Issue 5, June, 2003. the  overall  consistency  of  approach  by  all  the authors; a difficult task given the number involved and the ranges of data from which they would be working. To help with this, a number of workshops were  held  for  the  authors,  the  most  notable  of which  was  a  3-day  residential  meeting  at  the wonderful    field- centre     premises     of     Chris Cornford's Integrated Geochemical Investigations at Bideford in Devon. The Atlas is published by the Geological Society of London at £149 for the book, £199 for the CD or £49  if  ordered  with  the  book  (GSL  or  related society member price) the price is £199 per book or CD for non-members. STRATAGEM Atlas of the Neogene of the glaciated European margin Dan Evans* and STRATAGEM Partners (*STRATAGEM Coordinator, British Geological Survey, Murchison House, Edinburgh) STRATAGEM is a 3-year project supported by the European    Commission    as    part    of    their    5^th   Framework  Programme;  it  started  on  1^st    March 2000  and  is  therefore  approaching  completion. The    project    has    two    main    deliverables:    a stratigraphic atlas and a margin evolution model. The   first   of   these   two   objectives   has   been accomplished   with   the   production   of   an   atlas entitled    'The    Neogene    stratigraphy    of    the glaciated    European    margin    from    Lofoten    to Porcupine'    (STRATAGEM    Partners,    2002). STRATAGEM  has  been  taking  a  very  regional approach to the stratigraphical development of the European glaciated margin, studying a large area extending  over  18  degrees  of  latitude  from  the Porcupine   Basin   in   the   south   to   the   Lofoten Islands in the north. Most   of   the   study   area   was   influenced   by Pleistocene ice sheets that extended to the shelf break  at  their  maxima,  although  the  southern portion   of   the   study   area   remained   ice   free. Therefore   the   study   area   spans   a   range   of Pleistocene    environments,    and    includes    the southernmost point at which ice sheets will have extended as far as the shelf break. A    particularly    significant    aspect    of    Plio- Pleistocene    sedimentation    has    been    the development  of  large  prograding  wedges  along the  margin  (see  the  project  logo).  Much  of  this development is due to downslope processes, but an  important  aspect  that  is  emerging  from  the project is the significant contribution of alongslope sediment transport to the sedimentary budget on the margin. The   area   is   also   critical   for   the   study   of   the development of oceanic currents during  the later Cenozoic  as  the  gateway  through  the  Faeroe- Shetland    Channel    and    the    Rockall    Trough evolved.   The   pattern   of   oceanic   currents   is reflected   in   the   architecture   of   the   Neogene sediments, which commonly show indications of emplacement   under   the   influence   of   contour currents.   The  STRATAGEM  stratigraphic  atlas  places  the Neogene    sediments    in    a    'megasequence' framework that can be consistently applied along the margin. The main characteristics of these units are   defined   and   described,   with   seismic   data examples, distribution maps, and a compilation of core    and    sample    data    from    the    region. Additionally, there is a section on higher resolution stratigraphy    that    provides    more-detailed information  on  some  of  the  younger  units  at  a range of scales. During   the   remaining   time   of   the   project,   an integrated    margin    evolution    model    will    be produced; this will provide a context within which other  margin  studies  can  be  viewed.  The  final report will include post-rift backstripping modelling that  has  been  carried  out  on  selected  transects along   the   margin.   Another   section   will   make comparisons  with  other  glaciated  margins,  such as  Greenland  and  Antarctica,  thus  placing  our study in a global perspective. STRATAGEM  is  a   fine   example   of  IndustryAcademia   co-operation,   for   there   are close    links    with    the    hydrocarbon    industry, principally  through  four  Joint  Industry  Projects active  on  the  north-west  European  margin,  and who are providing data for the project: the Seabed Project in Norway, the GEM/FOÍB Network in the Faroes, the WFA (Western Frontiers Association) in    the    UK    and    PIPCoRSG    (the    Petroleum Infrastructure Project's Rockall Studies Group) in Ireland. The WFA have sponsored the distribution of 50 CD-ROMs of the STRATAGEM stratigraphic atlas to academic institutions. For others wishing to obtain copies of the atlas, details of availability, as well as further information about   the   project,   can   be   obtained   from   the STRATAGEM website www.stratagem-europe.org Reference The Neogene stratigraphy of the glaciated European margin from Lofoten to  Porcupine.  Stoker,  M  S  (compiler). A  product  of  the  EC-supported STRATAGEM  project.  World  Wide  Web  Address: . http://www.stratagem- europe.org Previous page | Next page