Source-Sink Dynamics of the northern North Sea region, as revealed by U-Pb zircon provenance study of selected offshore sediment samples
This Master's project was assigned to Lisa Eide Salhus who started the Master's program in Earth sciences, UiB, fall 2025. The Master's project is given by the research group Geodynamics and basin studies.
Hovedinnhold
Project description
The northeastern North Sea Basin, located between Stad and Stavanger, has received sediment influx from western Norway and its hinterland for c. 250 Ma. Despite extensive research using a variety of geological and geophysical methods, the provenance of these sediments remains poorly constrained due to a lack of suitable geochronological data.
To address this gap, the proposed MSc project will generate new U-Pb zircon provenance data from selected sediment cores from offshore Western Norway. These data will enable reconstruction of sediment pathways and identification of source regions, linking them to distinct tectonic units within the Caledonides and Baltica. The project is closely aligned with two ongoing PhD projects and will benefit from existing sample collections housed at GEO-UiB.
Approximately ten offshore sediment samples will be analyzed. Initial work will involve mineral separation and zircon extraction at GEO-UiB. Extracted zircon grains will be mounted and imaged—using cathodoluminescence at UiB’s Electron Microprobe facility—to identify optimal domains for U-Pb analysis. Age determinations will be conducted using LA-ICP-MS at GEO-UiB, with an expected yield of around 1000 new zircon ages, depending on sample quality and zircon recovery.
Following data acquisition, the zircon age spectra will be interpreted to infer sediment provenance, requiring a solid understanding of the geological framework of the Caledonides and Baltica. Optional characterization through Lu-Hf isotopic analysis is planned in collaboration with partner institutions.
Proposed course plan during the master's degree (60 ECTS)
Seismic interpretation
Statistics
Thermochronology and Tectonics
Feltkurs Utah
Felt- lab- og analysearbeid / Field-, lab- and analysis work
LA-ICPMS U-Pb zircon analyses