Sedimentary Systems
Sedimentary systems offer us an archive that documents changes in climate history, chemical and life evolution, environmental factors and dynamic processes at the surface of the Earth.
To read the sedimentary rock record, the group applies a broad set of stratigraphic, sedimentological, geomicrobiological, palaeobiological, biogeochemical, structural and geophysical methods. These investigations involve field sampling of sedimentary successions, lakes and oceans. Laboratory-based experiments, as well as the interpretation of boreholes, seismic data, and theoretical modeling of basinal parameters, palaeoclimate and oceanography aid us to reconstruct past Earth systems and build projections for future environmental change.
Student projects
Student projects
Oxygen on the Early Earth. Reconstructing O2 levels on the early Earth using sedimentary redox proxies. This includes experimental, observational or theoretical projects involving geochemistry, chemistry, geology, geophysics, geobiology and statistics.
Atmospheric CO2 levels on the early Earth. This includes experimental, observational or theoretical projects on CO2 proxies based on land plants involving paleobiology, geochemistry, biochemistry, geology, geobiology).
The rate of climate change. Reconstructing the rate of climatic changes and/or climate feedbacks in the past or present. This may include cyclostratigraphy and geochemical proxies, theoretical modeling of biogeochemical cycles and feedbacks in the past or present.
Ancient metallomes. Assessing biolimiting micronutrients. Experimental quantification of the metal need in living cultures of aquatic organisms. Preservation of metallomes in fossils. Geochemistry, biogeochemistry and geobiology.
The origin of oxygenic photosynthesis. Experimental culture studies of cyanobacteria and/or algae. Experimental studies of weathering processes in an anoxic atmosphere. Observational studies of organic remains in Precambrian rocks.
Geoengineering. Evaluation of a Geoengineering mitigation strategy (30 ECTS). Experimenting with enhanced weathering (60 ECTS).
Sedimentology of Cretaceous and Danian pelagic carbonates, marls and shales in the North Sea (drill core description and scanning electron microscopy). Kresten Anderskouv, ka@ign.ku.dk
CO2 storage potential of sandstones and carbonates in the Denmark and the North Sea based on sedimentology, reservoir characterization or reservoir modelling. Kresten Anderskouv, ka@ign.ku.dk and external partners.
Sedimentology of Triassic storm-influenced deposits in the Danish North Sea. Kresten Anderskouv, ka@ign.ku.dk and Mads Engholm Jelby.
Integrated seismic and sedimentological analysis of the Chalk Group in the North Sea. Kresten Anderskouv, ka@ign.ku.dk and Lars Ole Boldreel.
Integrated stratigraphy and sedimentology of Cretaceous carbonate successions. Nicolas Thibault and Kresten Anderskouv, ka@ign.ku.dk
Outcrop studies of Cretaceous and Danian carbonates in the Danish, North German, or Kristianstad Basins. Kresten Anderskouv, ka@ign.ku.dk
Contact
Kresten Anderskouv ka@ign.ku.dk
Cyclostratigraphy and astronomical climate change
- Early Cretaceous of the North Sea
- Early Jurassic Paris Basin
- Ordovician – Silurian of Baltica
- Late Cretaceous chalk
Micropaleontology of calcareous nannofossils (coccoliths and other affiliated forms): paleoecology, biostratigraphy, evolution, size changes
- Late Triassic of the Alps
- Early Jurassic of the Boreal realm
- Kimmeridgian-Berriasian (Volgian) of the Farsund Formation
- Early Cretaceous (Tuxen and Sola Formations)
- Late Cretaceous chalk
Carbon isotope stratigraphy and environmental changes: bulk or fine-fraction stable isotopes + geochemistry of major and trace elements
- Late Campanian-Maastrichtian chalk of Denmark (Stevns-1, Stevns-2, Rørdal, Skæslskør)
- The middle Cenomanian Event in the North Sea
Contact
Nicolas Thibault nt@ign.ku.dk
Geological evolution of the off shore Faroe Island and NE Atlantic Ocean during the Tertiary based on interpretation of reflection seismic data and wireline log data
Tectonic and glacial tectonic development in the shallow subsurface based on high resolution seismic data
Reflection seismic and Wireline log interpretation in relation to deep geothermal and Carbon Capture Storage
Development of Zechstein salt structures based on interpretation of reflection seismic data
Contact
Lars Ole Boldreellob@ign.ku.dk
Marginal alluvial fan - sand sea deposits, Permian, Arran, UK.
