The research cruise PANORAMA-1 onboard the Italian vessel OGS Explora was carried out within 2 legs in the period August, 16th – September 17th 2013. The designated survey area was located in a sector of the European Arctic north of Svalbard covering an area north of 80°N between 15°E and 35°E. Main objectives were to acquire new geophysical data and extract near surface sediment samples in an underexplored area of the European Arctic with special focus on the transition zone from the North Barents shelf towards the oceanic Nansen basin. During leg 1 of the cruise a 20 days geophysical survey 1056 km of multi-channel seismic data was acquired supplemented by a 221 km long sonobuoy profile. Additionally, magnetic and sediment echosounding data was acquired along these profiles. During all operations within the survey area gravity and multibeam echosounding data was continuously acquired. After a 1 day stopover in Longyearbyen in order to exchange part of the scientific crew OGS Explora returned to the survey area to continue survey operations during leg 2. Within these 10 days period near surface sediments were extracted by means of a gravity corer at 12 locations and heat flow soundings were conducted at 7 locations. Gravity, sediment and multibeam echosounding data was continuously acquired along all transit lines within the survey area during leg 2. Total line length of magnetic data was 2658.7 km. Over all track lines with bathymetric and gravity data amount to 5665.8 km in total.

As recommended by the Joint CCOP-IOC Working Group on Post-IDOE Studies on East Asia Tectonics and Resources and the proposal of the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences of the Philippines to extend the research of the previous R/V SONNE survey SO-23, the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) carried out a geophysical survey in the southeastern part of the South China Sea (Dangerous Grounds) and in the northwestern part of the Sulu Sea in two legs from 29th April to 29th June 1983 on SONNE cruise SO-27. Multichannel reflection seismic measurements were carried out in parallel with magnetic, gravimetric, Sea-Beam, and 3.5 kHz subbottom profiler measurements on 34 lines with a total length of 7,204 km. In addition, 26 lines with a total length of 2,800 km were surveyed with only the last four named methods. SONNE cruise SO-27 was financed by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT). Six seismic sequences (DG-1 to DG-6) (DG = Dangerous Grounds) could be distinguished in the surveyed part of the South China Sea. The oldest recognizable sequence is the sequence DG-6, an equivalent of the Pre-Nido Formation of the northwest shelf of Palawan. Seismic unconformity Violet marks the top of the DG-6 sequence, which consists of a complex system of tilted horsts and half-grabens. The half-grabens are presumably filled with clastic sediments of Eocene age (seismic sequence DG-5). The top of seismic sequence DG-5 is bounded by unconformity Blue, which is interpreted as representing the end of the rift phase and the onset of seafloor spreading in the South China Sea about 32 m.y. ago. The overlying seismic sequence DG-4 is characterized by an internal reflection pattern with low frequencies. Lithologically, this sequence consists of shallow-water carbonates with reef complexes of Oligocene to Early Miocene age and has to be regarded as equivalent to the oil-containing Nido Formation of the Palawan shelf. A rapid subsidence of large parts of the survey area during the late (?) Early Miocene ended the growth of the shallow water carbonate platform, indicated by the unconformity Blue. The overlying seismic sequence DG-3 is interpreted as consisting of a transitional facies between a shallow water and a bathyal depositional environment. The top of this sequence is marked by unconformity Red, which most probably represents the end of the drifting phase (seafloor spreading) in the South China Sea during the Middle Miocene. The most prominent structural feature of the shelf and slope of central and southern Palawan is a thick sedimentary wedge originally interpreted as a melange. Our data show that the Oligocene to Early Miocene carbonate platform of the Dangerous Grounds extends beneath the Palawan Trough, as well as beneath the central and southern Palawan shelf, underlying the melange. Based on the finding that i) Rhaeto-Liassic rocks are present in the Dangerous Grounds, ii) the Oligocene to Early Miocene carbonate platform continues from the Dangerous Grounds through the Palawan Trough to the central and southern Palawan shelf, and iii) there is thinned continental crust 20 km thick below the continental slope of southern Palawan, we believe the Dangerous Grounds, together with Palawan and the Caiman Islands belong to a uniform continental fragment which separated from the proto-chinese continental margin when the South China Sea opened during the Oligocene. Previously, the melange of central and southern Palawan, which contains ophiolites, was interpreted as being autochthonous. In our opinion, the melange is an allochthonous mass which has been overthrusted onto the eastern margin of the Dangerous Grounds-Palawan-Caiman microcontinent from the Northwest Sulu Basin. The Ulugan Bay fault is interpreted as the northeastern front of this allochthonous mass. The area of prospective carbonate plays is considerably enlarged by the discovery that the Oligocene to Early Miocene carbonate platform with Nido-type reef structures extends below the allochthonous sediments of central and southern Palawan. We expect that hydrocarbon-bearing structures of the Sabah-type, i. e. thick, folded Neogene sediments, will be found in the western part of the northwestern Sulu basin. If our interpretation is correct, a new chapter of hydrocarbon exploration may be about to begin around Palawan in the Philippines.

