2017 - Canterbury plains groundwater

RV Tangaroa Voyage TAN1703
5 April – 1 May 2017

MARCAN Project Overview

The MARCAN project is a 5-year project funded by the European Research Council. MARCAN addresses the hypothesis that topographically-driven meteoric groundwater plays a key role in the geomorphic development of passive continental margins.

The objectives of MARCAN are to:

1. Define the characteristics and dynamics of topographically-driven meteoric groundwater systems in passive continental margins.

2. Test the hypothesis that topographically-driven meteoric groundwater is an important geomorphic agent in passive continental margin Two study areas provide a context for MARCAN.

Study area 1 is the siliclastic sedimentary Canterbury margin, eastern South Island of New Zealand. Study area 2 comprises the north-eastern Maltese Islands, an example of a carbonate bedrock margin. These study areas have been selected because they are representative of the most prevalent passive continental margin types globally, and because they are comprehensively covered by available good quality seafloor and terrestrial topographic, stratigraphic, structural and groundwater data.

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