Preface to Review of Greenland activities, 1996

Activities concerning Greenland that are undertaken by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse: GEUS) were maintained at an unreduced level in 1996. Following the merger in 1995 of the former Geological Survey of Greenland (Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse: GGU) with the Geological Survey of Denmark (Danmarks Geologiske Undersøgelse: DGU) to form the present institute, 1996 saw the move of the great majority of former GGU staff from the University complex at Øster Volgade to the former DGU office complex at Thoravej, in north-west Copenhagen. The former GGU geochemistry laboratories and some other facilities will remain at Øster Voldgade, together with the Danish Lithosphere Centre (DLC); the latter is a research centre funded by the Danish National Research Foundation and administratively linked to GEUS, and hosted jointly by GEUS and the Geological Institute of the University of Copenhagen. It is planned that GEUS will move to the renovated Øster Voldgade complex, which will house the new GEOCENTER, in the year 2001. This major new geological research centre will comprise GEUS, hopefully including the Danish Lithosphere Centre, together with the Geological Institute, Geological Museum and Geographical Institute of the University of Copenhagen. The final decision to establish the GEOCENTER at Øster Voldgade was made by the Danish Parliament in December 1996, with the passing of the 1997 Finance Law, as an element in Denmark’s National Research Strategy. A grant of 190 million kroner has been allocated for renovation, rebuilding and relocation expenses. As part of an agreement between the Prime Minister of Denmark and the Premier of the Greenland Home Rule Government concerning strengthening of the mineral resources sector in Greenland, two GEUS geologists were seconded to the Home Rule Minerals Office in Nuuk throughout 1996. This arrangement forms part of the strengthening of competence in Greenland in relation to both mineral and oil resources, together with improvements in two-way communication of geological information of special relevance to the non-living resource sector.