Terminal fluvial systems, Lower Triassic, Arran, UK.
Fluvial - lacustrine deposits, Upper Triassic, Bornholm.
Fluvial deposits, Lower Cretaceous Rabekke Formation, Bornholm.
Coastal dune deposits along rocky shorelines, Pleistocene, Mallorca
Contact
Lars B. Clemmensen larsc@ign.ku.dk
Trilobite systematics and palaeoecology
(Cambro-Ordovician, Baltica)
Trilobite biostratigraphy
Trilobite biometrics
Shale geochemistry (in cooperation with external supervisors)
Shale sedimentology
Revision of taxa from the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, northern Greenland (lower Cambrian)
Log stratigraphy of lower Palaeozoic successions in drill holes in southern Scandinavia
Other fossil groups can be treated in cooperation with external supervisors (e.g. foraminifera, dinoflagellates, ammonites, dinosaur tracks etc.)
Contact
Arne Thorshøj Nielsen arnet@ign.ku.dk
Various studies of environmental, climate and oceanographic changes in different periods of the Phanerozoic identified by stable isotopes such as:
- Cambrian-Ordovician
- Permian-Triassic boundary
- Triassic
- Triassic-Jurassic boundary
- Jurassic
Contact
Christoph Kortekorte@ign.ku.dk
Lab physiology experiments with primitive plants – understanding plant-earth evolution
Geochemistry, sedimentology, and paleoenvironmental implications of (black) shales (drill core or outcrop)
Modelling the evolution of oceanic redox conditions in the Earth System •Exploring the sedimentology and ichnofacies of shoreface sediments (drill core or outcrop)
Source rocks –analysis and how they form (drill core or outcrop) •Chemical and physical properties of ancient upwelling systems Modelling sequence stratigraphy and basin evolution
Contact
Christian J. Bjerrum cjb@ign.ku.dk
The environmental fate of plastic: Mineral formation on plastic and biogeochemical cycling:
Potential project directions:
- Example focus areas: Iron mineral formation on plastic, Plastic and the carbon cycle, Metal catalysis of plastic degradation
- Field and laboratory experiments addressing biological/abiotic mineral formation/transformations, plastic transport, plastic degradation in water and sediment
- Determination of plastic degradation using various laboratory methods
Building the sediment plastic record of the Anthropocene:
Potential project directions:
- Field and lab experiments
- Isolation and identification of plastics from Danish coastal sediment using various laboratory methods
- Development of methods/models
Contact
Nicole Posthnrep@ign.ku.dk
- Or come by our offices and talk to us about your ideas
Ongoing research projects
- Metals for life – tracking bioessential metal exchange between cells and their environment. Funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation NERD programme from 2025 to 2031 (Prof. T. W. Dahl).
- Natural Carbon Dioxide Removal from a high-CO2 atmosphere. Funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF) Project 2 from 2024 to 2028 (Prof. T. W. Dahl).
- Constraining rates in Earth’s sedimentary archives from their genetic history. Funded by the VILLUM Data Synergy[TWD1] Programme from 2024 to 2028. (Prof. T. W. Dahl and K. Mosegaard, NBI University of Copenhagen).
- Cycling in the Plastisphere: the biogeochemical fate of marine (micro)plastics (VILLUM Young Investigator Group)
- LOCRETA – consortium for Lower Cretaceous reservoir analysis (funded by DHRTC, in collaboration with DTU, Århus University and GEUS)
- Paleoceanographic modelling - a source rock play mapping tool in frontier basins. DONG Energy, 5 MDKK
- JET - Integrated Understanding of the Early Jurassic Earth System and Timescale. International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), 10.5 MDKK. In collaboration with Exeter, UK, and many international institutions.
