Morgan Thomas Jones

• Senger, Kim; Ammerlaan, Fenna; Betlem, Peter; Gaina, Carmen; Galland, Olivier & Grundvåg, Sten-Andreas [Show all 21 contributors for this article] (2026). A Field Guide to the High Arctic Large Igneous Province in and Around Isfjorden, Svalbard. Tektonika. 3(2), p. 176–216. doi: https:/tektonika.online/index.php/home/article/view/124/197. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) is a major tectono-magmatic element that affected large parts of the Arctic during the Cretaceous (magmatism occurred from 126 to 78 million years ago [Ma]). In Svalbard, HALIP intrusive and extrusive rocks are grouped and classified as the Diabasodden Suite. Sills and dykes are present throughout Svalbard, emplaced in units stratigraphically ranging from crystalline basement to Jurassic-Cretaceous siliciclastics. Time-equivalent lava flows are exposed on Kong Karls Land in eastern Svalbard. In this contribution, we firstly define and introduce major features of the circum-Arctic HALIP. Secondly, we zoom into Svalbard where we document and summarize the attributes of HALIP outcrops (i.e., the Diabasodden Suite) located in and around Isfjorden, the most accessible location that is reachable on day trips using boats from Longyearbyen. For each of the 15 sites we focus on specific aspects of HALIP characterization, including geochronology, geochemistry and geometry of volcanic and intrusive rocks. We complement field descriptions of the sites with digital geoscientific data, including digital outcrop models and photospheres. Finally, we synthesize the Isfjorden study area in the context of data and knowledge gaps for the HALIP in general. We hope that this contribution will stimulate further HALIP research in Isfjorden and beyond.

• Tegner, C.; Guo, P.; Chatterjee, S.; Lambart, S.; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Planke, Sverre [Show all 27 contributors for this article] (2026). A whole rock geochemical dataset for magmatic rocks drilled on the mid-Norwegian margin. Scientific Data. 13. doi: 10.1038/s41597-026-07073-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The mid-Norwegian margin is one of the best studied volcanic rifted margins on Earth. Geophysical investigations have demonstrated the presence of well-developed inner and outer Seaward Dipping Reflectors (SDRs), landward flows, lava deltas, marginal highs, volcanic centers, ash layers, and sill complexes. These features have been proven to consist of magmatic rocks through the international Deep Sea Drilling Program (DSDP Leg 38, 1974), Ocean Drilling Program (ODP Leg 104, 1985), International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP Expedition 396, 2021), and commercial drilling. A total of fifteen drill cores penetrated magmatic rocks that formed between 57 and 50 million years ago (Ma). Here we provide (i) new ( n =  224) major and trace element compositions obtained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and inductively-coupled optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) on whole rock powders of magmatic rocks for IODP Exp. 396 ( n  = 119), ODP Exp. 104 ( n =  79), DSDP Exp. 38 ( n  = 24); and (ii) a compilation of all new and published data for magmatic rocks in the fifteen drill cores ( n  = 563). Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) data ( n  = 381) for the IODP Exp. 396 cores are also reported. These datasets provide a resource for examining the origin of magmatism associated with continental breakup and rifted margin formation, particularly the formation of excess magmatism compared to normal mid-oceanic spreading ridges, mantle-crust interaction, and the linkage of magmatism to global hyperthermal events on Earth’s surface.

• Zuchuat, Valentin; Janocha, Julian; Brooks, Hannah L.; Buchwald, Stella Z.; Beaty, Brian & Tarhan, Lidya G. [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2026). New insights on the depositional environment and dynamics of the lowermost Triassic in Svalbard: linking the Sørkapp-Hornsund High to western and central Spitsbergen. Sedimentologika. 4(1). doi: 10.57035/journals/sdk.2026.e41.2413. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The area now known as the Barents Shelf region was strongly impacted by the End-Permian Mass Extinction and a fundamental reorganisation of source-to-sink systems along the northern margin of Pangaea. Here we integrate new sedimentological, ichnological, chemostratigraphic, and provenance data from western Spitsbergen, collected at Festningen, Reinodden, and the Sørkapp-Hornsund High (Hornsundneset, southern Spitsbergen), to reconstruct the timing and drivers of Early Triassic basin evolution. At Festningen and Reinodden, the sharp but conformable transition from Permian spiculitic Kapp Starostin Formation strata to siliciclastic mudstones and sandstones of the Lower Triassic Vardebukta Formation coincides with the onset of the negative δ13Corg excursion. The Vardebukta Formation preserves seven stacked transgressive–regressive packages within an Induan-age interval of ca 1.2 to 1.6 Myr. Individual cycle durations (ca 177 to 225 kyr) are incompatible with a single dominant Milankovitch component and instead suggest bundling of orbital frequencies and/or strong autogenic modulation of accommodation and sediment supply. On the Sørkapp-Hornsund High, a 75 Myr hiatus above Mississippian continental deposits is terminated by a 10 to 15 cm thick bentonitic tephra bed linked to the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province. This is overlain by Induan-age polymictic alluvial-fan and ephemeral braided-river conglomerates (Brevassfjellet Beds), on which limited but recurrent vegetation cover developed. Detrital-zircon age spectra from the conglomerates closely match published data from the Vardebukta Formation at Festningen and the Induan-age Parish Bjerg Formation in Greenland, indicating a shared north Greenland Caledonian source and direct sediment routing during the latest Permian and earliest Triassic. These continental conglomerates are capped by fossiliferous shallow-marine limestones of Dienerian age, which are then overlain by the coarsening-upward shelfal succession of the Vardbukta Formation. The timing of Dienerian flooding of the Sørkapp-Hornsund High is not aligned with any individual transgressive-regressive package in the Vardebukta Formation, implying that local tectonic subsidence of a promontory-like high, rather than eustatic rise, governed its transgression. This research refines the palaeogeographical and tectonostratigraphical evolution of the northern margin of Pangaea during the latest Permian and earliest Triassic.

• Morris, Richard Ashley; Lambart, Sarah; Zarikian, Carlos A. Alvarez; Millett, John; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Planke, Sverre [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2026). Recommendations for using core X-ray fluorescence data on basaltic rock as a tool to assess compositional variability. Scientific Drilling. ISSN 1816-8957. 35, p. 21–37. doi: 10.5194/sd-35-21-2026. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Portable and core-scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments have become increasingly utilized in making rapid, non-destructive chemical characterizations with high spatial resolution on a range of materials. Since basaltic cores are often highly fractured and uneven, portable XRF (pXRF) is preferred to conduct discrete chemical analyses. However, in this case, the user must select the location for each analysis, which can lead to biased datasets. Alternatively, XRF core-scanning (XRF-cs) instruments take a series of measurements along a section of core, increasing the number of analyses and, therefore, eliminating some of the bias introduced by discrete analyses conducted with a pXRF. The XRF-cs does, however, still require a flat sampling surface along the core that does not include void spaces, making rigid, vesicular, and often cracked basalts suboptimal targets. We collected 797 XRF-cs measurements on three basaltic cores collected during the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 396 to evaluate how effectively an XRF core scanner can build large, chemically representative datasets. We developed a method for filtering XRF-cs measurements and calibrated the data using discrete calibrated pXRF analyses and compared the XRF-cs data to pXRF and conventional bulk-rock data using various immobile (e.g., Al, Ti, Zr, Ni, Mn, Zn) and mobile (e.g., K, Ca, Sr) elements. The comparison between datasets shows that (1) the XRF-cs data reproduce trends observed by pXRF and conventional bulk-rock data at both the regional scale and the core scale, and (2) in some cases, the higher spatial resolution of the XRF-cs data reveals geochemical variations that are otherwise obscured using discrete analyses. The workflow outlined by this study can be used to select samples for future studies by efficiently providing reliable geochemical data for characterizing new and legacy hard-rock cores.

• Cunningham, Emily H.; Lambart, Sarah; Guo, Pengyuan; Chatterjee, Sayantani; Tegner, Christian Maughan & Hartley, Autumn [Show all 25 contributors for this article] (2026). Evolution of the Source Mineralogy and Lithospheric Controls on Magmatism During the Northeast Atlantic Continental Breakup. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems. 27(2). doi: 10.1029/2025gc012556. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The mid‐Norwegian Margin, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), is a well‐studied volcanic rifted margin formed during the breakup between Greenland and Eurasia ∼56 Ma, with the largest accumulation of magmatic material hosted by the Vøring Margin section. Despite extensive study in the area, the main controls on magmatic productivity during continental breakup remain debated. To constrain the drivers of breakup magmatism, we developed an inverse Monte Carlo statistical melting model that infers source mineralogy from basalt chemistry. When applied to basalts recently recovered on the Vøring Margin, our results reveal a clear shift in source mineralogy during rifting, with peak magmatism coinciding with clinopyroxene enrichment, despite mantle potential temperatures likely being capped below 1500°C. We also establish that, while the proto‐Iceland mantle plume played a role during the emplacement of the NAIP, the main driver for the continental breakup magmatism is lithospheric thinning as a consequence of continent breakup. This study provides new insights into the magmatic and geodynamic evolution of the mid‐Norwegian Margin, emphasizing the role of lithospheric refertilization in driving breakup magmatism.

• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind; Ovtcharova, Maria; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Ganerød, Morgan & Planke, Sverre (2025). New constraints on the absolute age and duration of the Paleocene – Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) from ash layer +19 in Denmark. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 671. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119643. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Precise age constraints for the onset and duration of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) are essential for understanding the mechanisms that triggered and sustained this major climate perturbation. However, establishing a precise PETM geochronology is complicated by uncertainties in orbital tuning and a current lack of precise radiometrically dated marker horizons. An early Eocene rhyolitic ash layer named +19 is a promising marker horizon due to its distinct geochemistry, its occurrence in key offshore archives, and well-preserved outcrops in Denmark such as Stolleklint, where it conformably overlies PETM strata. We present a new high-precision U-Pb zircon age of 55.331 ± 0.053/(0.060)/[0.080] Ma for ash +19, supported by a new Ar-Ar age of 55.424 ± 0.115/(0.116)/[0.320] Ma within uncertainty. The ash +19 U-Pb age enables direct comparison with ash SB01–1 in Svalbard that was erupted during the PETM carbon isotope excursion (CIE), yielding a 454 ± 90 kyr interval between the two layers. This provides a robust geochronological link from the PETM to ash +19 that is independent of stratigraphic interpretations. Using end-member PETM durations (94–170 kyr), we estimate the time between the PETM onset and ash +19 as 528–604 ± 102 kyr, which is significantly shorter than the 862 ± 20 kyr interval derived from astronomical tuning. Adopting the longer helium isotope-based PETM duration yields an onset age of 55.935 ± 0.102 Ma, with a CIE recovery end at 55.700 Ma. A shorter PETM duration requires a younger PETM onset age. The positive ash series in Denmark, correlating with the offshore Balder Formation, is now constrained to a 250 kyr interval between 55.367 and 55.117 ± 0.080 Ma. This refined age model provides a robust framework for testing and improving early Eocene astronomical time scales.

• Marcilly, Chloé Franca Margot; Torsvik, Trond Helge & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2025). Late Paleozoic climate transition from a long-term carbon cycle modeling perspective. Global and Planetary Change. ISSN 0921-8181. 253. doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104984. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA) is the longest-lived Phanerozoic icehouse climate and the only recorded greenhouse–icehouse–greenhouse cycle on a vegetated Earth. Sedimentary archives partially detail the glaciation events, but the reasons and timing of the LPIA's onset (∼330 Ma) and end (∼260 Ma) remain debated. In many models, the shift to icehouse conditions is linked to enhanced CO2 uptake through silicate weathering, but the causes of this increased carbon sink are unclear. Most carbon cycle models are limited by their non-dimensional nature, and spatially resolved models rely heavily on variables such as topography and bathymetry, which are difficult to constrain over time. This study investigates the influence of weatherability reconstructions in non-dimensional versus spatially resolved models in the context of the LPIA's onset and ending. We review constraints on simulated silicate weathering fluxes and test forcings affecting its rate. Our paleogeographic forcing review uses newly developed land-maps and reconstructed climatic belts to constrain weathering based on fossil paleo-indicators. Our findings suggest that increased land availability in the high weatherability zones (HWZ) led to enhanced weathering processes, likely contributing to the glaciation onset. However, when a high solid Earth degassing factor is included, the likelihood of an extensive glaciation diminishes, indicating the need for an intensified CO2 sink driven by higher erosion rates and associated chemical weathering tied to topographic elevation to instigate widespread glaciation. A reduction in available land for weathering in the HWZ appears to have a determining role in the LPIA's termination.

• Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra; Betlem, Peter; Engelschiøn, Victoria Sjøholt; Foster, William J.; Grundvåg, Sten-Andreas & Jelby, Mads Engholm [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2025). Phanerozoic paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic evolution in Svalbard. Climate of the Past. ISSN 1814-9324. 21(11), p. 2133–2187. doi: 10.5194/cp-21-2133-2025. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sedimentary rocks can provide information about the Earth paleoenvironment and are studied extensively to understand the causes and consequences of global climate changes in deep time. They facilitate long-time perspectives that constrain climate models and provide analogues for how Earth systems may respond to, and recover from, intervals of profound environmental change, including projected anthropogenic change. The Norwegian Svalbard archipelago offers an extensive Phanerozoic stratigraphic record that reflects the geological evolution of the northern flanks of continental assemblages that include Laurentia, Eurasia, and Pangea. Svalbard's Phanerozoic sedimentary and paleoclimatic archive is controlled largely by Svalbard's overall northward plate-tectonic motion from equatorial to high latitudes but also by regional to local formation of topography and basins in response to long-term plate reorganization, as well as the near- and far-field influence of large igneous province activity on the tectono-stratigraphic and paleoclimatic development. Various sedimentary and geochemical proxies, such as bentonite beds and carbon isotope excursions associated with the far-reaching environmental effects of the Siberian Traps, the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, and the North Atlantic Igneous Province, are present in Svalbard's near complete geological record. As such, Svalbard is unique in that these and numerous other global environmental perturbations are recorded within a relatively restricted study area, with most of the key events preserved and recorded in easily accessible drill cores and well-exposed outcrop sections. Here we review deep-time paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate research in Svalbard by summarizing 148 peer-reviewed scientific articles. The review builds on the well-established tectono-stratigraphic and lithostratigraphic framework, as well as state-of-the art environmental reconstructions, to provide insights into the Earth system during the Phanerozoic northward drift of Svalbard and the many major biotic crises in the geological past. We focus on globally significant events including (i) the expansion of Devonian vegetation, (ii) the Carboniferous–Permian response to icehouse conditions during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA), (iii) the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME) and the subsequent Triassic recovery, the (iv) Carnian Pluvial Episode, (v) Jurassic–Early Cretaceous climate perturbations including the Volgian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (VOICE) and the Aptian Ocean Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a), and (vi) the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). We present and synthesize existing core and outcrop data that preserve biological and geochemical proxies and climate-sensitive sedimentary facies that reflect environmental change in terrestrial and marine settings. Finally, we discuss the Phanerozoic climate recorded in Svalbard and its role in providing high-latitude calibration points for several global paleoclimate events to provide a higher-latitude perspective to complement the dominance of mid- and low-latitude locations and datasets in the literature.

• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Midtkandal, Ivar; Huismans, Ritske Sipke & Faleide, Jan Inge [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2025). A tectonostratigraphic interpretation of the Mimir High through seismic-borehole tie: New insights into the Paleogene evolution of the Vøring Transform Margin. SEG technical program expanded abstracts. doi: 10.1190/image2025-4307795.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Mimir High is a structural high along the Vøring Transform Margin (VTM), offshore Mid-Norway, having excellent coverage of high-resolution seismic 2D and 3D data and borehole data from five wells drilled during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 396. The Mimir High developed through rift tectonics and thermal uplift that resulted in a transition through different paleoenvironments from shallow marine to coastal or subaerial and finally marine again.

• Senger, Kim; Ammerlaan, Fenna; Betlem, Peter; Dumais, Marie-Andrée; Eagles, Graeme & Foster, William [Show all 29 contributors for this article] (2025). Geology of Svalbard: Deep-time and Deep-Earth (SVALGEOL). In Neuber, R.; Łupikasza, E.; Hübner, C. & Holmén, K. (Ed.), The State of Environmental Science in Svalbard – an annual report. Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System. ISSN 9788293871149. p. 52–83. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.14425478. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Geology is omnipresent in Svalbard, defining among other parameters the location of all major settlements. The SVALGEOL chapter provides an overview of the geology of Svalbard, and how it influences local and global society. We briefly describe the history of geological exploration and mapping of Svalbard, before outlining the various data sets geoscientists use in their work. We then focus on two key aspects of geology: the study of “deep-time” (i.e., rocks older than 2.58 million years; the pre-Quaternary period) and the study of “deep-Earth” (i.e., integration of data from Earth’s surface to the interior). By investigating the Earth System at the scale of millions to billions of years, geologists can decipher how the global climate has varied through time. Furthermore, studying different proxies allows us to investigate the processes linking the geosphere with the biosphere (e.g., evolution of life, recovery following mass extinctions). By using field and various geophysical data, geologists can understand the properties of the Earth from its surface to its core, and the processes causing them. Furthermore, by coupling deep, shallow and surface observations with a time component, geoscientists can characterise the underlying processes that also influence society (e.g., natural gas emissions, permafrost development, geothermal potential, earthquakes)

• Vickers, Madeleine Larissa; Jelby, Mads Engholm; Blok, Carlette Neline; Price, Gregory D.; Jerrett, Rhodri M. & Jensen, Maria [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Early Cretaceous giant glendonites: A record of (sub-)millennial-scale cooling? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. ISSN 0031-0182. 661. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.112739. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Lower Cretaceous succession in Svalbard contains numerous glendonites, pseudomorphs after the cold-water carbonate mineral ikaite, which have been used in conjunction with other evidence to argue for episodic global cooling punctuating the greenhouse climates of the Early Cretaceous. Recent fieldwork in central Spitsbergen has recovered giant bladed glendonites of up to half a metre long, the largest ever recorded in a Lower Cretaceous site, and comparable in size to outlier glendonites found in similar-aged strata of the Sverdrup Basin in Arctic Canada. Unlike the rosette to pineapple-like morphologies seen in some of the largest Canadian Arctic specimens, the new finds in Svalbard appear only as single or crossed blades. These large glendonites, found clo indicate that very local variations in pore water chemistry governed whether numerous small ikaite crystals or few large crystals grew. Taken with evidence from modern ikaite and other large ancient glendonites, we argue that large glendonites such as these (>30 cm long) are pseudomorphs after ikaites that took, at the shortest, decades, but potentially millennia to even tens of millennia to attain their massive size. As growth of the parent ikaite took place in the sediments just below the seafloor of the shallow, epicontinental seas of the High Arctic (then situated at c. 63–66°N), this is consistent with the hypothesis that geologically short-term cooling episodes interrupted the background warmth of the Early Cretaceous greenhouse, although the duration, extent, and cause of such cooling is still debated.