On the first leg of SONNE cruise SO-36 in the period from 11th February to 12th March 1985, geophysical investigations have been carried out on the Lord Howe Rise off eastern Australia by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) in co-operation with the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, Canberra. A total of 3,660 km of digital seismic reflection profiles, 6,740 km of gravity, magnetics, multibeam echosounder and sub-bottom profiler profiles, as well as 8 sonobuoy refraction profiles were recorded during this survey. A geomagnetic monitoring station of the BGR was operated during a part of the cruise on Lord Howe Island under the supervision of the BMR. These measurements provided a detailed picture of the structures of the survey area of the Lord Howe Rise. The samples proved that the Lord Howe Rise and the Dampier Ridge west of it consist of continental crust. Indications for structures rich in hydrocarbons were not observed. The 2nd and 3rd leg of SONNE cruise SO-36 were designed to investigate the structure, geological development and hydrocarbon potential of two frontier areas, the western and southwestern continental margin of Tasmania and the South Tasman Rise. On the 2nd leg (12.03.-12.04.1985) multichannel seismic reflection measurements were carried out in parallel with magnetic, gravimetric, sea-beam and 3.5 kHz subbottom profiler measurements on 19 lines with a total length of 3,820 km. In addition, 2,140 km were surveyed with magnetics, gravity meter, sea-beam and 3.5 kHz subbottom profiler in transit from and to Sydney, respectively. On the 3rd leg, which started in Sydney on 12th April 1985 and ended in Suva/Fiji one month later, 63 stations were sampled by dredging and coring with the aim (a) to provide lithology and biostratigraphic information about the seismic sequences mapped during leg 2, and (b) to obtain geochemical evidence of hydrocarbon generation from the character of gases absorbed onto the surficial sediment. Samples came from 33 stations off Western Tasmania, from 23 stations on the South Tasman Rise, and from 7 stations in the region of the Lord Howe Rise and the Dampier Ridge. In transit to the sampling sites, 11 single channel seismic lines with a total length of 470 km were surveyed, and in addition, 4,230 km were surveyed with magnetics, gravity meter, sea-beam, and subbottom profiler. Seven regional seismic unconformities were recognized and sampled, and the structural style of both areas was established. Thermogenic hydrocarbons in substantial concentration were found in the surface sediments at the western Tasmanian slope.

In the framework of the IDOE-SEATAR (International Decade of Ocean Exploration - Studies of East Asia Tectonics and Resources) Program, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources carried out a geophysical survey in the Sulu Sea during the period from March 11, 1982 to April 15, 1982 using the German research vessel R/V SONNE. The SONNE cruise no. SO-23 continued SEATAR-related studies of BGR which have been carried out during the Southeast Asian Cruise of the VALDIVIA (VA-16) in 1977. During SONNE cruise no. SO-23, multi-channel reflection measurements were carried out in parallel with magnetic, gravimetric, and sea-beam measurements on 21 lines with a total length of 3,300 km in the Sulu Sea. In the NW Sulu Basin, situated between the shelf of East Palawan in the north and the volcanic Cagayan Ridge in the south, a 50 - 100 km wide graben-like basin exists which is filled with thick Neogene and pre-Middle Miocene sediments. The basin trends east-northeast. At longitude 119°E it bends to a north-south direction. The dominating structural element within the sedimentary graben-like basin is a diapiric-chaotic zone about 25 km wide, which was only detectable west of longitude 120°E. The base of the elongated diapiric-chaotic zone, which might represent a tectonically mobilized equivalent of the Crocker Formation (Middle Miocene - Lower Oligocene) is difficult to define in the seismic monitor records. The configuration and the internal structural style of individual structures of the diapiric-chaotic zone, which can be followed over length of about 150 km, seem to resemble those of the oil-bearing province offshore western Sabah. In the eastern part of the NW-Sulu Basin east of longitude 119°E, several north-trending anticlines of presumably Middle Miocene age and locally volcanic intrusions of presumably Plio-Pleistocene age have been observed. During the second leg of the cruise SO-23 in the southeastern part of the South China Sea (April 16, 1982, to May 9, 1982) multi-channel seismic reflection measurements were carried out in parallel with magnetic, gravimetric, and sea-beam measurements on 19 lines with a total length of 3,570 km in the southeastern part of the South China Sea, including the area of the Dangerous Grounds. In addition, 2,280 km of profile was surveyed with only magnetics, gravity, and sea-beam measurements. A complex structural style was observed in the investigated part of the Dangerous Grounds, South China Sea, which is believed to be part of a microcontinental block which rifted from the continental margin of Asia in the Early Paleogene/Late Mesozoic time. There are prospective depocenters and structures trending NE-SW, E-W, and N-S in the southwestern part, i.e. the area west of longitude 117.5°E (units 2, 3, 4). Unit 4 contains a series of half-grabens with thick sedimentary infill. An imbricated melange of pre-Middle Miocene age seems to exist only off southern Palawan. The dominating structural trend in the area northeast of Reed Bank is NW-SE. Oceanic crust characterized by NW-trending magnetic lineations (anomalies 8 to 12 ?) was observed north of latitude 12°N and between longitude 118°E and the Manila Trench.

