A global Earth Magnetic Anomaly Grid (EMAG2) was compiled from satellite, ship and airborne magnetic measurements. (Maus et al., 2009) Over the continents and the Arctic we made use of exisiting magnetic anomaly grids, whereas original ship and airborne trackline data were processed over the rest of the oceans, wherever available. CHAMP satellite magnetic measurements provided the magnetic field at wavelengths above 330 km. The EMAG2 grid is available at http://geomag.org and http://ngdc.noaa.gov. Directional gridding Due to the sparsity of magnetic field measurements in the southern oceans, it is necessary to interpolate the magnetic field between tracklines. Our interpolation algorithm takes the direction of the magnetic lineations into account. Tje lineations are parallel to the isochrons, which are perpendicular to the gradient of the age of teh oceanic crust. We use the age grid of Müller et al. (2008). The magnetic field ad a given grid point is computet by Least Squares Collocation from the surrounding measurements. If the point is on land, we use an isotropic correlation function with Rc = 14 km correlation length. Over the oceans we use Rc = 56 km parallel to the isochrons and Rc = 14 km in the spreading direction. Measurements seperated from the grid point by an age discontinuity or a topographic feature are excluded from the collation.

In May/June 2001, as part of the expedition NARES I, an aeromagnetic survey was carried out in the area of the eastern Kane Basin in cooperation with the Canadian GSC, in addition to the survey over the Robeson Channel and parallel to marine geophysical investigations with the Canadian icebreaker Louis S. St. Laurent. Another survey, NARES II, was conducted from Alexandra Fiord in 2003 and covered coastal areas of Ellesmere Island and the western Kane Basin. The aim of the research was to detect and localize the Wegener Fault, a transform fault between Ellesmere Island and NW Greenland, which is closely linked to the opening of the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. The helicopter-borne magnetic surveys NARES I + II (Kane Basin) were carried out with a flight line spacing of 2 km, and control profiles were flown every 10 km. During the two expeditions, 11806 km of line data were collected (3573 km in 2001, and 8333 km in 2003), covering an area of approximately 20000 km². The aeromagnetic data were recorded by a magnetometer, which was towed approx. 25 m beneath the helicopter.

As part of the PMAP-CASE (Polar Margin Aeromagnetic Program - Circum-Arctic Structural Events) expeditions, two surveys were conducted in consecutive seasons in 1997 and 1998. Cooperating partners were the Department of National Defence (DND), GSC Ottawa and the Institute for Aerospace Research Ottawa (IAR-NRC). The surveys covered the areas of the northern continental margin of Greenland including the northern Nansen Land and western Johannes V. Jensen Land, as well as parts of the Lincoln Sea. The objective of the campaigns was to investigate the structures of the upper crust of the Morris Jesup Plateau and the correlation of magnetic anomalies with known structures and geologic units on land (Franklinian Basin, Kap Washington volcanics, and volcanic dyke swarms). Airborne magnetic surveys (Convair 580) were conducted with a 3 km flight line spacing, and control lines were flown every 30 km. Data were recorded at a constant flight altitude of 300 m above ground. Approximately 30000 km of line data were collected during the two expeditions, covering an area of 73000 km².

Onshore geological field work combined with an onshore/offshore aeromagnetic survey was carried out during a joint expedition of the German BGR and the Canadian GSC to understand the structural architecture of the North American continental margin. The helicopter-borne magnetic survey of 2008 covered the northern coastal areas of Ellesmere Island and the adjacent marine areas. The survey was conducted with a line separation of 2 km and covered a 40 to 50 km wide swath offshore about parallel to the north coast of Ellesmere Island from Yelverton Bay in the west to Parr Bay east of Cape Columbia, the northernmost point of Canada. Between Yelverton Bay and M'Clintock Inlet, the survey extended about 40 to 50 km inland, which was the prime target area of the CASE 11 geological investigations. This section of mountainous terrain was flown in a “draped” mode to keep the distance to ground at approximately 1500 ft, same as over the offshore areas. During a 4-weeks period in May/June 2008, close to 8000 km of aeromagnetic line data were acquired, covering an area of 12000 km².

As part of the CASE 12 expedition, geological fieldwork and an aeromagnetic survey were conducted on Ellesmere Island (Canadian Arctic) in the summer of 2011. The helicopter-borne magnetic survey covered the ice-free areas between Vendom Fiord and Strathcona Fiord in the west and the ice-covered mountain ranges of the Inglefield Uplift in the east. With a total flight time of approx. 35 hours, 4200 line kilometres were flown covering a total area of 6000 km². The distance between the individual lines was 2 km, and control profiles perpendicular to the individual lines were flown every 10 km. The aeromagnetic data were recorded by a magnetometer, which was towed approx. 30 m beneath the helicopter.

