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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-001 SE-01_2016_1 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-002 SE-01_2016_2 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-003 SE-01_2016_3 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-004 SE-01_2016_4 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-005 SE-01_2016_5 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-006 SE-01_2016_6 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-007 SE-01_2016_7 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-008 SE-01_2016_8 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-009 SE-01_2016_9 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available
SURTS-010 SE-01_2016_10 Surtsey Boreholes volcanic island mixed water Saturday, July 9, 2016 Available

36 material(s) available from this project

ID Type Status Source Volume
BIOM-0001 Original biomass Available SURTS-001 500.00 mL
BIOM-0002 Original biomass Available SURTS-002 300.00 mL
BIOM-0003 Original biomass Available SURTS-003 500.00 mL
BIOM-0004 Original biomass Available SURTS-004 400.00 mL
BIOM-0005 Original biomass Available SURTS-005 250.00 mL
BIOM-0006 Original biomass Available SURTS-006 500.00 mL
BIOM-0007 Original biomass Available SURTS-007 250.00 mL
BIOM-0008 Original biomass Available SURTS-008 550.00 mL
BIOM-0009 Original biomass Available SURTS-009 500.00 mL
BIOM-0010 Original biomass Available SURTS-010 500.00 mL

No strain currently available for this project