Petrology and Geochemistry of the Seafloor (MUHS-P)

In the "Petrology/Geochemistry of the Seafloor" group (MUHS-P), we investigate the morphology through multi-beam seafloor mapping, volcanology, petrology, geochemistry and geochronology of igneous (primarily volcanic) rocks from the seafloor from a variety of tectonic settings. Our focus has been on intraplate volcanism, including isolated seamounts and seamount provinces, hotspot tracks and large igneous provinces forming oceanic plateaus. We also investigate subduction zone volcanism (volcanic arcs and remnant arcs), as well as mid-ocean-ridge and back-arc spreading centers. Our expertise includes submarine sampling, especially of Mesozoic volcanism, and crossing the shoreline studies. The research group maintains facilities for melt inclusion and radiogenic isotope studies. In addition to bathymetric mapping of seafloor volcanic terranes, we carry out sampling with chain-sack dredges, remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) and TV grabs. We also carry out studies on terrestrial volcanism related with submarine volcanic areas, including ocean island volcanoes (both intraplate and in volcanic arcs), continental active volcanic margins and flood basalts related to continental breakup.

Members

Methods and infrastructure

Research projects in the past five years

2024

BmBF, SO307 MADAGASCAR, Hoernle (PI), Thermal versus compositional causes of bathymetric highs: The Madagascar Ridge, 01.05.2024 - 31.10.2026

TUBITAK-GEOMAR, Alican Aktağ (PI), Hoernle (Advisor), Geochemical characterization of the mantle source region of Karacadağ Volcanism (Southeast Turkey) and investigation of its interaction with the Afar plume, 01.10.2024-01.10.2025

2023

DFG (SPP 1006 - IODP), Plateau volcanism in the African-Southern Ocean gateway, Geldmacher (PI), 15.10.2023-15.04.2025.

Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure grant, Dr. Maxim Portnyagin, Project 22-EPN3-093 "The origin of metal-rich brine component in the Ontong Java Plateau magmas: ion probe study of boron isotopes and halogen abundances in volcanic glasses".

HORIZON-MSCA-2021, ISOSEA, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dr. Pilar Madrigal Quesada, Project 101065667: Isolated Seamounts as windows into Upper Mantle Geochemical Heterogeneity. 01.03.2023 - 28.02.2025

ERC Synergy GrantT-SECTOR
Project: 101071713
Acronym: T-SECTOR
Title: Testing solid earth climate connections through mid ocean ridge time series
PI's: Kaj HOERNLE; Heidrun KOPP; Martin FRANK; Charles LANGMUIR
Host Institutions: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel & HARVARD University, USA
Duration; 72 months
Start Date: 1st October 2023

Detailed information►

2022

DFG, VolClimA, Belo (PI), Volcanism - climate interaction: A test case from the Azores archipelago (started 15.10. 2022-14.10.2025).

2021

DFG, M176/1 BISCAY, Geldmacher (PI), cruise related funds, 01.07.2021 – 31.12.2022.

DFG, KING’S TROUGH, Dürkefälden (PI), Origin and Geodynamic evolution of King’s Trough: The Grand Canyon of the North Atlantic, 01.12.2021 – 30.11.2023.

2020

DFG, CHATHAM, Homrighausen (PI), 85Ma volcanism on the Chatham islands: Insights into the geodynamic and geochemical evolution of Zealandia, 01.11.2020  – 31.10.2023

DFG, M168 KING’S TROUGH, Dürkefälden (PI), cruise related funds, 01.09.2021 – 31.12.2020.

DFG, East European Tephra, Portnyagin (co-PI), Trans-European ash plumes from the largest volcanic eruptions: A tephra record from the East European Plain (2020-2022). 
URL: https://app.dimensions.ai/details/grant/grant.8858640

DFG, CO2 recycling, Portnyagin (co-PI),  Carbon recycling by arc magmatism: an assessment from experimentally homogenized melt inclusions in high-Mg olivine (2020-2022). 
URL: https://app.dimensions.ai/details/grant/grant.8858561

2019

AvH, Research Stipend, H. Shafaei Moghaddam, Tethyan Subduction & Magmatic “Flare-up”: Frontal vs Reararc/Backarc Magmatism in Iran, 01.08.2019 – 31.01.2022.

