The WMS MSSP-EEZ (INSPIRE) represents marine seismic survey profiles for the German EEZ. During the period from 1996 to 2007 five cruises operated by BGR acquired seismic lines from the German EEZ. The aim of these cruises was a detailed survey of the geological structure of the seabed from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. According to the Data Specification on Geology (D2.8.II.4_v3.0, subtopic Geophysics) the content of the information with respect to the seismic profiles is INSPIRE-compliant. The WMS MSSP-EEZ (INSPIRE) contains for each cruise one layer, e.g. GE.seismicLine.pq2. The expeditions are displayed correspondingly to the INSPIRE portrayal rules. Via the getFeatureInfo request the user obtains the content of the INSPIRE attributes platformType und profileType. Additionally, the WMS contains a campaign layer (GE.2DSeismicSurvey) with the INSPIRE attributes campaignType and surveyType.
During the period from 1996 to 2007 five cruises operated by BGR acquired seismic lines from the German EEZ. The aim of these expeditions was a detailed survey of the geological structure of the seabed from the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The five GML files (for each cruise one) together with a Readme.txt file are provided in ZIP format (MSSP-EEZ-INSPIRE.zip). The Readme.text file (German/English) contains detailed information on the GML files content. Data transformation was proceeded by using the INSPIRE Solution Pack for FME according to the INSPIRE requirements.
During the period from 1974 to 2018 various cruises from BGR acquired seismic lines worldwide. The aim of these marine expeditions was a detailed survey of the geological structure.
During the cruise with S.V. EXPLORA within the Ross Sea on the second marine-geophysical expedition of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) to Antarctica, in total 6,745 km of magnetic, gravity and digital reflection seismic lines and additionally 1,400 km gravity lines were acquired in the period from January 10th to March 2nd 1980. On 43 stations sonobuoy refraction measurements have been carried out. The main results are: (1) In the eastern part of the Ross Sea Shelf two striking discontinuities have been identified in the reflection seismics representing gaps in the sediments at the turn-over of the Upper Miocene to the Pliocene (ca. 7 mio years B.P.) and between the Middle and Upper Miocene (ca. 11.5 mio. years B.P.) according to results of DSDP boreholes. (2) In the southern part of the Ross Sea Shelf the basement is uncovered at depths over 700m due to a thrust of the shelf ice recently. (3) A structural unit extends alongside the meridian of 180° separating the Ross Sea into two different geologic regions. This unit is characterised by two basement highs with seismic velocities exceeding 5 km/sec. (4) In relation with the GANOVEX expedition two profiles have been measured off northern Victoria Land which indicate two large faults with a faulting amount of 2 km. Another area is characterised by intrusive and volcanic bodies.
Main target of the project GIGICS (Cooperative German-Indonesian Geoscientific Investigations in the Celebes Sea) is the investigation of the internal crustal structure and the plate tectonic evolution of the Celebes Sea and its active continental margins off Mindanao and Northern Sulawesi. These investigations were carried out during the cruise SO98 of RV SONNE by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hannover; the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Potsdam; the GEOMAR, Kiel; the Institute of Oceanography (IfM), Hamburg; the Mines and Geoscience Bureau, Manila; the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Jakarta, and the Institute of Oceanography, Wormley. The cruise SO98 consisted of three legs of two weeks duration and one leg of four weeks duration. The total amount of data acquired during the cruise were: - 3,300 km of multichannel reflection seismics, - over 6,800 km of gravimetric and magnetic data and approximately 10.000 km of swath bathymetric and sediment echosounder data, - 3 wideangle-/refractionseismic profiles, each of 120 - 150 km length, - geological, geochemical sampling and oceanographical measurements at a total of 37 stations. During the cruise SO98 a widespaced but regular grid of magnetic and gravimetric profiles were acquired in the eastern part of the Celebes Sea from which up to then reliable data were very sparse. WEISSEL (1980) recognized in the western Celebes Sea WSW-ENE striking magnetic lineations, which he interpreted as chrons 18 - 20 (39 - 43 Ma according to the timescale of HARLAND et al. (1990)). The data from cruise SO98 show that there is no continuation of these anomalies to the east. In the eastern part the magnetic field of the Celebes Sea is less clear and much more disturbed. Nevertheless, E-W-striking anomalies are recognizable. Because amplitudes of local magnetic anomalies are higher than the lineations, the correlation of these lineations with the magnetic reversal scale is still somewhat ambiguous. The gravity map compiled from the measured gravimetric data shows elongated positive anomalies in the eastern part of the Celebes Sea. Exceptions occur at the deep sea trenches off North Sulawesi (North Sulawesi Trench) and Mindanao (Cotabatu Trench) and at the Sulu Archipelago where strong negative gravity anomalies were found. A remarkable NW-striking gravity high of up to 60 mgal was found in the central eastern part of the Celebes Sea. Gravimetric modelling suggests that this high can be correlated with the gravimetric effect of the Molucca Sea Plate subducting from the east under the Sangihe Arc. The