Science Party News Conference

From November 8th to November 19th the Science Party of the Arctic Coring Expedition takes place at the core repository of Bremen University.

On this page information about the press conference, the core repository, and further background information are provided.

I N V I T A T I O N N E W S C O N F E R E N C E

Dear Colleagues,
in August and September this year three powerful icebreakers transited to the North Pole in search of a climate record stored in the sediment below the Arctic Ocean floor. During this spectacular Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), which was carried out under the auspices of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), 340 meters of sediment core from the bottom of the Arctic Ocean were retrieved – a true “first”. With these sediments in hand for the first time earth scientists can move away from pure speculation about the climatic evolution of the Arctic over the past ~55 million years. This period spans the time when Earth moved from a “hothouse” condition, where the world was extremely warm and ice-free, to the world of today, where glaciers and colder conditions dominate and the Arctic Ocean is perennially ice-covered.

An important step to improve our knowledge of Arctic climate processes will take place during the upcoming ACEX Science Party, a workshop which takes place in Bremen, Germany, from November 8th to 19th. Thirtythree scientists from 11 countries will meet to study the priceless Arctic cores using state-of-the-art methods and take home samples for further analyses.

Early results indicate that the upper 160 meters of sediment represent a continuous record of the past ~15 million years, suggesting that ice covered conditions extended this far back in time. Details of the ice cover, timing, and dominance over this time period will be studied in Bremen. A spectacular sediment layer recovered from an interval deposited ~49 million years ago contains an abundance of the remains of one type of fern, suggesting a fresh water setting dominated the region during this time. Last not least sediments as old as ~55 million years cover a period of extreme global warming. During this so-called thermal maximum the Arctic was subtropical with warm surface ocean temperatures of up to 20 degrees Celsius.

These tantalizing early results leave much to be answered. Was the Arctic Ocean once a large body of fresh water? And if, was this only a brief episode? Moreover, what will the scientists find out about the Arctic hothouse world, ~55 million years ago?

Scientists will begin to tackle these questions in Bremen. Please join us in the discovery at a

News Conference
Tuesday, November 16th 2004, 12.30 pm
University of the Arts Bremen
Am Speicher XI / 8
28217 Bremen

After the press conference we offer to visit the nearby Core repository, where the scientists do their analyses.

Interviews with scientists from different countries (US, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK, Japan, Germany etc.) will be possible. As we have to make arrangements with the scientists we especially ask TV teams to register beforehand. Digital video footage of the Arcitic Coring Expedition will be available.

We would also like to present to you the Bremen repository and its labs where ~70 kilometres of sediment cores mainly from the Atlantic ocean are stored containing exciting stories about climatic and environmental development of our earth. We kindly invite you to attend this press conference.

If you wish to take part, or if you have further questions please send a short e-mail message to:

Please download a map showing the location of the core repository. Directions from the hotel Schaper-Siedenburg to the Speicher XI, where the first part of the news conference is held, are detailed on the map.

 stadptplanpuzzle-hfk.pdf

Directions to the core repository