• Morris, A.M.; Lambart, S.; Stearns, M.A.; Bowman, J.R.; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Mohn, G. [Show all 30 contributors for this article] (2024). Evidence for Low-Pressure Crustal Anatexis During the Northeast Atlantic Break-Up. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems. 25(7). doi: 10.1029/2023GC011413. Full text in Research Archive
• Vickers, Madeleine Larissa; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Longman, Jack; Evans, David; Ullmann, Clemens V. & Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg [Show all 33 contributors for this article] (2024). Paleocene-Eocene age glendonites from the Mid-Norwegian Margin - indicators of cold snaps in the hothouse? Climate of the Past. ISSN 1814-9324. 20, p. 1–23. doi: 10.5194/cp-20-1-2024. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract. The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 396 to the mid-Norwegian margin recovered > 1300 m of pristinely preserved, volcanic-ash-rich sediments deposited during the late Paleocene and early Eocene from close to the centre of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP). Remarkably, many of these cores contain glendonites, pseudomorphs after the purported cold-water mineral ikaite, from sediments dated to the late Paleocene and early Eocene. These time intervals span some of the hottest climates of the Cenozoic, including the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Global deep-ocean temperatures are not thought to have dropped below 10 ∘C at any point during this time, making the occurrence of supposedly cold-water (near-freezing temperature) glendonite pseudomorphs seemingly paradoxical. This study presents a detailed sedimentological, geochemical, and microscopic study of the IODP Exp. 396 glendonites and presents an updated model for the ikaite-to-calcite transformation for these glendonites. Specifically, we show that early diagenesis of basaltic ashes of the NAIP appear to have chemically promoted ikaite growth in the sediments in this region. Together with existing knowledge of late Paleocene and early Eocene glendonites from Svalbard to the north and early Eocene glendonites from Denmark to the south, these new glendonite finds possibly imply episodic, short-duration, and likely localized cooling in the Nordic Seas region, which may have been directly or indirectly linked to the emplacement of the NAIP.

• Senger, Kim; Shephard, Grace; Ammerlaan, Fenna; Anfinson, Owen; Audet, Pascal & Coakley, Bernard [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2024). Arctic Tectonics and Volcanism: a multi-scale, multi-disciplinary educational approach. Geoscience Communication. ISSN 2569-7102. 7(4), p. 267–295. doi: 10.5194/gc-7-267-2024. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Geologically, the Arctic is one of the least-explored regions of Earth. Obtaining data in the high Arctic is logistically, economically, and environmentally expensive, but the township of Longyearbyen (population of 2617 as of 2024) at 78° N represents a relatively easily accessible gateway to Arctic geology and is home to The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). These unique factors provide a foundation from which to teach and explore Arctic geology via the classroom, the laboratory, and the field. UNIS was founded in 1993 as the Norwegian “field university”, offering field-based courses in Arctic geology, geophysics, biology, and technology to students from Norway and abroad. In this contribution, we present one of the educational components of the international collaboration project NOR-R-AM (a Norwegian-Russian-North American collaboration in Arctic research and collaboration, titled Changes at the Top of the World through Volcanism and Plate Tectonics) which ran from 2017 to 2024. One of the key deliverables of NOR-R-AM was a new graduate (Master's and PhD-level) course called Arctic Tectonics and Volcanism that we have established and taught annually at UNIS since 2018 and detail herein. The course's main objective is to teach the complex geological evolution of the Arctic from the Devonian period (∼ 420 million years ago, Ma) to the present day through integrating multi-scale datasets and a broad range of geoscientific disciplines. We outline the course itself before presenting student perspectives based on both an anonymous questionnaire (n=27) and in-depth perceptions of four selected students. The course, with an annual intake of up to 20 MSc and PhD students, is held over a 6-week period, typically in spring or autumn. The course comprises modules on field and polar safety, Svalbard/Barents Sea geology, wider Arctic geology, plate tectonics, mantle dynamics, geo- and thermochronology, and geochemistry of igneous systems. A field component, which in some years included an overnight expedition, provides an opportunity to appreciate Arctic geology and gather field observations and data. Digital outcrop models, photospheres, and tectonic plate reconstructions provide complementary state-of-the-art data visualization tools in the classroom and facilitate efficient fieldwork through pre-fieldwork preparation and post-fieldwork quantitative analyses. The course assessment is centred around an individual research project that is presented orally and in a short and impactful Geology journal-style article. Considering the complex subject and the diversity of students' backgrounds and level of geological knowledge before the course, the student experiences during this course demonstrate that the multi-disciplinary, multi-lecturer field-and-classroom teaching is efficient and increases their motivation to explore Arctic science.

• Gernigon, Laurent; Knies, Jochen Manfred; Schönenberger, Jasmin; Piraquive, Alejandro; Lelij, Roelant van der & Huyskens, Magdalena H. [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2024). Understanding volcanic margin evolution through the lens of Norway's youngest granite. Terra Nova. ISSN 0954-4879. 36(4), p. 250–257. doi: 10.1111/ter.12705. Full text in Research Archive
• Svensen, Henrik Hovland; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Percival, Lawrence; Grasby, Stephen E. & Mather, Tamsin (2023). Release of mercury during contact metamorphism of shale: Implications for understanding the impacts of large igneous province volcanism. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 619. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118306. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Elevated mercury (Hg) in sedimentary strata are a widely used tracer for assessing the relationship between large igneous province (LIP) activity and global environmental change. A key unknown in applying this proxy is the extent to which Hg was sourced from contact metamorphism of sedimentary rocks during sill intrusions versus gaseous emissions of the magmas themselves. Here, we investigate Hg behaviour during contact metamorphism of shales. We show loss of 80–99% of the sedimentary Hg in contact aureoles in four case studies covering the interactions around dykes, sills and plutons associated the High Arctic LIP (Sverdrup Basin, Canada), the Karoo LIP (South Africa) and the Skagerrak-centred LIP (Oslo Rift, Norway). A combination of geochemical data and thermal modelling around a dyke from the High Arctic LIP shows 33% Hg volatilization in the aureole at 265–300 °C. The other cases show similar behaviours with significant lowering of organic-bound Hg, more significantly in the innermost 60% of the contact aureoles. We hypothesize that gaseous Hg is transported out of aureoles during metamorphism, together with CH4 and CO2. Furthermore, we estimate the thermogenic Hg mobilization from Karoo LIP aureoles as 72–192 t per km3 of aureole, which is between 1–3 times the estimated volumetric Hg release from Karoo magmas. When scaling our results to the size of the shale portions of the Karoo Basin affected by the LIP and a timescale of 100 kyr of sill emplacement, the average Hg flux is calculated to have been 78–207 t/y with maximum values up to ∼300 t/y. The pulsed nature of intrusive volcanism suggests that this thermogenic Hg flux could have dominated LIP Hg emissions during periods of their life span. Our results demonstrate that the global Hg cycle can be significantly perturbed following LIP-scale sill emplacement into organic-rich sedimentary rocks and our quantification of the emissions based on source-rock analysis provides important information for independent interpretation of the sedimentary Hg record.

• Berndt, Christian; Planke, Sverre; Zarikian, Carlos A. Alvarez; Frieling, Joost; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Millett, John M. [Show all 36 contributors for this article] (2023). Shallow-water hydrothermal venting linked to the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum. Nature Geoscience. ISSN 1752-0894. 16, p. 803–809. doi: 10.1038/s41561-023-01246-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a global warming event of 5–6 °C around 56 million years ago caused by input of carbon into the ocean and atmosphere. Hydrothermal venting of greenhouse gases produced in contact aureoles surrounding magmatic intrusions in the North Atlantic Igneous Province have been proposed to play a key role in the PETM carbon-cycle perturbation, but the precise timing, magnitude and climatic impact of such venting remains uncertain. Here we present seismic data and the results of a five-borehole transect sampling the crater of a hydrothermal vent complex in the Northeast Atlantic. Stable carbon isotope stratigraphy and dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy reveal a negative carbon isotope excursion coincident with the appearance of the index taxon Apectodinium augustum in the vent crater, firmly tying the infill to the PETM. The shape of the crater and stratified sediments suggests large-scale explosive gas release during the initial phase of vent formation followed by rapid, but largely undisturbed, diatomite-rich infill. Moreover, we show that these vents erupted in very shallow water across the North Atlantic Igneous Province, such that volatile emissions would have entered the atmosphere almost directly without oxidation to CO2 and at the onset of the PETM.

• Eibl, Eva P. S.; Vogfjörd, Kristin S.; Ófeigsson, Benedikt G.; Roberts, Matthew J.; Bean, Christopher J. & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2023). Subaerial and subglacial seismic characteristics of the largest measured jökulhlaup from the eastern Skaftá cauldron, Iceland. Earth Surface Dynamics. ISSN 2196-6311. 11(5), p. 933–959. doi: 10.5194/esurf-11-933-2023. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract. Subglacial floods cause seismic tremors that can be located and tracked in space and time using a seismic array. Here, we shed light on the generating mechanisms of the seismic signals observed during the largest measured flood from the eastern Skaftá cauldron in the Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland. We track the propagation of the flood in 2015 using two seismic arrays and a local seismic network in combination with GPS, hydrological, and geochemical data. We find that as the water drained from the subglacial lake beneath the cauldron, families of icequakes were generated in the area around the cauldron, while the glacier surface gradually subsided by more than 100 m. We detected a several-hours-long, non-harmonic tremor and high-frequency transient events migrating downglacier, following the subglacial flood front. We suggest that this tremor is composed of repeating, closely spaced icequakes that were generated as the glacier was being lifted, cracked, and deformed, thus enabling the subglacial water flow. When the lake had largely drained, the pressure within the underlying hydrothermal system dropped. At this time, we recorded minute-long tremor bursts emanating from the cauldron area, followed by an hour-long harmonic tremor each. We interpret these as being caused by hydrothermal explosions in the geothermal system within the cauldron and as being vigorous boiling in the crustal rocks, respectively, which is an interpretation corroborated by floodwater geochemical signals. Finally, the flood also led to detectable tremor due to more energetic flow in the rapids near Sveinstindur in the Skaftá river. We conclude that the flood generated five different seismic signal types that can be associated with five different geophysical processes, including the wide spectrum from brittle failure and explosions to boiling and turbulent flow.