reflection seismic data from the northern part of the Celebes Sea show indications for a juvenile subduction of oceanic Celebes Sea crust under the Sulu Archipelago. The oceanic crust bends down towards the Sulu Arc with angles between 2° and 5° and the sedimentary sequence above is deformed indicating a compressional stress regime. With the exception of two linear arranged seamount-like basement highs the Celebes Sea is dominated by two different oceanic crustal types showing distinct differences in the topography. The first one is showing a very similar reflection seismic pattern as it is found for oceanic crust of the Atlantic (HINZ et al., 1994). This type is characterized by a small-scale block-faulted relief of the top basement and a low reflectivity in lower crustal levels typically related as to be accreted at slow to intermediate spreading ridges. This type is found in the western, northern and southern part of the investigated area. In the eastern and especially in the southeastern part the igneous crust shows a very different image. The reflection of the top of the basement is less distinct and of lower frequency. The relief is very much smoother than in the previous type. This reflection seismic image indicates a volcanic/magmatic overprinting of the oceanic crust in this part of the Celebes Sea. Another target of cruise SO98 was the area of the active continental margin off North Sulawesi and its accretionary complex. The internal structure of the accretionary complex should be investigated to decide whether this active margin is also of the 'splinter-type' or not. During former geophysical cruises with RV SONNE oceanic crustal splinters were discovered in the accretionary wedges of the Sulu Sea and off Costa Rica (e.g. HINZ et al., 1991). From our reflection seismic measurements this active continental margin is morphologically subdivided into three units and consists of two accretionary complexes of different internal structural style: the lower and middle continental slope is underlain by an intensively thrusted, sedimentary accretionary wedge. This wedge was most probably formed during the last 5 Ma. Landward of this wedge an older and seismically very complex accretionary unit is present which is overlain at its landward termination by a sedimentary fore-arc basin. Within this older accretionary complex, units with a strong, low frequency reflection pattern were found which are interpreted to represent crustal splinters of igneous oceanic or ophiolitic nature. This interpretation is supported by our gravity and magnetic data. The magnetic profiles show an increase of the magnetic field towards the north arm of Sulawesi across the continental margin. This increase of the magnetic field suggests an increase of magnetized material within the older accretionary wedge towards the northern arm of Sulawesi where ophiolites are emplaced. During the interpretation of the reflection seismic data of the project GIGICS BSR's (bottom simulating reflectors) were discovered for the first time along the active continental margin of North-Sulawesi. BSR's are the seismic expression of a velocity decrease at the bottom of a gas hydrate zone. The distribution and depth of the BSR's correlates with the geochemical and geothermal results. Radiometric age dating and geochemical analyses from pillow basalts of a seamount from the southeastern Celebes Sea indicate hot-spot activity in this part of the Celebes Sea during or shortly after the formation of the oceanic crust approximately at 43 Ma ago. Three NW-striking ridges or seamount-chains in the northeastern Celebes Sea were mapped and investigated in detail. They are thought to represent a wrench fault system extending through the northeastern Celebes Sea. At the flank of one of these ridges a strongly alterated plagioclase-olivine basalt sample was dredged which was overlain by non-fossiliferous clay stone. A similar lithostratigraphic sequence was drilled during ODP leg 124 (RANGIN et al., 1990). The geochemical composition of these basalts is different from typical MORB. The existence of a large crustal splinter within the accretionary wedge off southwestern Mindanao obviously is responsible for a high thermal conductivity which in turn could have enhanced heat flow (108.1 mW/m2) and methanogenesis (405 ppb). The heat flow of 103.0 mW/m2 at the deformation front of the Mindanao wedge and the high methane concentration of 5.555 ppb suggests tectonically induced fluid transport within the wedge. High methane concentrations between 8.044 and 49.006 ppb at the lower slope off Sulawesi and in the North Sulawesi Trench are accompanied by high heat flow values of up to 100.5 mW/m2. Heat flow is significantly lower upslope (31.3 mW/m2). This general heat flow distribution pattern is seen over a large portion of the accretionary wedge. The elevated heat flow values and high methane concentrations near the deformation front most likely result from heat transport by fluids squeezed out from vertically and laterally compacting sediments. The reduced heat flow towards the coast is compatible either with a cooling effect of slow subduction of the oceanic crust, or stacking of cool slabs of compacted sediments. A subduction of oceanic crust with a heat flow around 60 mW/m2 over a period of more than 3 million years would have produced the low heat flow values of the upper slope if the wedge consists of claystone with a low thermal conductivity (1.2 - 1.7 W/mK). Even in the low-heat flow area isolated fluid venting is possible. Lateral variations in the heat flow pattern (e.g. broadening of the anomalies in the west) may be due to different thermal regimes within the subducted crust.