Recent research projects
- C3 – Centre for Cross-disciplinary Chalk Research – Maersk Oil & IGN, 15 MDKK (with SNM)
- Deep Geothermal energy in Denmark (L.O. Boldreel)
- Source rocks in time and space with emphasis on ocean modeling of event intervals in the Cretaceous at high northern latitudes. DONG Energy, 2 MDKK.
- Nordic Center for Earth System Science. Danish National Research Foundation, 50 MDKK. (with SDU, Co-PI C. J. Bjerrum)
Non-academic
- DHRTC
- GEUS
- SNM
- INEOS (formerly DONG)
- Ørsted, Jardfengi (Geological Survey of Faroe Islands)
- Vietnames Petroleum Institute
Academic
- Prof. A. Dickson, Royal Holloway University London
- Prof. C. Junium, University of Syracuse
- Prof. F. Zhang, Nanjing University
- Prof. B. Cramer, Univ Iowa
- Prof. K. Kvashnina, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR)
- NordCEE
- JET - Integrated Understanding of the Early Jurassic Earth System and Timescale.
- International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP)
- Many universities around the world: AU, SDU, DTU, Lund, Frankfurt, Lausanne, Bourgogne, Paris 6, Lisboa, Oxford, Exeter, Kingston, Portsmouth, Princeton, Texas, Nebraska-Lincoln, Rutgers, AMNH, Ben Gurion, Haifa, Sfax
Staff
Name | Title | Phone | |
---|---|---|---|
Search in Name | Search in Title | Search in Phone | |
Anita Fiorin | PhD Fellow | +4535337592 | |
Arne Thorshøj Nielsen | Associate Professor | +4535322376 | |
Astrid Juel Bojsen-Møller | Laboratory Assistant | ||
Bo Petersen | Research Technician. | +4535322488 | |
Christian J. Bjerrum | Professor | +4535322405 | |
Christian Mac Ørum Rasmussen | Associate Professor | +4535322357 | |
Christoph Korte | Associate Professor | +4535322480 | |
Cristina Nora Jensen de Olsen | Laboratory Technician | +4535322424 | |
Debby Schmidt | PhD Fellow | +4535325837 | |
Emma Rysgaard Haxen | Enrolled PhD Student | +4535324696 | |
Finn Surlyk | Emeritus | +4535322453 | |
Irina Thaler | Postdoc | ||
Janvier Nzohabonayo | BSc Engineering | +4535329327 | |
Jorsua Herrera Bethencourt | Academic Research Staff | +4535327517 | |
Julie Fredborg Lange | PhD Fellow | +4535335856 | |
Kresten Anderskouv | Associate Professor | +4535322477 | |
Lars B Clemmensen | Professor Emeritus | +4535322449 | |
Lars Ole Boldreel | Associate Professor | +4535322459 | |
Malin Sofie Lindström | Affiliate Professor | ||
Mariano Nicolas Remirez | Postdoc | +4535323409 | |
Maya Dodhia | Enrolled PhD Student | +4593958096 | |
Mette Müller Jensen | Laboratory Technician | +4535337158 | |
Nicolas Rudolph Thibault | Professor | +4535323350 | |
Nicole Rita Elisabeth Posth | Associate Professor - Promotion Programme | +4535334277 | |
Ole Graversen | Associate Professor Emeritus | +4535322537 | |
Tais Wittchen Dahl | Professor | +4535322356 | |
Tala Maria Aabø | Assistant Professor | +4527609703 | |
Toni Larsen | Laboratory Technician | +4535322413 | |
Umid Kakemem | PhD Fellow |
Head of Research Group
Christian Mac Ørum |
Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Rolighedsvej 23
1958 Frederiksberg C