Annual Report 2006
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Nature and the environment |
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Geological maps for planning
and management
Geological maps are important tools in spatial planning and management, and they are used for many kinds of technical assignments. GEUS carries out ongoing geological mapping throughout Denmark. Areas are selected on the basis of society's need for geological data, for example in connection with groundwater abstraction and afforestation. In 2006, field work comprised map projections on the island of Mors, in Fussingø State Forest District and on the island of Lolland. The geological map sheet of the island of Møn in the scale of 1:50 000 was print ed in 2006. Geological mapping of Fussingø State Forest District is a part of the basis for forestry and afforestation and the work was partially financed by the Danish Forest and Nature Agency. Finally, 2006 included work on a new edition of the geological overview map of Denmark. This map will be published by Nordisk Kortforlag and will also be available in digital form. |
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Monitoring
of the Greenland ice sheet
The Ministry of the Environment in 2006 decided to commence on systematic monitoring of the Inland Ice. There has long been great uncertainty as to how fast the ice sheet in Greenland is melting, however, new studies show that the rate by which the large glaciers are melting and calving has increased significantly over the past years. The new monitoring activity led by GEUS will focus on what is happening along the edge of the Inland Ice, where the loss of mass from melting and calving of the ice is taking place. Fully automated monitoring stations will be set up at selected locations on the edge of the ice sheet in order to measure the melting, the climate and the ice movement. Glaciologists will supplement the measurements from the surface with measurements from aircraft and satellite. In collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark the ice edge around the entire ice sheet will be measured from aircraft, and the ice movement will be monitored using radar images from the European satellite Envisat. According to the plan, measurements from aircraft will be repeated every second year in order to register the changes systematically. During 2007-2010, monitoring stations will be set up at seven locations along the edge of the entire ice sheet. Monitoring will then be transferred to the operating phase. The Danish monitoring, together with other Danish and international projects in the area, will provide a more precise picture of the consequences of climate change in the Arctic. The project named PROMICE(Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet) is being financed by the Ministry of the Environment through the DANCEA programme under the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. |
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International evaluation of
GEUS' research
The quality of GEUS' research within the Nature and Environment programme was subject to scrutiny in 2006 by an international panel appointed by the Danish Council for Strategic Research. The review is part of GEUS' ongoing evaluation of the quality of its scientific work. The review resulted in a report, which points to a number of areas, not least the climate area, where GEUS' research, nationally as well as internationally, is of great importance to understanding climate change and its effects. Furthermore, the panel rated the research topics within this area as extremely relevant to society and fulfilling GEUS' commitment to strategic research and its ability to supply advice that can be applied in practice. The Board of Directors of GEUS subsequently expressed great satisfaction with the evaluation, which documents that GEUS' research is of high quality and meets international standards. Apart from a number of general assessments, the report also contains 38 specific recommendations that provide a good foundation for GEUS' future scientific work. |
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A total of
38 GeoSites designated
With contributions from Danish universities, GEUS in 2006 completed the designation of Danish GeoSites: 38 descriptions of unique geological locations are now available on www.geosites.dk. GeoSites are geological locations of international, scientific value, which document the geological processes and environments that have formed the Earth. The Danish GeoSites include locations such as Stevns Klint, Fakse Quarry, Møns Klint, Hanklit, Lønstrup Klint, Skagen Odde, Gram Lergrav and Åmosen. Together, the 38 sites document important geological characteristics such as abrupt changes in the environment, well-preserved fossils, unique minerals, the impact of the ice on the landscape, clear traces of pre historic climate, and the formation of unique coastlines. The objective of identifying GeoSites is to create more awareness about unique geological values and help nurture and protect them. The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) has instigated the work, and Danish efforts were set in motion by the Danish National Committee of Geology and GEUS. Countries throughout Europe are designating GeoSites, and Denmark is in the lead of the European process with the designation of the 38 sites. |
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Research and information dissemination
onboard Galathea 3
On 11 August 2006, the expedition vessel Vædderen set sail for the Galathea 3 expedition: an eight-month voyage around the world. During 2006, GEUS participated in research activities in Greenland, one of the first areas visited by the expedition. The aim of the project was to shed light on the development of climate and environment conditions in the region over the past approx. 4,500 years. The region was populated and depopulated several times during this time span, and a keen subject for debate has been why the Norse Settlers that lived in the area about 1,000 years ago since disappeared. During the Galathea 3 expedition, a number of sedimentary cores from different fjords was collected, and analyses and dating of the cores will provide new information about the history of the region. Furthermore, the project also prioritised disseminating information about the research in order to boost interest in natural science subjects among young people. During the expedition, three young Greenlanders, two geology students and one school pupil, took part in the research work onboard the vessel. They subsequently visited GEUS in Copenhagen and participated in laboratory processing of the samples collected. The activities are being funded by BG Fonden, the Royal Greenland Foundation, and the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland (KVUG). |
