Expedition 347: Paleoenvironmental evolution of the Baltic Sea Basin through the last glacial cycle

September 2013 – November 2013

The aim of Expedition 347 is to explore the environmental changes in the Baltic Sea over the last 140,000 years and to acquire the most complete possible record of the paleoceanographic and microbiological history preserved within the sediments in this region. The Baltic Sea Basin, Europe’s largest intracontinental basin, is located in the centre of the past Scandinavian Ice Sheet advances and retreats. The sediments in the basin have been subject to repeated glaciations of different magnitudes, which have affected past sea levels, climate, patterns and rates of sedimentation. The significant changes in Baltic Sea Basin during the last glacial cycle make it an optimal area for new research on the deep biosphere.

This unique record of past environments is investigated by coring multiple holes beneath the seabed of the Baltic Sea, at seven drill-sites. Three of these seven sites focus on the geological and glacial history and paleoclimate of the Baltic Sea, while another four sites combine these objectives with deep biosphere studies. Descriptions of the cored sediments on board depend on sampling from core catchers and microbiology samples. These descriptions are complemented by MSCL (Multi Sensor Core Logger) measurements and down-hole logging data for correlation between the sediments recovered from the individual holes at different drill sites.

Petrophysics Staff Scientist

• Annick Fehr
• IODP Expedition 347 

Publications

• Dijkstra, N., Slomp, C.P. & Behrends, T., Expedition 347 Scientists (Fehr, A.). 2016. Vivianite is a key sink for phosphorus in sediments of the Landsort Deep, an intermittently anoxic deep basin in the Baltic Sea. Chemical Geology, 438, 58-72, doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.025.
• Andrén, T., Barker Jørgensen, B., Cotterill, C., Green, S. & the, I.e.s.p (Fehr, A). 2015. IODP expedition 347: Baltic Sea basin paleoenvironment and biosphere. Sci. Dril., 20, 1-12, doi: 10.5194/sd-20-1-2015.

As Petrophysics Staff Scientist, Annick Fehr is a co-author on the following expedition-related publications.

Preliminary report

• Expedition 347 Scientists, 2014. Baltic Sea Basin Paleoenvironment: paleoenvironmental evolution of the Baltic Sea Basin through the last glacial cycle. IODP Prel. Rept., 347. doi:10.2204/iodp.pr.347.2014

Scientific Drilling Journal

• Andrén, T., Jørgensen, B.B., Cotterill, C., Green, S., and the IODP Expedition 347 Scientific Party, 2015. IODP Expedition 347: Baltic Sea basin paleoenvironment and biosphere. Scientific Drilling, 20:1–12. doi:10.5194/sd-20-1-2015

Expedition proceedings

• Andrén, T., Jørgensen, B.B., and Cotterill, C., and the Expedition 347 Scientists, 2015. Proc. IODP, 347: College Station, TX (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program). doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.347.2015