SeaCause cruise SO186-2, aboard the RV Sonne, was carried out off northern Sumatra between 21st January and 24th February 2006, with mobilisation and demobilisation in Singapore and Penang, Malaysia, respectively. The geophysical survey acquired multichannel seismic data (MCS) using a 240 channel, 3 km Sercel streamer, and a tuned airgun array comprising 16 airguns with a total capacity of 50.8 litres. Bathymetry data, using the 12 kHz Simrad swath system, subseabed data using the hull mounted high resolution Parasound profiler together with gravity and magnetic data were also acquired. The main scientific objective of the survey was to investigate the southern part of the rupture zone of the 26th December 2004 9.3 magnitude earthquake, that caused the catastrophic tsunami of that date, and the rupture zone of the 8.7 magnitude earthquake of March 28th 2005. Specifically, to identify the segment boundary between the two earthquakes, as recognised by the distribution of their aftershocks. This was to be achieved by mapping the structure of the subduction zone including the dip angle of the subducted plate, the architecture of the accretionary prism and the structure of the forearc basins, particularly their strike-slip fault systems. Also to be investigated was whether there was a contribution to the 2004 tsunami from major submarine failures. During the survey a total of 5358 line kilometres of MCS data were acquired, mainly on lines oriented orthogonal to the subduction zone and extending from the ocean basin across the trench and accretionary prism to the forearc basins offshore Sumatra. The orthogonal survey lines were located on average approximately 40 km apart. The survey was planned using the bathymetry from the HMS Scott, RV Natsushima and RV Sonne cruises carried out in 2004. The morphology of the trench and sediment thickness varies from north to south. In the north the trench is poorly defined with shallow seabed dip but with sediment thickness of ~3.5 secs (TWT). The seafloor dips increase southwards, but sediment thickness decreases to ~2.5 secs (TWT) off Nias. Both the ocean basin and trench sediments are dissected by numerous normal faults, oriented subparallel to the plate boundary, with many that penetrate the oceanic crust. In the south Fracture Zones were identified. The structure of the deformation front on the seaward margin of the accretionary prism is highly variable. While the younges main thrust are predominantly landward vergent there are examples for seaward verging thrusts. The frontal fold develops in some cases already in the french while in most cases the frontal fold is at the beginning of the accretionary wedge. At some locations there are large sediment slumps on the frontal thrusts, the slope angle of the prism varies between 6 to 15 degrees, an angle that explains the large scale slumping. The width of the accretionary prism is widest in the north of the area at 140 km and narrows southwards until in the vicinity of the islands it is 40 km. In the north and central parts of the survey area the passage from the deformation front landwards into the older prism is rapid and the seabed gradients steep. The dip of the oceanic crust remains low and there is an obvious twofold increase (6-7 seconds TWT) in the sediment thickness. The basal decollement of the thrusts at the deformation front is in the lower sediment layer overlying oceanic basement. This is traced northeastward. A possible explanation for the increase in thickness of the prism is therefore considered to be the formation of a thrust duplex. Perhaps this is due to the subducted sediment thickness. In this region the prism forms a plateau and the internal pattern of the uppermost sediments shows striking similarities to the trench fill. Offshore of Simeulue Island the prism structure changes and it forms the more usually seen taper. The offscraped sediment forms a thinner section, the thrusts are more steeply dipping. The dip of the subducted plate here is greater than in the north. Three forearc basins were surveyed. In the north the western margin of the Aceh Basin lies along the West Andaman Fault. Within the main basin the sediments are internally undeformed. Farther south in the Simeulue Basin the northern and central parts there are numerous, active steeply dipping faults. In southern part of the basin there is a transpressional fault similarly to the Mentawi Fault off southern Sumatra. There are notable ‘bright spots’ in the upper section that may indicate the presence of hydrocarbon gas. There are also widespread Bottom Simulating Reflectors indication the presence of gashydrates and there may be also one double BSR. At the southern end of the surveyed area the Nias Basin may be subdivided along its length into two parts by a northnorthwest to southsoutheast trending carbonate platform development. The basin has had a varying subsidence history, in the south the subsidence was completed before the northern part started.