• Senger, Kim; Kulhanek, Denise; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Smyrak-Sikora, Aleksandra; Planke, Sverre & Zuchuat, Valentin [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2023). Deep-time Arctic climate archives: high-resolution coring of Svalbard's sedimentary record – SVALCLIME, a workshop report. Scientific Drilling. ISSN 1816-8957. 32, p. 113–135. doi: 10.5194/sd-32-113-2023. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ​​​​​​​We held the MagellanPlus workshop SVALCLIME “Deep-time Arctic climate archives: high-resolution coring of Svalbard's sedimentary record”, from 18 to 21 October​​​​​​​ 2022 in Longyearbyen, to discuss scientific drilling of the unique high-resolution climate archives of Neoproterozoic to Paleogene age present in the sedimentary record of Svalbard. Svalbard is globally unique in that it facilitates scientific coring across multiple stratigraphic intervals within a relatively small area. The polar location of Svalbard for some of the Mesozoic and the entire Cenozoic makes sites in Svalbard highly complementary to the more easily accessible mid-latitude sites, allowing for investigation of the polar amplification effect over geological time. The workshop focused on how understanding the geological history of Svalbard can improve our ability to predict future environmental changes, especially at higher latitudes. This topic is highly relevant for the ICDP 2020–2030 Science Plan Theme 4 “Environmental Change” and Theme 1 “Geodynamic Processes”. We concluded that systematic coring of selected Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleogene age sediments in the Arctic should provide important new constraints on deep-time climate change events and the evolution of Earth's hydrosphere–atmosphere–biosphere system. We developed a scientific plan to address three main objectives through scientific onshore drilling on Svalbard: a. Investigate the coevolution of life and repeated icehouse–greenhouse climate transitions, likely forced by orbital variations, by coring Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic glacial and interglacial intervals in the Cryogenian (“Snowball/Slushball Earth”) and late Carboniferous to early Permian time periods. b. Assess the impact of Mesozoic Large Igneous Province emplacement on rapid climate change and mass extinctions, including the end-Permian mass extinction, the end-Triassic mass extinction, the Jenkyns Event (Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event), the Jurassic Volgian Carbon Isotopic Excursion and the Cretaceous Weissert Event and Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a. c. Examine the early Eocene hothouse and subsequent transition to a coolhouse world in the Oligocene by coring Paleogene sediments, including records of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, the Eocene Thermal Maximum 2, and the Eocene–Oligocene transition. The SVALCLIME science team created plans for a 3-year drilling programme using two platforms: (1) a lightweight coring system for holes of ∼ 100 m length (4–6 sites) and (2) a larger platform that can drill deep holes of up to ∼ 2 km (1–2 sites). In situ wireline log data and fluid samples will be collected in the holes, and core description and sampling will take place at The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) in Longyearbyen. The results from the proposed scientific drilling will be integrated with existing industry and scientific boreholes to establish an almost continuous succession of geological environmental data spanning the Phanerozoic. The results will significantly advance our understanding of how the interplay of internal and external Earth processes are linked with global climate change dynamics, the evolution of life, and mass extinctions.

• Svensen, Henrik Hovland; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Mather, Tamsin A. (2023). Large Igneous Provinces and the Release of Thermogenic Volatiles from Sedimentary Basins. Elements. ISSN 1811-5209. 19(5), p. 282–288. doi: 10.2138/gselements.19.5.282. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Rooney, Alan D.; Frieling, Joost; Strandmann, Philip A. E. Pogge von & Wilson, David J. D. [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2023). Tracing North Atlantic volcanism and seaway connectivity across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Climate of the Past. ISSN 1814-9324. 19(8), p. 1623–1652. doi: 10.5194/cp-19-1623-2023. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract. There is a temporal correlation between the peak activity of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) and the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), suggesting that the NAIP may have initiated and/or prolonged this extreme warming event. However, corroborating a causal relationship is hampered by a scarcity of expanded sedimentary records that contain both climatic and volcanic proxies. One locality hosting such a record is Fur Island in Denmark, where an expanded pre- to post-PETM succession containing hundreds of NAIP ash layers is exceptionally well preserved. We compiled a range of environmental proxies, including mercury (Hg) anomalies, paleotemperature proxies, and lithium (Li) and osmium (Os) isotopes, to trace NAIP activity, hydrological changes, weathering, and seawater connectivity across this interval. Volcanic proxies suggest that NAIP activity was elevated before the PETM and appears to have peaked during the body of the δ13C excursion, but decreased considerably during the PETM recovery. This suggests that the acme in NAIP activity, dominated by flood basalt volcanism and thermogenic degassing from contact metamorphism, was likely confined to just ~200 kyr (ca. 56.0–55.8 Ma). The hundreds of thick basaltic ashes in the post-PETM strata likely represent a change from effusive to explosive activity, rather than an increase in NAIP activity. Detrital δ7Li values and clay abundances suggest that volcanic ash production increased basaltic reactive surface area, likely enhancing silicate weathering and atmospheric carbon sequestration in the early Eocene. Signals in lipid biomarkers and Os isotopes, traditionally used to trace paleotemperature and weathering changes, are used here to track seaway connectivity. These proxies indicate that the North Sea was rapidly cut off from the North Atlantic in under 12 kyr during the PETM recovery due to NAIP thermal uplift. Our findings reinforce the hypothesis that the emplacement of the NAIP had a profound and complex impact on Paleocene–Eocene climate, both directly through volcanic and thermogenic degassing, and indirectly by driving regional uplift and changing seaway connectivity.

• Vickers, Madeleine Larissa; Jelby, Mads E.; Sliwinska, Kasia; Percival, L.M.E.; Wang, Feiyue & Sanei, Hamed [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2023). Volcanism and carbon cycle perturbations in the High Arctic during the Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. ISSN 0031-0182. 613. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111412. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Large perturbations in the global carbon cycle recorded as carbon-isotope (δ13C) excursions (CIEs) in both organic carbon and carbonate records have been linked to volcanism during the emplacement of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). This link is based primarily on the purported temporal coincidence between CIEs and LIP emplacement. Mercury (Hg) concentration in sedimentary rocks has been used as a regional to global tracer of large-scale volcanic activity, yet few studies have been undertaken on Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous sediments from Boreal localities compared to those for Tethyan (northern mid-latitude) successions. This has limited our understanding of the regional-to-global spatial impact of volcanic activity during this period. This study examines the Hg record as a proxy for volcanism, and the δ13C records from organic matter (δ13Corg) of CIEs from the uppermost Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous (Callovian – Aptian) successions from Axel Heiberg and Spitsbergen in the Canadian Arctic and Svalbard archipelagos, respectively. This interval includes three regional- to global CIEs. These sections show no significant variation in the ratio of Hg to total organic carbon (TOC) across the Boreal-wide Volgian negative CIE (Volgian Isotopic Carbon Excursion, “VOICE”), which has not been associated with LIP volcanism. The examined successions spanning this interval all show some influence from changing environmental or post-burial parameters, however, which could have (partially) overprinted a volcanic signal. Despite some problems in stratigraphically constraining the Weissert Event, increased Hg/TOC ratios are observed across this interval, which may be partially driven by volcanism associated with the emplacement of the Paraná-Etendeka Traps. A spike in Hg/TOC is observed immediately prior to the negative peak of the Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE1a) CIE, supporting recent evidence of a pulse of High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) volcanic activity preceding this oceanic anoxic event.

• Longman, Jack; Palmer, Martin R.; Gernon, Thomas M.; Manners, Hayley R. & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2022). Subaerial volcanism is a potentially major contributor to oceanic iron and manganese cycles. Communications Earth & Environment. 3(1). doi: 10.1038/s43247-022-00389-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Surface ocean availability of the micronutrients iron and manganese influences primary productivity and carbon cycling in the ocean. Volcanic ash is rich in iron and manganese, but the global supply of these nutrients to the oceans via ash deposition is poorly constrained. Here, we use marine sediment-hosted ash composition data from ten volcanic regions, and subaerial volcanic eruption volumes, to estimate global ash-driven nutrient fluxes. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimate average fluxes of dissolved Iron and Manganese from volcanic sources to be between 50 and 500 (median 180) and 0.6 and 3.2 (median 1.3) Gmol yr −1 , respectively. Much of the element release occurs during early diagenesis, indicating ash-rich shelf sediments are likely important suppliers of aqueous iron and manganese. Estimated ash-driven fluxes are of similar magnitude to aeolian inputs. We suggest that subaerial volcanism is an important, but underappreciated, source of these micronutrients to the global ocean.

• Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zarikian, Carlos A. Alvarez; Agarwal, Amar; Andrews, Graham D.M. & Betlem, Peter [Show all 28 contributors for this article] (2022). Expedition 396 Preliminary Report: Mid-Norwegian Continental Margin Magmatism and Paleoclimate Implications. Proceedings of the International Ocean Discovery Program. Expedition reports. doi: 10.14379/iodp.pr.396.2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The opening of the North Atlantic about 56 My ago was associated with the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, including the deposition of voluminous extrusive basaltic successions and intrusion of magma into the surrounding sedimentary basins. The mid-Norwegian Margin is a global type example of such volcanic rifted margins and is well suited for scientific drilling with its thin sediment cover and good data coverage. During International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 396, 21 boreholes were drilled at 10 sites in five different geological settings on this volcanic margin. The boreholes sampled a multitude of igneous and sedimentary settings ranging from lava flow fields to hydrothermal vent complexes, along with thick successions of upper Paleocene and lower Eocene strata. A comprehensive suite of wireline logs was collected in eight boreholes. The main goals of the expedition were to provide constraints for geodynamic models to test different hypotheses that can explain the rapid emplacement of large igneous provinces and the hypothesis that the associated Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum was caused by hydrothermal release of carbon in response to magmatic intrusions. Successful drilling, combined with high core recovery of target intervals of all nine primary sites and one additional alternate site, should allow us to achieve these goals during postcruise work.

