Geology of Svalbard: Deep-time and Deep-Earth (SVALGEOL)

Abstract

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).