The northwestern Australian continental margin can be considered as a passive continental margin of the rifted atlantic type (Whitworth 1969; Powell 1973, 1976; Falvey 1974; Veevers 1974; Willcox 1974, 1976; Exon et al. 1975) which are usually associated with heavy accumulation of sediments (Beck et al. 1974) and are therefore of interest for hydrocarbon exploration in the longer term. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR, Hannover, Germany) has conducted geoscientific surveys at various continental margins of the Atlantic Ocean in the past years (Seibold 1972; Hinz et al. 1973; Seibold, Hinz 1974/1976; Seibold et al. 1975; Roeser et al. 1971) and the marine research programme of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology & Geophysics (BMR, Canberra, Australia) is putting the focal point as well on the survey of the continental margins. Hence in the frame of the Australian-German contract of scientific and technical cooperation, BGR has proposed joint geoscientific surveys of the continental margins with the German research vessel VALDIVIA. The Scott-Plateau (NW-Australia) has been chosen as investigation area because BMR has carried out geophysical overview measurements previously in that region. The survey has been planned with the main focus on the geological processes at the early rift stadium and the set of problems about the "transition of oceanic to continental crust". The following regional geological units are known: the archaic-proterozoic Kimberley shield is followed by the Browse Basin - a NE striking epicontinental basin filled with mesozoic and tertiary sediments showing a thickness of up to 10 km (Powell 1976). It is presumed that the Browse Basin is delimitated by the Scott Plateau. Presumably, the Scott Plateau consists of continental crust which thins out to the north in direction to the Argo Abyssal Plain. The development of the Browse Basin is ascribed to a series of rift processes in the late paleozoic and triassic age where gas condensates have been detected at the drill hole Scott Reef 1. The contemporary configuration of the NW-Australian basins and the NW-Australian continental margin has been formed by an important middle jurassic rift phase and a subsequent drift phase. The cruises VA16-2A from 6th to the 25th of February 1977 with geophysical measurements and VA16-2B from 25th of February to 9th of March 1977 with geological sample recovery should clarify these processes. The working area of cruise VA16-2C from 11th to 23rd of March 1977 has been the Timor Trough and the Savu Sea which separate the islands Timor, Roti, Savu and Sumba from the volcanic islands of the inner Banda island arc. The crustal structure of Sumba, of the Savu Sea and of the inner Banda island arc near Flores should be investigated with seismic methods (small explosive charges fired from the research vessel VALDIVIA in the Savu Sea and intended recording units of the Flinders University on the islands Savu, Sumba and Flores) as well as with sonobuoy stations of BGR. Newer investigations (Audley Charles 1975, Chamalaun 1974) suggest that the islands of the Banda island arc (Sumba, Savu, Roti, Timor etc.) represent the northern border of the Australian continent being underlain by the crust of the Australian continent as opposed to the assumption of other investigators (e.g. Beck and Lehner 1974) who presume the northern border of the Australian continent at the Timor Trough south of the Timor island and postulate a subduction zone between the outer Banda island arc and Australia. BMR has provided 9 tons of explosives (Nitramon) with accessories for refraction seismics. The Flinders University has prepared 7 on-shore recording units and sent to Indonesia together with operating staff. BGR conducted the marine seismic work with explosive charges and off-shore recordings with sonobuoys for refraction seismic as well as reflection seismic, gravimetric and magnetic measurements.

