Why use virtual outcrops in the Arctic?

The Arctic is a truly spectacular place to visit - but to live and work there? You certainly need to adjust to the seasonal conditions. In Longyearbyen, at 78 degrees north the midnight sun lasts from April to early September allowing plenty of geological fieldwork. Conversely, the darkness descends on us by October and lasts until February:

So do we work in the night? Yes - writing publications, teaching, analyzing data and interpreting digital outcrops from LiDar and photogrammetry. The Arctic is clearly a good place for using virtual outcrops and here are some of the reasons for it...

Extending the “field season”

·         Many outcrops are snow covered for 10 months of the year and only well exposed in July-August

·         The polar night from mid-October to mid-February prohibits any extensive geological fieldwork

Multi-scale outcrops

·         Both “seismic-scale”, “well-scale” and “core plug-scale” outcrops are present and can be used to quantify the geometry of geological features

·         World-class examples of “seismic-scale” outcrops allow the construction of synthetic seismic

Logistics

·         Many relevant outcrops are in remote locations, accessible only during parts of the season and at a high cost (e.g., Edgeøya)

·         Many relevant outcrops lie in protected areas where permission is required prior to each field campaign

·         Svalbard outcrops are typically only cost-efficiently accessible in late winter on snowmobile (inland outcrops) or on boat during summer (coastal outcrops)

Safety

·         Many outcrops are too steep and prone to rock fall to allow detailed mapping without compromising safety

·         Polar bears and at times challenging weather conditions make fieldwork in the Arctic in general more demanding than in more temperate latitudes