GoNorth expedition

GoNorth (full name GoNorth: Geosciences in the Northern Arctic) is a Norwegian multidisciplinary Arctic research programme that included a series of expeditions into the Central Arctic in 2022, 2023, and 2024.^[1] The project aims to explore the Arctic Ocean — its seabed geology/subsea geology, the water column, sea ice, and biological components. GoNorth is organized into multiple work packages (WPs), covering areas like seabed geology, ice and sea ice cover, oceanography, biology, technology, and climate history.

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GoNorth is notable for its multidisciplinary approach and for carrying out annual expeditions north of Svalbard, Greenland, and across the Gakkel Ridge. In 2023, the expedition team discovered a new hydrothermal field in the Lena Trough between Svalbard and Greenland.

The GoNorth 2022 included two legs. The first leg was in the area North of Svalbard and the Nansen basin from 14 October 2022 to 2 November 2022. The GoNorth 2022 budget was 15 million Norwegian kroner from the Research Council of Norway.^[2] Professor Jan Sverre Laberg from the UiT Arctic University of Norway was the cruise leader. The scientific work was focused on geological surveys of the seabed using seismic surveys, as well as multidisciplinary work including geophysics, biology, and oceanography. One of the main questions of geological surveys was to answer when the Forward Strait opened and warm Atlantic water began to flow into the Arctic Ocean. Preliminary results also showed that the Nansen Basin has a 4 km thick oceanic crust, contradicting previous hypotheses.^[3] The other geophysical measurements included sea ice coring with measurements of ice salinity, density, temperature, DNA, and diatoms, as well as measurements of the confined sea ice strength. Biological work included sampling ocean floor sediments, and water and ice samples. Oceanographic work included CTD profiling and usage of a lander and ocean glider.^[4] Sea-ice observations revealed a low meter-scale spatial variability of first- and second-year ice salinity and density during freeze onset. They also showed large spatial variability of confined strength for second-year ice.^[5] The second leg of the GoNorth 2022 was performed at the Knipovich ridge.^[6]

The GoNorth 2023 included one leg. It took place at the Gakkel Ridge from 6 July 2023 to 8 August 2023. Professor Rolf Birger Pedersen from the University of Bergen was the cruise leader. The expedition was performed on the Norwegian icebreaker RV Kronprins Haakon. It collaborated with the German icebreaker RV Polarstern.^[7] During GoNorth, its participants using a remotely operated vehicle discovered a new hydrothermal field in the Lena Trough.^[8] The expedition included sampling of pressure ridges in Fram Strait, with a focus on sea ice density and salinity measurements.^[9]

The GoNorth 2024 was planned to cover the area close to Svalbard, the northern coast of Greenland, and Ellesmere Island.^[10] Expedition in 2024 included sampling in ice-covered Independence Fjord in northern Greenland, Fram Strait, and north of Svalbard. The sampling included four seismic surveys, gravimetry, four plankton net samplings, four heat flow measurements, 32 CTDs, and the collection of 154 sediment cores. One of the four seismic lines included a transform boundary between the North American and Eurasian continental plates.^[11]

GoNorth expedition

Background

Expeditions

See also

References

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