prototype for sustainable, high performance concretes.

Project sampling sites

Project sampling sites

Site Country origin Area origin Locality origin Habitat origin Coordinates
SURTA Iceland Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island Latitude: 63° 18' 5.821" N
Longitude: 20° 36' 0.601" W

74 sample(s) available from this project

Sample ID Name Area origin Locality origin Habitat origin Sample type Sample date Biomass status DNA status
SURTS-005 SE-01_2016_5 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-054 5059-1C-59Z-3 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island drill core Friday, August 25, 2017 Available
SURTS-022 2017-SURTSEY-10 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mud Friday, August 4, 2017 Available
SURTS-070 2017-SURTSEY-19 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island water Tuesday, September 5, 2017 Available Available
SURTS-038 5059-1B-49Z-4 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island drill core Wednesday, August 16, 2017 Available
SURTS-006 SE-01_2016_6 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-055 5059-1C-62Z-3 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island drill core Friday, August 25, 2017 Available
SURTS-023 5059-1B-3Z-2 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island drill core Thursday, August 10, 2017 Available
SURTS-071 2017-SURTSEY-20 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island water Tuesday, September 5, 2017 Available Available
SURTS-039 5059-1B-52Z-2 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island drill core Wednesday, August 16, 2017 Available

36 material(s) available from this project

No material so far for this project

No strain currently available for this project