The cruise BGR95 from 19th November to 28th December 1995 with M.S. AKADEMIK NEMCHINOV was designed to acquire new marine geophysical data for a better understanding of the geological processes and structural variations of the Cretaceous-aged oceanic crust of the Angola Basin in the South Atlantic regarding its reflectivity pattern, its shape of the basement surfaces and its crustal thickness. These evaluations were extended onshore to the ‘Damara Igneous Province’. The aim of this study was the investigation of the rift-related volcanic-magmatic processes accompanying the initial stage of the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. The survey was a co-operation of BGR, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, University of Göttingen and Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main. The M.S. AKADEMIK NEMCHINOV generated the seismic signals by a tuned airgun array of 3260 cu.in. (= 53.4 l) together with two AWI owned large volume guns of 2 x 2000 cu.in. (= 65.6 l), recorded the MCS signals with a 3000 m streamer and controlled the shot releases for the ocean bottom hydrophones (OBH’s) and the onshore seismic stations (PEDAS). A total of 5,114 km of multichannel seismic reflection data in parallel with magnetic and gravity measurements have been collected onboard the M.S. AKADEMIK NEMCHINOV. 1069.4 km of the seismic work was done on 3 combined refraction/wide angle offshore and onshore traverses. The offshore part was recorded by 7 ocean bottom hydrophones (OBH) operated by the M.V. POLAR QUEEN (Reichert et al., 1996). The registration onshore Namibia was performed by 25 mobile seismic landstations (PEDAS) on each profile (Schulze et al., 1996). First results are described in the offshore and onshore reports of these investigations (Reichert et al., 1996, and Schulze et al., 1996). The data clearly show distinct series of the seaward dipping reflector sequences (SRDS) and isochronous variations in the accretion of the oceanic crust. The onshore and offshore registrations show deep arrivals from diving and refracted waves in a range up to 200 to 400 km.
On the F.S. POLARSTERN cruise ANT-IV/3 (6th December, 1985 - 13th March, 1986) multichannel seismic measurements were carried out in parallel with magnetic and gravimetric measurements on 33 lines with a total length of 6,263 km. 3,350 km of the multichannel seismic lines have been processed aboard. The geophysical studies were designed to investigate the structure and geological development of the Weddell Sea continental margin from meridians zero to 60°W, and to define suitable and safe drilling locations for Leg 113 of the Ocean Drilling Program. The main results of the geophysical studies are: (1) The discovery of an approximately N50°E trending failed drift basin, following the trend of a negative magnetic anomaly and a positive gravity anomaly. (2) The discovery of two extensive wedge-shaped and symmetric basement units around a failed drift basin between longitudes 40°W and 20°W. The seismic characteristics, i.e. seismic velocities of 4 km/s and an internally divergent pattern of reflectors suggest that both wedges are formed from extrusive/intrusive volcanic rocks. (3) The confirmation of a major plate tectonic boundary trending approximately N80°E to N60°E, i.e. the EXPLORA-ANDENES escarpment. (4) The confirmation of a glaciogenic progradational wedge beneath the shelf of the Weddell Sea Embayment, made up of several thousand metres of sediments. (5) The definition of 13 suitable and safe drilling locations for ODP-Leg 113.
