25th cruise

From 2008 IR Newsletter: "Investigations of the northern Knipovich Ridge and North Barents Sea (including western continental slope of the Arctic ocean) have been continued in 2008 in the framework of project “Late Mesozoic - Cenozoic tectonic -magmatic history of the Barents Sea shelf and slope as a clue to paleogeodynamic reconstructions in the Arctic Ocean” as well as “International Polar Year” (for details, see: www.ginras.ru). Seismic profi ling and multi-beam (SeaBat 8150) surveying as well as dredging of bedrock have been conducted in the region located at 78- 82°N, 30-55°E during the 1st Leg of the 25th cruise of R/V “Akademik Nikolai Strakhov” (chief scientist A.V. Zayonchek). It was established that Orel Trench (Eagle Trench), located just to the east of Spitsbergen, is a contemporary rift characterized by anomalously high heat fl ow (500 mW/m2). Investigations of the intersection of Knipovich and Mohns Ridges have been carried out during the 2nd Leg of this cruise in the framework of the program “Main problems of Oceanology: physics, geology, biology, ecology of the World Ocean” (Project: “Regularities of the construction and origin of oceanic crust in key areas of the Atlantic: tectonics, magmatism, formation Fe-Mn substances”, supervisor of studies - academician Ju. M. Pusharovsky). The main result obtained during this 2nd Leg is evidence for migration of the intersection toward SE. Th ick Fe-Mn crusts (3-6 cm) are common peculiarities of basalts dredged here. Th is expedition of R/V “Akademik Nikolai Strakhov” was carried out under close cooperation with NPD, Norway."