My Ph.D. project is focused on the geological events that took place in Scania during Mesozoic times, in particular during the Triassic and Jurassic periods. These are characterised by turbulent events in the Earths history such as repeated and extensive global volcanic eruptions and global mass extinctions in connection with the fragmentation of the supercontinent Pangea. Considering the great possibilities to reveal traces from these events in the Scanian bedrock it is surprising that there remain so many unanswered questions.
The first project aim was to determine the exact time period when the Scanian Mesozoic volcanism occurred by means of 40AR/39Ar geochronology. The new results place the volcanic events earlier than previously known. Further the volcanism occurred during an extended time period of some 80 Myr and comprised at least three distinct phases. With the new geochronology results together with geochemical investigations it was, for the first time, possible to more accurately link the Scanian and the North Sea volcanic events together. The conclusion arrived to was that during early to middle Mesozoic times north-west Europe contained a large igneous province – The North Sea volcanic region.
Further project aims are geochronology investigations of the Scanian dikes and further studies on the Mesozoic Scanian tectonics and sedimentary remnants to try to link these to the igneous events.