Annual Report 2005 - Knowledge about the earth that sustains us

• GEUS´ major research fields
• Foreword
• Databanks and information
  • Storage, quality assurance, and presentation of geological knowledge and data
    • Harmonisation of data from Danish counties
    • Expansion of databases and online access
    • GeoKnowledge - a new magazine for upper-secondary schools
    • Geology "on the air"
    • Almost four million years of geology on paper
• Water resources
  • Procuring knowledge for optimal management of our water resources
    • New national hydrogological model
    • Predicting future sources of groundwater contamination
    • Break-through in BAM research
    • Better quality in modelling work
    • Model for deep aquifers in Jutland
• Energy resources
  • Procuring of knowledge for the continued exploration and exploitation of energy resources in Denmark and Greenland
    • Greenland´s oil - a new area to play with
    • Another licensing round in the North Sea
    • Danish-Canadien collaboration on delimitation of the continental shelf
    • CO₂ storage in a European perspective
    • New oil/gas resources in the North Sea
• Mineral resources
  • Creating a scientific basis for targeted and environmentally friendly exploitation of minerals in Greenland and Denmark
    • On-line access to Greenland´s mineral occurences
    • Mapping and new geological find
    • New gold mineralisations
    • Strengthened collaboration across the Baffin Bay
    • Status on optimistic diamond hunt
• Nature and environment
  • Identifying the conditions leading to the current climate and environmental situation in Denmark and the North Atlantic in particular
    • New data from the warm Cretaceous sea
    • Relationship between prairie fires and the climate
    • Geological maps of Denmark
    • Thematic map and data for the National Park in Greenland
    • Balanced nature protection for the Baltic Sea
• Flashes of the year
  • News 2005
    • Geologists make their stamp
    • Research and innovation in society
    • Good progress in education young researchers
    • Courses in groundwater modelling
    • New research professor
• GEUS around the world
  • Knowledge building in developing countries through research and consultancy services
    • Kick-off for continued oil education in Vietnam
    • Oil pollution service in Kenya
    • Preparations for oil exploration in Uganda
    • Knowledge and capacity development in Ghana
• Key figures
• Organisation

2005 turned out to be a good year for GEUS, including yet another great number of exciting projects within a wide range of work tasks, and a political decision to stabilise the Ministry of the Environment and GEUS' financial appropriations in the coming years. Following staff cuts in previous years, this means that peace and quiet to work have now been re-established along with renewed enthusiasm and optimism among employees.

One of the year's memorable events was a visit to GEUS´ activities in Greenland by the Danish Minister for the Environment, Connie Hedegaard. The Minister first visited the Glacier in Bredefjord(Sermilik) in South Greenland where the results of climate change can be witnessed at first hand. Over a period of 20 years the tip of the glacier has retreated 7 km and the rocks 200 metres high above its current surface bear signs of the glacier's previous thickness. GEUS demonstrated its automatic equipment, which measures the melting of the ice and submits data via satellite to GEUS on a regular basis.The Minister had just hosted a meeting in Ilulissat for environment ministers from 24 countries. At the meeting, the ministers had discussed the effects of climate change and the visitors were able to see for themselves how the world's fastest moving glacier has shrunk considerably in size.

The Minister then went by helicopter to the Storøen island where Nuna Minerals is drilling for gold, and to some of GEUS' geology field camps in the mountains. Here the geologists were able to show the Minister their recent find of carbonatite, which suggests that other types of mineral deposits may be found in the area.The Minister thus got an impression of GEUS' many and varied field surveys, which cover geological mapping as well as targeted exploration for mineral resources, and the importance of these activities to efforts by the Greenland Home Rule to develop the mineral resources sector into a leading industry for Greenland. GEUS in Copenhagen, along with the other institutions under the Ministry of the Environment, took part in the implementation of the new local and central government structural reform. On 1 January 2007, the Ministry of the Environment will be welcoming about 750 new employees transferred from the counties.This will also affect GEUS in that a new department will be established in Aarhus. Furthermore, GEUS will be playing an important role in the establishment of Denmark's Environmental Portal. The office in Aarhus will be in charge of coordinating the future fee-financed survey of Danish water resources, whereas GEUS´ Geological Data Centre will be in charge of receiving, quality assuring, and processing data from municipalities, regions and environmental centres in the new structure, as well as making them available to public and private stakeholders.

GEUS and the University of Copenhagen intensified their collaboration in 2005. Never before has GEUS had so many PhD and Master's thesis students linked to the institute.At a common Geocenter Day, employees from the Geological Institute, the Geographical Institute, the Geological Museum, and GEUS debated joint research projects and the development of joint facilities.A number of initiatives were taken to further increase the synergies from constructive collaboration in Geocenter Copenhagen. GEUS wants to expand its collaboration with the university environment to cover the University of Aarhus. GEUS recruits its researchers from both Aarhus and Copenhagen Universities. Due to a coming generational shift, GEUS will need to ensure the recruitment of well-qualified candidates within many different scientific disciplines in the next 5-10 years.

In this annual report we draw a picture of GEUS' many activities in research, education, consultancy, and communication through a number of examples. These are only a small selection of the almost 500 projects that GEUS carried out in 2005.

Per Buch Andreasen Chairman of the Board

Martin Ghisler Managing Director

Photo: Danish Minister for the Environment Connie Hedegaard flanked by Buch Andreasen, Chairman of the Board (right), and Martin Ghisler, Managing Director (left), in front of the Sermilik glacier northeast of Narsaq in South Greenland.