The METEOR cruise M20/3 from 4th February to 13th March 1992 had two scientific objectives: One research topic was to study the variability of the Mesozoic oceanic crust along two flow-line profiles located north of the Kane and Hayes Fracture Zones. The other research topic was the investigation of the weak magnetic anomalies in the Jurassic magnetic quiet zone north of the Canary Islands. Seismic data with a coverage of 2,400 % were acquired together with magnetic, gravimetric and hydroacoustic data along the two flow-line profiles with a total length of 1,595 km. Magnetic, gravimetric and hydroacoustic measurements were carried out on 31 profiles with a total length of 6,069 km in the Jurassic quiet zone north of the Canary Islands. On 10 of these lines multichannel seismic reflection data (2,138 km) have been acquired.

The MSM67 SEGMENT research cruise was carried out between August 31st and October 4th 2017 aboard the research vessel MARIA S. MERIAN. Survey MSM67 SEGMENT it is intended to study the architecture of the rifted continental margin off East Greenland around the Jan Mayen fracture zone. Key issues to be addressed are margin segmentation and the location of the continent-ocean transition (COT). Both subjects are highly debated. Symmetric segmentation of conjugate margins has significant implications on our general understanding of continental rifting processes, and a margin-parallel COT off East Greenland would indicate an N-S opening in the Norwegian/Greenland Sea. The latter challenging most publications on the early evolution of the North Atlantic. A major open question is also the timing, duration and distribution of magmatism that resulted in the formation of the North Atlantic large igneous province. Previous suggestions of very short (~3 Myr) periods of intense magmatism have been challenged and a much longer duration and/or a post-breakup origin are under discussion. Here, we want to establish the amount of post-breakup magmatism as evident in high-velocity lower crust and test the dependence of magmatism with distance from the proposed hot-spot under Iceland and the influence of major fracture zones on volcanism.

During the second leg of cruise BGR78 from 22th of February to 29th of March 1978 with R/V EXPLORA the following measurements have been carried out as presite- and postsite surveys of DSDP sites: (1) in the region of the eastern Walvis Ridge 4,350 km multichannel seismic reflection profiles, 4,540 km magnetic measurements, 5,000 km gravimetric measurements and sonobuoy refraction measurements on 11 stations (2) on the Guinea Plateau 740 km multichannel seismic reflection profiles in parallel with gravimetric and magnetic measurements (3) between Cape Verde islands and Mauretania 980 km multichannel seismic reflection profiles in parallel with magnetic measurements, 1,480 km gravimetric measurements and sonobuoy refraction measurements on 2 stations. The geophysical measurements show that the structure of the Walvis Ridge is determined by two main tectonic directions (WSW-ENE and SSW-NNE). Presumably the genesis of the fracture zone in the Walvis Ridge area can be traced back to the sea-floor spreading with overprinting effects due to an inhomogeneity in the mantle ("hot spot"). Both DSDP drilling projects in this part of the Walvis Ridge led to a fragmentary knowledge because site 362 got stuck at a depth of 1.100 m in the Oligocene. BGR's measurements indicate a gap of at least 1.000 m of sediments, especially from the cretaceous period, down to the (acoustic) basement. Site 363 at a submarine high has gaps in the depositional sequence and stops at a depth of 700 m shortly above the basement. So for a better understanding of the geologic development of the Walvis Ridge, further DSDP drillings with a recovery of the complete sedimentary sequence and the following basement cores are necessary. Therefore BGR's measurements of this cruise propose new DSDP sites.

The initial study area of the cruise MSM14/2 GeoNORM (Geophysik im noerdlichen Roten Meer) was the northern Red Sea. However, because of not given research permissions from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the study area had to be changed to the alternative study area Eratosthenes Seamount (ESM), south of Cyprus. The ESM is supposed to represent a continental fragment of the former African-Arabian Plate that is entering the subduction zone south of Cyprus i.e. the subduction turns into collision in the area of the ESM. This changed the entire tectonic setting in the Eastern Mediterranean. Therefore, the tectonic evolution of the area is rather complex with phases of extension, subduction, compression, salt tectonics and gravitational processes and not comprehensively understood. Because of the isolation of the ESM as a continental fragment this region is an ideal spot to investigate the transition from regular subduction to continental collision and its associated tectonic processes i.e. faults were activated or reactivated, transform motion has to be compensated, the overriding plate has been elevated. This impacts the ongoing geological and tectonic processes in this region but also influences the social and economic life in the Eastern Mediterranean as earthquakes and submarine landslides are possible geohazards and the entering of the ESM to the subduction trench alters the thermal history of the adjacent sedimentary basins significantly what should have an influence on the maturity processes within the source rock sediments and new faults open new migration paths for hydrocarbon fluids or gases.

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.