Intern talk:ARCOD

Draft proposal of Georgy Cherkashev for the meeting in St. Petersburg 2009-11-26

ARCOD – database on sediments in the Arctic Ocean – composition and characteristics of bottom sediments from the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas
For the first time the project was presented at the 9-th Meeting (Helgoland, December 2003). In this project there is no expedition component and, accordingly, it does not require much funding. Now only 10-20% of all Russian data on bottom sediments, which carry information about recent and ancient natural processes are published in international journals. Most of the information either published only in Russian journals, or has not yet been published and is kept by researchers and in archives. Objectives of the project are: to assess, systematize and integrate all available in Russia information on bottom sediments and, as a final product – an open system of data and preparation of an Atlas and a monograph of bottom sediments of the Arctic Ocean. The project plans to import the whole information data set into the open information system PANGEA, to prepare maps of distribution of sedimentological, mineralogical, geochemical, microbiological and other components in bottom sediments. Russian partners in the project are: VNIIO, IO RAS, MMBI, GEOKHI. Germanic partners in the project are: AWI, IFM-GEOMAR, University of Bremen. The coordinators of the project are AWI (Germany) and VNIIOkeangeologiya (Russia). Russian and German sides in 2004–2006 successfully carried out the pilot phase of the project and obtained important scientific results that can be a basis for subsequent preparation of the Atlas of bottom sediments of the Arctic Ocean. In 2007–2008 the data base was extended: it contains information files on bottom sediments and other objects of oceans. The Arctic region remains of the main importance. It was demonstrated that sharing of Russian and German data is very effective and allows to identify the main sedimentation factors for the recent historical period, and for paleooceanologic reconstructions. Resources of the PANGEA Information System, the leading European information system for oceanographic and geological data, developed in Germany (Bremen University and AWI), were used. Up to now data of 2620 data sources have been imported to the PANGAEA information system, but the lack of funding hinders full implementation of the project.

The sides note that this project does not need much funding, but it is extremely important from scientific point of view. The sides have agreed to transfer the project to the category of ongoing projects of this Agreement with a subsequent decision on its funding.