• Longman, Jack; Gernon, Thomas M.; Palmer, Martin R.; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg & Svensen, Henrik Hovland (2021). Marine diagenesis of tephra aided the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum termination. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 571. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117101. Full text in Research Archive
• Torsvik, Trond Helge; Svensen, Henrik; Steinberger, Bernhard; Royer, Dana L.; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Connecting the Deep Earth and the Atmosphere. Geophysical Monograph Series. ISSN 0065-8448. 263, p. 413–453. doi: 10.1002/9781119528609.ch16. Full text in Research Archive
• Heimdal, Thea Hatlen; Goddéris, Yves; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Svensen, Henrik Hovland (2021). Assessing the importance of thermogenic degassing from the Karoo Large Igneous Province (LIP) in driving Toarcian carbon cycle perturbations. Nature Communications. 12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26467-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract The emplacement of the Karoo Large Igneous Province (LIP) occurred synchronously with the Toarcian crisis (ca. 183 Ma), which is characterized by major carbon cycle perturbations. A marked increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO 2 ( p CO 2 ) attests to significant input of carbon, while negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) in marine and terrestrial records suggest the involvement of a 12 C-enriched source. Here we explore the effects of pulsed carbon release from the Karoo LIP on atmospheric p CO 2 and δ 13 C of marine sediments, using the GEOCLIM carbon cycle model. We show that a total of 20,500 Gt C replicates the Toarcian p CO 2 and δ 13 C proxy data, and that thermogenic carbon (δ 13 C of −36 ‰) represents a plausible source for the observed negative CIEs. Importantly, an extremely isotopically depleted carbon source, such as methane clathrates, is not required in order to replicate the negative CIEs. Although exact values of individual degassing pulses represent estimates, we consider our emission scenario realistic as it incorporates the available geological knowledge of the Karoo LIP and a representative framework for Earth system processes during the Toarcian.

• Strandmann, Philip A.E. Pogge Von; Jones, Morgan Thomas; West, West Joshua; Murphy, Melissa J.; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg & Tarbuck, Gary [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Lithium isotope evidence for enhanced weathering and erosion during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Science Advances. 7(42). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abh4224. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~55.9 Ma) was a geologically rapid warming period associated with carbon release, which caused a marked increase in the hydrological cycle. Here, we use lithium (Li) isotopes to assess the global change in weathering regime, a critical carbon drawdown mechanism, across the PETM. We find a negative Li isotope excursion of ~3‰ in both global seawater (marine carbonates) and in local weathering inputs (detrital shales). This is consistent with a very large delivery of clays to the oceans or a shift in the weathering regime toward higher physical erosion rates and sediment fluxes. Our seawater records are best explained by increases in global erosion rates of ~2× to 3× over 100 ka, combined with model-derived weathering increases of 50 to 60% compared to prewarming values. Such increases in weathering and erosion would have supported enhanced carbon burial, as both carbonate and organic carbon, thereby stabilizing climate.

• Stokke, Ella W.; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Riber, Lars; Haflidason, Haflidi; Midtkandal, Ivar & Schultz, Bo [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Rapid and sustained environmental responses to global warming: The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in the eastern North Sea. Climate of the Past. ISSN 1814-9324. 17(5), p. 1989–2013. doi: 10.5194/cp-17-1989-2021. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ∼ 55.9 Ma) was a period of rapid and sustained global warming associated with significant carbon emissions. It coincided with the North Atlantic opening and emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP), suggesting a possible causal relationship. Only a very limited number of PETM studies exist from the North Sea, despite its ideal position for tracking the impact of both changing climate and NAIP activity. Here we present sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical proxy data from Denmark in the eastern North Sea, exploring the environmental response to the PETM. An increase in the chemical index of alteration and a kaolinite content up to 50 % of the clay fraction indicate an influx of terrestrial input shortly after the PETM onset and during the recovery, likely due to an intensified hydrological cycle. The volcanically derived zeolite and smectite minerals comprise up to 36 % and 90 % of the bulk and clay mineralogy respectively, highlighting the NAIP's importance as a sediment source for the North Sea and in increasing the rate of silicate weathering during the PETM. X-Ray fluorescence element core scans also reveal possible hitherto unknown NAIP ash deposition both prior to and during the PETM. Geochemical proxies show that an anoxic to sulfidic environment persisted during the PETM, particularly in the upper half of the PETM body with high concentrations of molybdenum (MoEF > 30), uranium (UEF up to 5), sulfur (∼ 4 wt %), and pyrite (∼ 7 % of bulk). At the same time, export productivity and organic-matter burial reached its maximum intensity. These new records reveal that negative feedback mechanisms including silicate weathering and organic carbon sequestration rapidly began to counteract the carbon cycle perturbations and temperature increase and remained active throughout the PETM. This study highlights the importance of shelf sections in tracking the environmental response to the PETM climatic changes and as carbon sinks driving the PETM recovery.

• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Tierney, Jessica; Svensen, Henrik & Whiteside, Jessica H. (2020). Temperature changes across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum – a new high-resolution TEX86 temperature record from the Eastern North Sea Basin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 544. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116388. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ∼55.9 Ma) was a hyperthermal event associated with large carbon cycle perturbations, sustained global warming, and marine and terrestrial environmental changes. One possible trigger and/or source of the carbon release that initiated the PETM is the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP). This study focuses on an expanded section of marine clays and diatomite on Fur Island in northern Denmark, where the entire PETM sequence has been identified by a negative ∼4.5‰ CTOC excursion. This remarkably well-preserved section also contains >180 interbedded ash layers sourced from the NAIP, making it an ideal site for investigating the correlations between large-scale volcanism and environmental changes. This study provides a new and complete high-resolution TEX86-derived sea-surface temperature (SST) reconstruction over the entire PETM and the post-PETM section (up to about 54.6 Ma). The palaeothermometry record indicates an apparent short-lived cooling episode in the late Paleocene, followed by a pronounced temperature response to the PETM carbon cycle perturbations with a ∼10 °C SST increase during the PETM onset (up to ∼33 °C). Extreme SSTs fall shortly after the PETM onset, and continue to decrease during the PETM body and recovery, down to anomalously cool SSTs post-PETM (∼11–23 °C). Both phases of potential cooling coincide with proxies of active NAIP volcanism, suggesting a causal connection, although several overprinting non-thermal factors complicate interpretations of the TEX86 values. Indices of effusive and explosive NAIP volcanism are largely absent from the Danish stratigraphy during the PETM body, though a re-emergence toward the end of the PETM suggest NAIP volcanism might have played a role in the PETM termination in the North Sea. This new SST record completes the previous fragmented view of climate changes at this globally important PETM site, and indicates large temperature variations in the North Sea during the earliest Eocene that are possibly linked to NAIP volcanism.

• Zaputlyaeva, Alexandra; Mazzini, Adriano; Blumenberg, Martin; Scheeder, Georg; Kürschner, Wolfram Michael & Kus, Jolanta [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). Recent magmatism drives hydrocarbon generation in north-east Java, Indonesia. Scientific Reports. 10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58567-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Conventional studies of petroleum basins associate oil generation with the gradual burial of organic-rich sediments. These classical models rely on the interplay between pressure, temperature, and the time required for organic matter transformation to oil and gas. These processes usually occur over geological timescales, but may be accelerated by rapid reactions when carbon-rich sediments are exposed to migrating magmatic fluids. The spectacular Lusi eruption (north-east Java, Indonesia) is the surface expression of the present-day deep interaction between volcanic and sedimentary domains. Here we report the ongoing generation of large amounts of hydrocarbons induced by a recent magmatic intrusion from the neighbouring Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex. We have investigated a unique suite of oil and clast samples, and developed a detailed conceptual model for the complex hydrocarbon migration history in this part of the basin by integrating multidisciplinary techniques. Our results show that palynology, organic petrology, and chlorite microthermometry are the most sensitive geothermometers for basins affected by recent magmatic activity. These findings further our understanding of the driving mechanisms fueling the world’s largest active mud eruption and provide a unique dataset to investigate modern hydrocarbon generation processes.

• Zuchuat, Valentin; Sleveland, Arve; Twitchett, Richard; Svensen, Henrik; Turner, Holly & Augland, Lars Eivind [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2020). A new high-resolution stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental record spanning the End-Permian Mass Extinction and its aftermath in central Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. ISSN 0031-0182. 554. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2020.109732. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research on the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) along the northern margins of Pangaea (exposed today in the Arctic region) has been heavily reliant on field observations, where data resolution was consequently determined by outcrop condition and accessibility. Core drilling in central Spitsbergen allowed for a near-complete recovery of two ~90 m cores through the PTB. Analyses of the core and nearby outcrops include stratigraphic logging and sampling, XRF scanning, petrography, biostratigraphy, isotope geochemistry, and geochronology. The First Appearance Datum (FAD) of H. parvus in Svalbard places the base of the Triassic ca. 4 m above the base of the Vikinghøgda Formation, and ca. 2.50 m above the End-Permian Mass Extinction (EPME) and its associated sharp negative δ13C. The PTB therefore falls within the Reduviasporonites chalastus Assemblage Zone in Svalbard. Precise U-Pb TIMS dating of two zircon crystals in a tephra layer just above the first documented Hindeodus parvus in Svalbard gives an age of 252.13 ± 0.62 Ma. High-resolution palaeoenvironmental proxies, including Si/kcps (kilo counts per second), Zr/Rb, K/Ti, Fe/K, and V/Cr, indicate a transition towards a more arid climate in the earliest Triassic, contemporaneous with prolonged bottom-water dysoxic/anoxic conditions, following an increase in volcanic activity in the Late Permian. Statistical analysis of Zr/Rb, K/Ti and V/Cr elemental ratios suggests that the system was impacted by long-eccentricity (400 kyr) cyclicity. The δ13C excursion in organic carbon (δ13Corg) record signals a large negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) associated with the mass extinction event, but also records a second, smaller negative CIE ca. 22 m above this interval. This younger δ13Corg excursion correlates to similar CIEs in the Dienerian (late Induan) records of other sections, notably in the Tethys Ocean, which have been interpreted as recording a small biotic crisis during the post-extinction recovery. Evidence of this negative CIE in Spitsbergen suggests that the Dienerian crisis may have been global in extent. The negative δ13Corg values are associated with evidence for dysoxia or anoxia in the core, and the occurrence of tephra layers in the same interval suggests a possible connection between the Dienerian crisis and a discrete episode of volcanic activity.