The cruise AL278 started on May, 10th 2006 in Kiel and ended in Kiel on May, 19th 2006. The previous BGR-cruises with RV AURELIA in 2003 and 2004 were designed to collect a grid of seismic MCS-data which should enable us to get a high-resolution overview over the upper 1 s TWT of the sediments of the German North Sea sector. During October/November 2005 a subsequent cruises with RV HEINCKE and FK SENCKENBERG was designed to tackle several special aims: - The detailed mapping of glacio-tectonic features North of Heligoland. - The shallow seismic mapping of the Holocene/Pleistocene-Boundary and topography of the Pleistocene sub-glacial valley system offshore of the East Friesian Islands. - High-resolution surveying of two areas designated for offshore wind farms in the southwestern German sector. - Detailed mapping of a wide and deep sub-glacial valley. One additional aim was to acquire a dense grid of seismic line in the area North of Weisse Bank where on several from previous cruises indications for shallow gas accumulations (e.g. “bright spots”) were found. Unfortunately, due to very bad weather conditions this aim could not be reached. Therefore this short cruise with RV ALKOR was used to acquire twelve MCS lines over this area. During the cruise a total ca. 1400 km of high quality MCS lines were surveyed and simultaneously measured by a sediment echosounder system that enabled additional profiles during transits with speeds 5 kn. Together with the previously acquired data these new data should help to extend our knowledge of the Late Tertiary and Quaternary evolution of the German North Sea Sector. The BGR high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection system consisting of a GI-Gun (0.8 l) and a 300 m streamer with 24 channels and a sediment echosounder type SES 2000 standard by Innomar, Rostock. While the BGR-seismic system was used to observe the shallow subsurface down to 2 s TWT penetration depth, the sediment echosounder with a penetration depth of several meters was primarily intended to identify sampling positions for the deployment of the BGR vibration corer during the succeeding Leg 2. Additionally, the echosounder system enables the relationship to the highest-resolution multichannel seismic measurements of the group of the University of Bremen on FK SENCKENBERG. All seismic records were processed onboard for the quality control and for a first interpretation.
Within the frame of the comprehensive SPOC project (Subduction Processes off Chile) the SONNE cruises SO161 Leg 2 and 3 have been conducted between October 16th and November 29th, 2001, off central Chile between 28° and 44° S. In that period some 5,300 km were surveyed with multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection, magnetic, gravity, high-resolution bathymetric and echographic methods. In addition, approximately 3,900 km were surveyed with the same spectrum of methods but without MCS. The total number of 2D profiles was 48. Target was the variation of the subduction properties between the convergent oceanic Nazca and continental Southamerica plates and the different conditions that might influence the subduction process as there are: (1) age of the oceanic crust, (2) its structure and composition, (3) its sedimentary cover, (4) its thermal state, (5) the subduction angle and obliquity, and (6) the terrigenous sediment afflux from the continent. Furthermore, special focus was given to the subduction front, the subduction interface, the structure of the slope as well as to the forearc basin structure and history, and the general distribution of gas hydrate indicating bottom simulating reflectors (BSR's). The results are to be compared with previous studies of the Chilean active margin, e.g. CONDOR (SO 101 and 103) and CINCA (SO 104). The SPOC target area was subdivided into three sub-areas A,B and C. One area was chosen for a detailed survey by aid of a narrowly spaced grid and for a close link with a lot of partners. This area is characterized by a distinctly different margin type south of it is assumed. Moreover, the subducting portion of the aseismic Juan Fernandez Ridge is located in that area representing another important target of the survey. Advantageous conditions enabled the survey of an east-west profile south of Chiloé Island, providing a section through the submerged coastal Cordillera into the flooded longitudinal valley. Some results of Leg 2 and 3 are: In all areas A, B and C no subduction bulge (outer high) in the oceanic crust was visible perhaps due to the shortness of the profiles. The sedimentary cover of the oceanic crust is exceptionally thin, and the crustal thickness is generally quite "normal" with around 7 km derived from relatively weak Moho reflections. In area B a so far magnetically unmapped region was filled providing reliable ages of the oceanic crust, and suggesting that the Challenger Fracture Zone abruptly terminates west of the area of investigation. The survey in area C yielded valuable information on the trench morphology. The so far unique MCS profile south of Chiloé island shows a very wide trench and allows to extrapolate the general conditions encountered an area A southward to approximately 44° S. It can be stated that the situation is in sharp contrast to the basin structures detected by industry profiles further north in the Golfo de Corcovado.