Virtual field trip to seismic scale outcrops of the Triassic, Edgeøya, Svalbard

• Main Authors: Buckley, Simon John, Ringdal, Kari, Lecomte, Isabelle, Anell, Ingrid M., Braathen, Alvar
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft - Geologische Vereinigung e.V. (DGGV) 2020
• Subjects: Svalbard; Svalbard Archipelago; Norway; Bergen; Edgeøya; Kvalpynten; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48380/dggv-qpgy-1307; https://www.dggv.de/publikationen/dggv-e-publikationen/publication/34.html

NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Norway (1); Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Norway (2); Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Norway (3) Large-scale cliff sections on Edgeøya in the remote eastern part of the Svalbard Archipelago (Spitsbergen) comprise mostly Triassic sedimentary successions. These outcrops expose formations found on the offshore Barents Shelf, and contribute to studies of subsurface geology and geophysics, allowing the scale gap between detailed well and seismic data to be filled. One locality is Kvalpynten, where seismic-scale features such as growth faults, paralic deposits and low-angle clinoforms are observed, providing the opportunity to compare offshore seismic data with the outcrop using seismic modelling. Synthetic seismic modelling is used to aid seismic interpretation by quantitatively and qualitatively assessing resolution, scale and level of detail of modelled onshore structures. Virtual outcrop models allow the accurate and high-resolution capture of large and inaccessible outcrop sections, at scales comparable with seismic vertical resolution. This gives new possibilities for generating georeferenced input to seismic modelling, which allows generation of highly visual end products for educational purposes. Here, we present a virtual field trip to the Triassic outcrops around Kvalpynten. The dataset is based on virtual outcrop models acquired using boat-based photogrammetry, covering around 25km of continuous cliff sections. The 3D outcrop model is combined with geological interpretations, logs, field photos and information panels, and regional elevation data to set the context of the trip. In addition, synthetic seismic models are modelled from the virtual outcrops to highlight the scale of the exposures compared to offshore seismic data.