Regarding the use of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, the geological storage of fluids is of particular interest. Therefore, reservoir and barrier formations in the German North Sea come into focus. Due to the widespread distribution of storage and barrier rocks at suitable depths and in combination with a relatively low tectonic overprint, the West Schleswig Block region in the German North Sea shows a high prospectivity for CO2 storage. By means of this high-resolution 2D reflection seismic survey, we want to investigate the potential impairment of geological barriers at the top of geological storage formations (i.e. claystones/mudstones and salt of the Upper Buntsandstein, mudstone dominated formations of the Lower Cretaceous and of the Tertiary). The seismic acquisition setup with a 2400 m active streamer cable with 384 channels will allow a precise image of near-surface structures, such as Quaternary channels, seismic pipe structures, chimneys, polygonal fault systems and crestal faults. In the time period between Nov. 13th and Nov. 24th we acquired 32 lines 2D seismic reflection data (about 1500 km in total) in combination with gravity data, multibeam data and sediment echosounder data. The seismic data resolve the sediments from the seafloor down to the base of the Zechstein. With the acquired data, the sediments of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic up to the seafloor (2-3 seconds of twoway-traveltime) will be imaged in high-resolution for the first time. The imaged fault systems will be investigated regarding their ability to build seal bypass systems. In addition, we acquired seismic data across the Figge Maar blowout crater and we intend to compare these data with the seismic data from the West Schleswig Block.

The BGR Antarctic cruise 1996 from 29th December 1995 to 6th February 1996 with M.S. AKADEMIK NEMCHINOV was designed to acquire new marine geophysical data for a better understanding of the geological processes, timing, occurrence and location of rifts of the initial break-up of southern Gondwanaland. A total of 3,836 km of multichannel seismic reflection data have been collected in the areas of the Cosmonaut Sea, the Astrid Ridge, the Lazarev Sea and the southern Agulhas Plateau in parallel with magnetic and gravity measurements. In addition magnetic and gravity measurements were carried out on transit. Major new observations of the collected MCS data include: (1) Volcanic rocks play a major part in the construction of the Astrid Ridge and also of the Agulhas Plateau. (2) The early opening of the Lazarev Sea was associated with excessive volcanism resulting in the emplacement of a voluminous volcanic body characterized by an internally divergent pattern of seaward-dipping reflectors. (3) The Astrid Fracture Zone continues in form of a sediment-filled basement depression flanked by distinct basement highs into the Lazarev Sea, and apparently swings to the west parallel to the coast of Queen Maud Land. (4) The thickness of sediments in the Cosmonaut Sea overlying oceanic crust of inferred Early Cretaceous age is in excess of 4s (twt), i.e. about 6,000 m. Three regional seismic markers of inferred Cretaceous, Late Eocene-Oligocene and Middle Miocene ages subdivide the sedimentary column.

The 3rd cooperative BGR/SMNG Arctic cruise was designed to acquire new scietific data for a better understanding of temporal and spatial lithospheric variations during rifting and its influence on the tectonic and structural evolution of the continental crust of the Laptev Sea undergoing extension since at least the Early Tertiary, and for tackling open questions regarding the evolution of the submarine permafrost zone. Although conditions for seismic measurements were worse in 1997 than in 1993 and 1994, along 4,622 km of seismic traverses reflection seismic data and wide angle reflection/refraction data from 23 OBH-(ocean bottom hydrophone) stations were collected in the Laptev and East Siberian Sea. The most prominent rift basin is the Ust' Lena Rift, which is at least 300 km wide at latitude 75°N. The Cenozoic sedimentary cover exceeds 3 km everywhere, increasing up to 14 km at two locations. In the northern part of the shelf, the complex mainly N–S-trending Anisin Basin has a basin fill of up to 10 km thickness. The New Siberian Basin which is located in the northwestern part of the study area shows an up to 9 km thick graben fill. The Laptev Horst crust is locally subdivided into several tilted blocks by deep-reaching faults and there are several half grabens of smaller extent which divide the Laptev Horst into three parts: the North, the South and the East Laptev Horst. A major west dipping listric fault of at least 250 km length separates the Laptev Horst from the Ust' Lena Rift. Results from the seismological investigation indicate that recent extension is concentrated within the narrow rift basins of the eastern Laptev Sea. From wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic measurements the seismic velocities of the crustal layers were estimated along five profiles. The layers with velocities of up to 3.5 km/s apparently consist of predominantly Cenozoic sediments. The sedimentary section showing relatively high seismic velocities of 4.5 to 5.2 km/s might be interpreted as Late Paleozoic to Mesozoic deposits or overcompacted/cemented syn-rift deposits. In the eastern shelf area a layer beneath the acoustic basement was interpreted to represent Ordovician to Early Mesozoic carbonates. The lower crust in the area under study shows relatively uniform seismic velocities of about 6.0-6.8 km/s and the velocities estimated for the crust-mantle transition are in the range of 8.0 to 8.2 km/s. The origin of a several 100 m thick layer with a relative high velocity of 3 to 3.5 km/s directly beneath the seafloor was inferred as sub-sea permafrost.