• Heimdal, Thea Hatlen; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Svensen, Henrik (2020). Thermogenic carbon release from the Central Atlantic magmatic province caused major end-Triassic carbon cycle perturbations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). ISSN 0027-8424. 117(22), p. 11968–11974. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2000095117. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Central Atlantic magmatic province (CAMP), the end-Triassic mass extinction (ETE), and associated major carbon cycle perturbations occurred synchronously around the Triassic–Jurassic (T–J) boundary (201 Ma). Negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) recorded in marine and terrestrial sediments attest to the input of isotopically light carbon, although the carbon sources remain debated. Here, we explore the effects of mantle-derived and thermogenic carbon released from the emplacement of CAMP using the long-term ocean–atmosphere–sediment carbon cycle reservoir (LOSCAR) model. We have tested a detailed emission scenario grounded by numerous complementary boundary conditions, aiming to model the full extent of the carbon cycle perturbations around the T–J boundary. These include three negative CIEs (i.e., Marshi/Precursor, Spelae/Initial, Tilmanni/Main) with sharp positive CIEs in between. We show that a total of ∼24,000 Gt C (including ∼12,000 Gt thermogenic C) replicates the proxy data. These results indicate that thermogenic carbon generated from the contact aureoles around CAMP sills represents a credible source for the negative CIEs. An extremely isotopically depleted carbon source, such as marine methane clathrates, is therefore not required. Furthermore, we also find that significant organic carbon burial, in addition to silicate weathering, is necessary to account for the positive δ 13 C intervals following the negative CIEs.

• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Liu, Emma & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2020). Evidence of explosive hydromagmatic eruptions during the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province. Volcanica. 3(2), p. 227–250. doi: 10.30909/vol.03.02.227250. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Early Eocene sediments in northwest Denmark contain over 180 well-preserved volcanic ash layers, likely sourced from the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) between 56.0 and 54.6 Ma. Most of these ashes are basaltic, widespread, and represent a phase of unusually large and explosive eruptions that is coincident with the opening of the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Explosive basaltic eruptions of this magnitude are unheard of in historical times and in the current geological record. Here, we combine analyses of glass sulfur concentrations and variations in morphology and vesicularity of pristine volcanic glass grains to explore the possible eruptive processes promoting such widespread basaltic ash dispersal. We suggest that these ashes formed in shallow subaqueous environments (<200 m water depth) where they fragmented and rapidly quenched during explosive hydromagmatic activity. We speculate that magma-water interaction during the opening of the northeast Atlantic was the main cause of this unusual explosive basaltic activity.

• Heimdal, Thea Hatlen; Callegaro, Sara; Svensen, Henrik; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Pereira, Egberto & Planke, Sverre (2019). Evidence for magma–evaporite interactions during the emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) in Brazil. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. ISSN 0012-821X. 506, p. 476–492. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2018.11.018. Full text in Research Archive
• Hammer, Øyvind; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Schneebeli-Hermann, Elke; Hansen, Bitten Bolvig & Bucher, Hugo (2019). Are Early Triassic extinction events associated with mercury anomalies? A reassessment of the Smithian/Spathian boundary extinction. Earth-Science Reviews. ISSN 0012-8252. 195, p. 179–190. doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.04.016. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  High concentrations of mercury, possibly connected with widespread volcanism of the Siberian Traps, have previously been associated with the Smithian/Spathian (Early Triassic) boundary (SSB) in the Sverdrup Basin, Tethyan sections in India and China, as well as with a shallow-water record in western Spitsbergen. We confirm this Hg/TOC anomaly in the deeper water record at Wallenbergfjellet, central Spitsbergen. However, both paleontological age control and carbon isotopes indicate that the Hg anomaly occurred mainly within strata of middle Smithian age. Therefore, this Hg anomaly is unlikely to be directly and causally related to mechanisms contributing to the late Smithian global extinction of nektonic faunas. The TOC and trace element data suggest generally more oxygenated conditions during the Smithian compared to the Spathian, which is at odds with the hypothesis that oxygen depletion may have been a global kill mechanism for the SSB extinction. Further work is needed to assess if precise timing and paleogeographic distribution of anoxia shows any consistent pattern or not during the Smithian and Spathian. The very abrupt lower limb of the positive carbon isotope excursion (CIE) and the coarser grain size immediately below the boundary between the Lusitaniadalen Member and the Vendomdalen Member indicate a substantial stratigraphic gap of latest Smithian age, a previously neglected signal shared with many other boreal SSB sections. Ammonoid age control also indicates that the onset of the late Smithian gap in the high latitudes was earlier than in the Tropics. The gradual end of the positive CIE contrasts with the frequent spike shape observed in tropical shelf records and is definitively earliest Spathian in age. The middle Smithian Hg anomaly in the Boreal record is only visible in the Hg/TOC values, and is associated with a possible shift in organic matter type from terrestrial to marine in the case of Spitsbergen. This suggests that the middle Smithian Hg/TOC anomaly in Spitsbergen may not unequivocally originate from volcanism, and calls for additional caution before interpreting Hg spikes as a volcanic proxy.

• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Percival, Lawrence; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Frieling, Joost; Mather, Tasmin A. & Riber, Lars [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2019). Mercury anomalies across the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum. Climate of the Past. ISSN 1814-9324. 15(1), p. 217–236. doi: 10.5194/cp-15-217-2019. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Large-scale magmatic events like the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) are often coincident with periods of extreme climate change such as the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). One proxy for volcanism in the geological record that is receiving increased attention is the use of mercury (Hg) anomalies. Volcanic eruptions are among the dominant natural sources of Hg to the environment; thus, elevated Hg∕TOC values in the sedimentary rock record may reflect an increase in volcanic activity at the time of deposition. Here we focus on five continental shelf sections located around the NAIP in the Palaeogene. We measured Hg concentrations, total organic carbon (TOC) contents, and δ13C values to assess how Hg deposition fluctuated across the PETM carbon isotope excursion (CIE). We find a huge variation in Hg anomalies between sites. The Grane field in the North Sea, the most proximal locality to the NAIP analysed, shows Hg concentrations up to 90 100 ppb (Hg∕TOC = 95 700 ppb wt %−1) in the early Eocene. Significant Hg∕TOC anomalies are also present in Danish (up to 324 ppb wt %−1) and Svalbard (up to 257 ppb wt %−1) sections prior to the onset of the PETM and during the recovery period, while the Svalbard section also shows a continuous Hg∕TOC anomaly during the body of the CIE. The combination with other tracers of volcanism, such as tephra layers and unradiogenic Os isotopes, at these localities suggests that the Hg∕TOC anomalies reflect pulses of magmatic activity. In contrast, we do not observe clear Hg anomalies on the New Jersey shelf (Bass River) or the Arctic Ocean (Lomonosov Ridge). This large spatial variance could be due to more regional Hg deposition. One possibility is that phreatomagmatic eruptions and hydrothermal vent complexes formed during the emplacement of sills led to submarine Hg release, which is observed to result in limited distribution in the modern era. The Hg∕TOC anomalies in strata deposited prior to the CIE may suggest that magmatism linked to the emplacement of the NAIP contributed to the initiation of the PETM. However, evidence for considerable volcanism in the form of numerous tephra layers and Hg∕TOC anomalies post-PETM indicates a complicated relationship between LIP volcanism and climate. Factors such as climate system feedbacks, changes to the NAIP emplacement style, and/or varying magma production rates may be key to both the onset and cessation of hyperthermal conditions during the PETM. However, processes such as diagenesis and organic matter sourcing can have a marked impact on Hg∕TOC ratios and need to be better constrained before the relationship between Hg anomalies and volcanic activity can be considered irrefutable.

• Berndt, Christian; Planke, Sverre; Teagle, Damon; Huismans, Ritske; Torsvik, Trond Helge & Frieling, Joost [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2019). Northeast Atlantic breakup volcanism and consequences for Paleogene climate change – MagellanPlus Workshop report. Scientific Drilling. ISSN 1816-8957. 26, p. 69–85. doi: 10.5194/sd-26-69-2019. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The northeast Atlantic encompasses archetypal examples of volcanic rifted margins. Twenty-five years after the last ODP (Ocean Drilling Program) leg on these volcanic margins, the reasons for excess melting are still disputed with at least three competing hypotheses being discussed. We are proposing a new drilling campaign that will constrain the timing, rates of volcanism, and vertical movements of rifted margins. This will allow us to parameterise geodynamic models that can distinguish between the hypotheses. Furthermore, the drilling-derived data will help us to understand the role of breakup magmatism as a potential driver for the Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and its influence on the oceanographic circulation in the earliest phase of the northeast Atlantic Ocean formation. Tackling these questions with a new drilling campaign in the northeast Atlantic region will advance our understanding of the long-term interactions between tectonics, volcanism, oceanography, and climate and the functioning of subpolar northern ecosystems and climate during intervals of extreme warmth.

