PRO-IS: High-resolution provenance determination of ice-rafted debris: A method that can increase the understanding of Greenland's ice-sheet dynamics

The project aims to develop a ground-breaking multidisciplinary method to fingerprint sediments from larger Greenlandic outlet glaciers and thus be able to trace glacier-margin dynamics back in time by analyzing seabed sediment cores. For this purpose, a unique sample archive from coastal icebergs, fjord cores and bedrock from Greenland is analyzed to identify provenance signatures suitable for identifying source areas for sediments deposited from icebergs (IRD, iceberg-rafted debris) in the deep sea. The project aims to fill a knowledge gap that links the provenance of IRD to specific outlet glaciers and catchment areas in Greenland. For this purpose, we will develop a method that can be used to determine in the long term which sectors of the ice sheet are most sensitive to melting and under which climatic conditions. New provenance techniques are included and tested so that a multi-mineral component procedure can be developed for high-resolution provenance determination of IRD.

Texture analyses for improved characterization of IRD from icebergs and sediment cores are expected to provide knowledge about glacial erosion and transport. AQM analyses will quantify the mineralogical composition and the heavy mineral assemblage is used as a provenance indicator. Radiometric U-Pb dating of zircon grains as well as other minerals with lower closure temperatures for the U-Pb isotope system must be used for detailed characterization of the provenance signal. With the new 'Jet interface' upgrade of GEUS's LA-ICPMS equipment, U and Pb isotopes from minerals with low contents can also be measured precisely enough, so that the provenance of the sediments can be determined with greater accuracy. In addition, the trace element content of selected minerals is analyzed, which is a new discipline with great potential as the content in certain minerals varies according to the conditions that the mineral has undergone.

GEUS, IGN Geography section and GLOBE participate in the project, which unites a versatile expertise in provenance and IRD studies within the Geocenter. The project will contribute to the branding of geology as a sustainable field and show how data collected in connection with oil/gas exploration can be reused for climate research, as we will rely on GEUS's unique provenance database (The North Atlantic Provenance Database) in the interpretation of the results.