SONNE SO249/1

The R/V SONNE expedition SO-249 is part of the research project BERING, conducted in the framework of the Russian-German Agreement on Marine and Polar Research and in close cooperation with U.S. American colleagues. The overarching goal of BERING is to elucidate the magmatic and tectonic evolution of the Bering Sea and its margins over the past ≥50 m.y. In particular, BERING investigates the physical and chemical conditions that control the development of subduction zones, including subduction initiation, evolution of mature arc systems, and the impact of subduction volcanism on the environment. The two legs of cruise SO-249 aim to map and sample magmatic structures in the Aleutians, the Pacific seafloor subducting beneath the Aleutians and northern Kamchatka, and in the western margin of the Bering Sea. The on shore work program at GEOMAR and cooperating institutions will include geochronological, petrological and geochemical studies on igneous samples obtained during the cruise. The results of BERING will be integrated with those of previous campaigns (e.g. KOMEX, KALMAR), and work carried out within the World Oceans and GeoPRISMS initiatives.