BMBF, SO274 MADAGASCAR, Hoernle (PI), Alternate PhD and PostDoc projects for cancelled RV Sonne cruise due to COV-19: 1) Reconstructing the formation and evolution of ocean crust in the Lau Basin (SW Pacific) using geochemical methods. 2) Geochemical characterization of crust and upper mantle in the Indian Ocean as preparatory work for the re-scheduling of cruise MADAGASCAR, 01.12.2019  – 30.09.2021.

BGR, Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf Isotope Analysis, Hauff (PI), Across Arc Profile of the Southern Central Volcanic Zone at 27-29°S in Chile to establish a base model for the Triassic to Recent geochemical evolution of arc volcanism to feed Li isotope research at BGR, 01.10.2019 – 30.09.2020.

Former projects ►

Current cruises

Approved for scheduling

RV Sonne, ArcCycles: Do oceanic subduction zone systems have multiple arc/backarc cycles? Research to be carried out in the Kermadec Backarc region north of New Zealand. Two legs:  1) Geophysics (chief scientist GDY), 2) Hard-rock sampling (chief scientist MUHS-P).

RV Sonne, HESS EVOLUTION: Origin and evolution of the Hess Rise (NW Pacific) using refraction seismics, mapping and hard-rock sampling (Leg 1: chief scientist Anke Dannowski (GDY), Leg 2: Jörg Geldmacher (MuHS)).

2024     

SO307, Durban, South Africa - Durban South Africa, RV SONNE, Hoernle (co.proponent), Geldmacher (chiefs scientist) MADAGASCAR Thermal versus compositional causes of bathymetric highs: The Madagascar Ridge, 12.09.2024-28.10.2024 [SO307 cruise report]

2023

M191/1, Algeciras, Spain – Piräus, Greece, RV Meteor
Hoernle (co-proponent), Geldmacher (chief scientist)
SUAVE:
Mapping and sampling volcanic structures in the strait of Sicily to reveal the origins of intraplate volcanism in a convergent plate margin setting, 15.07. - 06.08.2023.  [M191/1 Short cruise report]

2022

IODP Expedition 392, Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa, DRV Joides Resolution
Geldmacher (scientific party)
AGULHAS PLATEAU CRETACEOUS CLIMATE:
Drilling Agulhas Plateau, SW Indian Ocean to record Cretaceous climate evolution and LIP formation during Gondwana break-up, 05.02. - 07.04.2022. 
[IODP Expedition 392 reports]

IODP Expedition 391, Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa, DRV Joides Resolution
Hoernle (Co-chief scientist)
WALVIS RIDGE HOTSPOT:
Drilling Walvis Ridge, SE Atlantic Ocean to test models of ridge-hotspot interaction, isotopic zonation, and the hotspot reference frame, 06.12.2021 - 05.02.2022.
[IODP Expedition 391 reports]

2021

M176/1, Emden - Emden, Germany, RV Meteor
Geldmacher (chief-scientist)
BISCAY CONNECTION:
Azores-Biscay Rise and Bay of Biscay: A key area for the reconstruction of the geodynamic evolution of the early North Atlantic, 31.07. - 29.08.2021.
Cruise report ► https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/54527/

 

Past cruises

A list of past MuHS-P cruises and participations can be found here ► Past cruises (1996-2020)

Outreach & Lectures

Current lectures at Kiel University
(members of our group are in bold)

- MNF-geow-BWP09 – PrÜ: Petrologie und Geochemie der Vulkanite (Hoernle, Hansteen)

- MNF-geow-BWP09-V: Vulkanologie (Kutterolf, Hoernle)

- mageoMaCEMIG-01a-L: Isotope geochemistry and geochronology of marine magmatic systems (Geldmacher, Hoernle)

- mageoMaCEMIG-01a-S: Key papers and current topics in igneous geochemistry (Hoernle, Geldmacher)

Outreach activities

Members of the working group are engaged in various public outreach events (Schleswig-Holsteinische Universitäts Gesellschaft, MNU-Campus, Kiel Week, Science Night, Kieler Klimawoche, etc.) and regularly present scientific findings at regional schools, usually organized via  www.forschungsboerse.de and Rent-a-Scientist. In addition, we were, until recently, in responsible position at the Earth System Knowledge Platform (ESKP) of the Helmholtz Association:  https://www.eskp.de/

Publications

Publication record in Web of Science

Last update 15.01.2025

Link to actual MuHS-P record ► WoS query