GEOMAR  Research  Ongoing Projects

CLIP – Origin of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) in connection with the geodynamic evolution of the Central Caribbean

ACRONYM
CLIP
Title
CLIP – Origin of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) in connection with the geodynamic evolution of the Central Caribbean
General information
The main goals of the research project CLIP are to combine geological and geophysical research methods in order to gain new insights into (1) the origin, evolution and composition of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP), a giant submarine lava plateau, and (2) the geodynamic evolution of the Central Caribbean. The project CLIP is part of an international strategy to improve our understanding of submarine large igneous provinces (LIPs). The project CLIP is mainly based on hard rock sampling using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and dredges, profiling, and magnetic surveying conducted on R/V Meteor cruise M81/2AB. Subsequent shore-based sample analyses and data processing aim to reconstruct the geodynamic evolution of the CLIP, including determination of (1) the age and chemical composition (and thus sources) of magmatism; (2) the location where the Caribbean Plate formed (ie. Pacific or between the Americas); (3) the causes of long-lived volcanism within a LIP which is commonly thought to have formed over a relatively short time scale and to (4) gather information on the internal structure and succession of magmatic events in the CLIP. Through integration of these results we will not only provide new information on the geodynamic evolution of the Caribbean, but will also significantly contribute to improving our understanding of LIPs and the causes of intraplate volcanism („Great Plume Debate“).
Start
June, 2012
End
May, 2015
Funding (total)
-
Funding (GEOMAR)
159000
Funding body / Programme
    DFG /
Coordination
null
Contact
Kaj Hoernle
Partners
Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (Germany), Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald (Germany), Institut de Géologie et Paléontologie, Université de Lausanne (Switzerland)