• Heimdal, Thea Hatlen; Svensen, Henrik; Ramezani, Jahandar; Iyer, Karthik Herman; Pereira, Egberto & Rodrigues, René [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Large-scale sill emplacement in Brazil as a trigger for the end-Triassic crisis. Scientific Reports. 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-18629-8. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind; Shephard, Grace; Burgess, Seth; Eliassen, Gauti Trygvason & Jochmann, Malte [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2017). Constraining shifts in North Atlantic plate motions during the Palaeocene by U-Pb dating of Svalbard tephra layers. Scientific Reports. 7(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-06170-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Radioisotopic dating of volcanic minerals is a powerful method for establishing absolute time constraints in sedimentary basins, which improves our understanding of the chronostratigraphy and evolution of basin processes. The relative plate motions of Greenland, North America, and Eurasia changed several times during the Palaeogene. However, the timing of a key part of this sequence, namely the initiation of compression between Greenland and Svalbard, is currently poorly constrained. The formation of the Central Basin in Spitsbergen is inherently linked to changes in regional plate motions, so an improved chronostratigraphy of the sedimentary sequence is warranted. Here we present U-Pb zircon dates from tephra layers close to the basal unconformity, which yield a weighted-mean 206Pb/238U age of 61.596 ± 0.028 Ma (2σ). We calculate that sustained sedimentation began at ~61.8 Ma in the eastern Central Basin based on a sediment accumulation rate of 71.6 ± 7.6 m/Myr. The timing of basin formation is broadly coeval with depositional changes at the Danian-Selandian boundary around the other margins of Greenland, including the North Sea, implying a common tectonic driving force. Furthermore, these stratigraphic tie points place age constraints on regional plate reorganization events, such as the onset of seafloor spreading in the Labrador Sea.

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• William, Foster,; Jelby, Mads Engholm; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Mosociova, Tereza; Senger, Kim & Engelschiøn, Victoria Sjøholt [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). Table: Review of Phanerozoic Paleoenvironmental and Paleoclimatic Evolution in Svalbard. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.16928063. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This table serves as supplementary material for the scientific article titled Phanerozoic Paleoenvironmental and Paleoclimatic Evolution in Svalbard. It provides a comprehensive review of 148 selected scientific articles that explore various proxies used to reconstruct Svalbard's paleoenvironment and paleoclimate over the Phanerozoic Eon. The dataset encompasses diverse proxy types, including: Biological proxies (e.g., fossil assemblages) Climate-sensitive sedimentary facies Geochemical proxies (e.g., isotopic analyses). The structure provides a user-friendly and period-specific approach (individual scheets), enabling researchers to easily navigate  across geologic time.

• Planke, Sverre; Bünz, Stefan; Berndt, Christian; Zarikian, Carlos A. Alvarez; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina N. & Stokke, Henrik Henriksen [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2025). The Ocean-Continent Transition of the Northern Vøring Margin from New High-Resolution 2D Seismic and IODP Expedition 396 Data. Full text in Research Archive
• Bünz, Stefan; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina N.; Stokke, Henrik Henriksen & Binde, Cornelia Mentzoni [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2025). High-resolution 3D seismic imaging of Northeast Atlantic volcanic break‐up processes. doi: https:/www.geologi.no/konferanser/vinterkonferanser/abstracts/file/298-abst-vk25. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the NE Atlantic breakup in the Paleogene, extensive magmatic activity resulted in the formation of approximately 6–10 Mkm3 of extrusive basaltic deposits and intrusion of magma into sedimentary basins. This magmatism, along with the degassing and explosive release of thermo‐ genic gases due to contact metamorphism, has been linked to the onset of the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; 56 Ma). During IODP Expedition 396, 21 boreholes were drilled at 10 sites across five geological settings on the mid‐ Norwegian Margin. These sites sampled diverse igneous and sedimentary environments, including lava flow fields, hydrothermal vent complexes (HTVCs), and thick Paleogene strata. In addition, UiT The Arctic University of Norway conducted three research expeditions in 2020, 2022 and 2024 to acquire high‐resolution 2D/3D seismic and multibeam data in order to tie IODP borehole sites together and to regional geology. This presentation focusses on the two high‐resolution 3D seismic surveys, one of which that was repeated during the 2024 expedition to study repeatability effects in basalts. A high‐resolution P‐Cable 3D seismic cube (10 by 2.4 km, 6.25x6.25 m bin size) was collected over the Modgunn Arch (Sites U1567 and U1568), where we have identified a shallowly buried HTVC, known as the Modgunn Vent, and associated sill intrusions. Contact metamorphism of sedimentary rocks generates volatile compounds, generating an overpressure that leads to fracturing of the overlying sediments. As the hot fluids and gases escape through the fractures, they reach the sea‐ floor and create HTVCs. These complexes consist of a large crater structure that is subsequently filled in by sediments some of which may result from erupted material. The vent fill may be alter‐ ed by fluid migration and/or tectonic stress leading to folding and doming. Another high‐resolution 3D seismic survey (10.3 x 1.8 km, 6.25x6.25 m bin size) was conducted on the Skoll High at the northern Vøring margin (Sites U1571 and U1572). The 3D seismic data images the top basalt showing the volcanic paleo‐land‐ scape in unprecedented details. A faulted and eroded lava horizon is observed in the southeast‐ ern cube at 150–250 m depth. In contrast, the northwestern cube shows a pitted surface with lobate structures and linear ridges. These features are interpreted as rootless cones, volcanic craters formed by explosive interactions between lava flows and water‐saturated sediments. This study showcases the exceptional level of detail achievable through high‐resolution 3D seis‐ mic data acquisition of hydrothermal vent complexes and buried volcanic landscapes, offering new opportunities for unique insights in the Northeast Atlantic break‐up processes and beyond

• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2025). Mimir High Core-log-seismic Integration. Full text in Research Archive
• Planke, Sverre; Millett, John; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina N.; Bünz, Stefan; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Myklebust, R. (2024). Cretaceous and Paleogene Source Rock Potential on the Norwegian Atlantic Margin. doi: 10.3997/2214-4609.2024101502. Full text in Research Archive
• Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Bünz, Stefan; Huismans, Ritske Sipke; Faleide, Jan Inge & Svensen, Henrik Hovland [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Understanding Volcanic Rifted Margins and Paleoenvironment by Scientific Drilling in the NE Atlantic. Full text in Research Archive
• Planke, Sverre; Millett, John M.; Lebedeva-Ivanova, Nina; Bünz, Stefan; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Myklebust, Reidun (2024). Cretaceous and Paleogene Source Rock Potential on the Norwegian Atlantic Margin. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 24 contributors for this article] (2024). PALMAR – Paleogene Basin Development on the Vøring and Møre Margins. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 24 contributors for this article] (2024). IODP Exp. 396 Drilling and High-Resolution 3D Seismic on the Mimir High. Full text in Research Archive
• Nygaard, Madeleine Skov; Planke, Sverre; Berndt, Christian; Zastrozhnov, Dmitry; Faleide, Jan Inge & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Characterization of the Vøring Transform Margin by IODP Exp. 396 Drilling and High-Resolution 3D Seismic on the Mimir High. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2023). Tracing North Atlantic volcanism and seaway connectivity across the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Full text in Research Archive
• Svensen, Henrik Hovland; John, Timm; Polozov, A.; Callegaro, Sara; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Newton, Robert [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Carbon, sulphur, and mercury geochemistry in a crater lake in the Siberian Traps. Full text in Research Archive
• Bond, David; Callegaro, Sara; Davies, Joshua; Deegan, Frances; Galloway, Jennifer & Gaynor, Sean [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2023). Meet the Authors. Elements. ISSN 1811-5209. 19(5), p. 265–266. doi: 10.2138/gselements.19.5.265. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2022). Tracing North Atlantic volcanism and North Sea connectivity across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Liu, Emma J. & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2022). Explosive hydromagmatic eruptions during the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province: A story of volcanic ash. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2022). Seismic Characteristics of the Largest Measured Subglacial Flood from the Eastern Skaftá cauldron, Iceland. Earth Surface Dynamics. ISSN 2196-6311. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-2022-644. Full text in Research Archive
• Zuchuat, Valentin; Augland, Lars Eivind; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Sleveland, Arve R.N.; Twitchett, Richard & Tovar, Francisco J Rodríguez [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2022). The Permian-Triassic boundary across the Barents Shelf: an intricate record of climate change, mass extinction, recovery, and basin reorganisation. EGU General Assembly. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-egu22-2379. Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Liu, Emma J.; Longman, Jack; Jerram, Dougal Alexander; Millett, John M & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2021). Evidence of unusually explosive hydromagmatic eruptions and their role in the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province. Full text in Research Archive
• Zuchuat, Valentin; Augland, Lars Eivind; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Twitchett, Richard; Rodríguez-Tovar, Francisco J. & Hammer, Øyvind [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Facies changes, volcanism, and mass extinction conundrum: the Permian-Triassic boundary across the Barents Sea Shelf. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The most dramatic mass extinction the Earth has ever experienced occurred 252 million years ago, at the end of the Permian. It was likely triggered by the volcanic eruptions and magmatic intrusions associated with the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province (LIP), leading to dramatic climatic changes, with consequences lasting well into the Early Triassic. Here, we present a summary of the findings from the study of several sedimentary successions distributed across the Barents Sea that spanned the End Permian Mass Extinction (EPME) and the Permian-Triassic boundary. The four studied successions included the renowned Festningen section in the outer part of Isfjorden, western Spitsbergen; the DD-1 core and the associated river section in Deltadalen, central Spitsbergen; a core drilled offshore Kvitøya in northern Svalbard, and a core drilled on the Horda Platform in the Barents Sea. Datasets of various research lines were collected from these sections including sedimentology, organic geochemistry, isotope, geochronology, XRF, mineralogy, ichnology, palaeontology, palynology and digital outcrop data. Historically, the Permian-Triassic boundary exposed today in Svalbard (and at various places across the High Arctic regions) was placed at the very prominent and abrupt facies change occurring between the siliceous mudstones or spiculites of the Kapp Starostin Formation, and the overlying soft, non-siliceous mudstones and siltstones of the Vardebukta and Vikinghøgda formations. The abruptness of this facies change, which also marks the demise of sponges, led to the belief that it represented a hiatus or a gap of several million years, with the uppermost Permian strata missing from the sedimentary record, while the mudstones of the Vardebukta and Vikinghøgda formations were definitely of Lower Triassic age, based on ammonoid biostratigraphy. Hindeodus parvus, the conodont that defines the base of the Triassic, was for the first time identified in Svalbard a few meters above the lithostratigraphic boundary, which is therefore of Upper Permian age. Additionally, our new data show that sedimentation was continuous across this lithostratigraphic boundary. This transition from the Kapp Starostin Formation to the Vardebukta and Vikinghøgda formations was accompanied by a major reorganisation/inversion of the basin(s), but its exact nature remains puzzling. Further, all measured sections record the EPME, which is associated with a 6-8 ‰ δ13CVPDB negative excursion, and measured between the lithostratigraphic and the Permian-Triassic boundaries. These negative isotopic excursions are found in close vicinity to several tephra layers that have been precisely dated at 252.13 ± 0.62 Ma, strongly suggesting a connection to the Siberian Traps LIP event. The mass extinction is also confirmed by the very rapid decreasing of trace fossil abundance and diversity, as anoxia spread across the water from proximal and shallow water to deeper settings. Geochemical and ichnological data indicate the occurrence of several anoxic pulses, intersected by very brief episodes of improved oxygenation levels. It took ca. 145 Kyr for life to recover after the extinction event, based on sedimentation rate calculations. Data also suggest that a shift towards more arid climatic conditions and increased eutrophication on land accompanied the EPME.

• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Augland, Lars Eivind; Svensen, Henrik; Strandmann, Philip A.E. Pogge von & Rooney, Alan (2020). Constraining the activity of the North Atlantic Igneous Province across the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Augland, Lars Eivind; Strandmann, Philip A.E. Pogge von; Liu, Emma J. & Mather, Tamsin [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2020). Constraining North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) activity during the late Paleocene and early Eocene. Full text in Research Archive
• Planke, Sverre & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2020). Volcanism and climate change during the opening of the Atlantic. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The early Cenozoic was a key period in Earth history. The opening of the northeast Atlantic ocean coincided with both the formation of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) and the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), suggesting that there may be a causal relationship between them. We present two drilling projects that will start next year on the Norwegian margin (IODP 396) and in northwest Denmark (ICDP Limfjorden) to address these exciting research questions.

• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Liu, Emma J. & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2020). Eruption mechanism and volatile budget of the early Eocene Danish ash series, and implications for the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province. Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Tierney, Jessica E.; Riber, Lars; Svensen, Henrik & Whiteside, Jessica H. (2020). Volcanic cooling followed by a warm and wet Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in Denmark. Full text in Research Archive
• Torsvik, Trond Helge; Svensen, Henrik; Steinberger, Bernhard; Royer, Dana L.; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Jones, Morgan Thomas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Connecting the Deep Earth and the Atmosphere. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas & Jones, Olivia (2020). Olivia Jones - Lundy. [Internet]. https://www.bricksbristol.org/2020/11/episode-2-olivia-jones. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Olivia Jones’s podcast is centred around a recent journey to Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. Speaking with artists, geologists and those working to protect the island’s wildlife, the recording explores the island’s volcanic history and how those living on Lundy have engaged with the material of the island over time.

• Stradmann, Philip Pogge von; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Schmidt, Daniela & Murphy, Melissa (2019). Lithium Isotope Evidence for More Efficient CO2 Drawdown Across the PETM. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2019). Mercury anomalies as a proxy for LIP activity and their link to mass extinctions. Full text in Research Archive
• Heimdal, Thea Hatlen; Svensen, Henrik; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Callegaro, Sara & Pereira, Egberto (2019). Thermogenic Gas Release from CAMP as a Trigger for the End-Triassic Crisis. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Hammer, Øyvind; Bucher, Hugo; Schneebeli-Hermann, Elke; Mather, Tamsin & Svensen, Henrik [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Are Mercury Anomalies a Reliable Proxy for LIP Volcanism? Examples from the End-Permian and Early Triassic. Full text in Research Archive
• Svensen, Henrik; John, Timm; Weyer, Stefan; Fristad, Kirsten; Polozov, Alexander & Bajard, Manon Julietto Andree [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Bacterial sulphate- and iron reduction in a Siberian Traps crater lake during the end-Permian crisis. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Strandmann, Philip A.E. Pogge von; Augland, Lars Eivind; Svensen, Henrik & Whiteside, Jessica H. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). ASHLANTIC: A multi-proxy approach to understanding the relationship between the NAIP and the PETM. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Stradmann, Philip Pogge von; Augland, Lars Eivind; Svensen, Henrik & Whiteside, Jessica H. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Ashlantic: A multi-proxy approach to understanding the relationship between the North Atlantic Igneous Province and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Whiteside, Jessica H.; Riber, Lars; Haflidason, Haflidi; Tierney, Jessica E & Svensen, Henrik [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Linking warming, environmental changes, and volcanic ash falls from onset to recovery of the PETM: a multi-proxy study from Fur, Denmark. Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Hammer, Øyvind & Svensen, Henrik (2018). Geochemical variations during the PETM and later Eocene hyperthermals: investigating a new drill core from Fur, Denmark. Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Whiteside, Jessica H.; Svensen, Henrik; Hammer, Øyvind & Jones, Morgan Thomas (2018). Linking warming, environmental changes, and volcanic ash falls from onset to recovery of the PETM: investigations from Fur, Denmark. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2018). Sedimentologic record of the PETM. Full text in Research Archive
• Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Hammer, Øyvind & Svensen, Henrik (2018). Geochemistry of Paleocene- Eocene sediments on Fur, Denmark: Linking volcanism and climatic changes. Full text in Research Archive
• Svensen, Henrik; Jerram, Dougal Alexander; Polozov, Alexander; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind & Planke, Sverre (2018). Volcanic causes for the PETM and other past hothouse climates. Full text in Research Archive
• Heimdal, Thea Hatlen; Svensen, Henrik; Ramezani, Jahandar; Iyer, Karthik Herman; Pereira, Egberto & Rodrigues, René [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Large-scale sill emplacement in Brazil as a trigger for the end-Triassic crisis. Full text in Research Archive
• Svensen, Henrik; Percival, Lawrence; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Mather, Tamsin (2018). Release of mercury from black shale during contact metamorphism and the implications for mercury as a volcanic proxy. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Schultz, Bo; Augland, Lars Eivind; Planke, Sverre & Tegner, Christian [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Fur Island in Denmark: A window into Paleocene-Eocene hyperthermals and North Atlantic volcanism. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Percival, Lawrence; Stokke, Ella Wulfsberg; Frieling, Joost; Mather, Tamsin & Riber, Lars [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Investigating mercury as a large igneous province proxy: Insights from the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Full text in Research Archive
• Schultz, Bo; Lindgren, Johan; Teichert, Barbara M.A.; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Tegner, Christian & Sylvestersen, Rene [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Glendonite in an early Eocene Konservat-Lagerstätte (Fur Formation of Northern Denmark) and Palaeocene / Eocene formations on Svalbard are good climate and biosphere interpretive indicators. Full text in Research Archive
• Jerram, Dougal Alexander; Svensen, Henrik; Planke, Sverre; Millett, John M; Jones, Morgan Thomas & Augland, Lars Eivind [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2018). Types and styles of volcanism in the North Atlantic Igneous Province: Implications towards understanding their potential climatic impact. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2018). Store mengder drivhusgass siger ut fra Katla. [Internet]. www.vg.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2017). Tidfester Svalbard-kollisjon. [Internet]. http://www.geoforskning.no/nyheter/grunnforskning/1604-tidfe. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2017). Volcanic ash layers in Svalbard hold clues to the formation of the North Atlantic. [Internet]. http://all-geo.org/volcan01010/2017/07/volcanic-ash-layers-i. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2017). Volcanic ash layers in Svalbard hold clues to the formation of the North Atlantic. [Internet]. https://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2017/08/04/volcanic-ash-layers-i. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Percival, Lawrence; Frieling, Joost; Mather, Tasmin A. & Svensen, Henrik (2017). Assessing the variation in mercury deposition around the North Atlantic during the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2017). Moler skal fortælle historien om CO2 konsekvenser. [Journal]. Skive Folkebladet. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2017). TV interview with TV-Midtvest (Denmark). Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind; Shephard, Grace; Burgess, Seth; Eliassen, Gauti & Jerram, Dougal Alexander [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2017). Bentonite layers in Svalbard: constraining sources of volcanism, geochronology, and relative plate motions during the Paleogene. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2017). Plate Reorganisations and Volcano-Climate interactions during the emplacement of the North Atlantic Igneous Province (62-55 Ma). Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2016). Constraining the absolute age and duration of the PETM using Fur tephras. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind; Tegner, Christian; Planke, Sverre; Jerram, Dougal Alexander & Callegaro, Sara [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2016). Volcano-climate interactions during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: Assessing the impact of the North Atlantic Igneous Province from the Fur Formation, Denmark. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind; Svensen, Henrik; Tegner, Christian; Planke, Sverre & Willumsen, Pi Suhr (2016). Volcano-climate interactions during the PETM and U-Pb dating from the Fur Formation, Denmark. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas (2016). Environmental and climatic effects of volcanic ash. Full text in Research Archive
• Jones, Morgan Thomas; Augland, Lars Eivind; Burgess, Seth; Eliassen, Gauti; Svensen, Henrik & Jerram, Dougal Alexander [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2016). Bentonite layers in Svalbard: constraining sources of volcanism, geochronology, and relative plate motions during the Paleocene and Eocene. Full text in Research Archive
• Augland, Lars Eivind; Jones, Morgan Thomas; Svensen, Henrik & Tegner, Christian (2016). Closing in on the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum in the North Atlantic: chronostratigraphy and ash bed provenance through high precision U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of zircons. Full text in Research Archive

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