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N E W S L E T T E R News from the Joint Oceanographic Institutions/U.S. Science Support Program associated with the Ocean Drilling Program • Winter 2001 • Vol. 13, No. 3

C

INSIDE

Meet the New JOI President ................................ 2

DSDP/ODP Bibliographic Database ....................... 3

Drill Bits: The Skinny on ODP ................................ 6

Post-2003 Update ............................................... 7

Announcements .................................................. 8

Post-2003 Geochemistry Workshop .................. 10

Fellowship Profile: Debbie Thomas .................... 12

Letter from the Chair ......................................... 13

NSF Report: ....................................................... 14

USSAC Members ................................................ 15

KEEPING OUR SCIENTIFIC DREAMS AFLOATcontributed by Mike Underwood and Jon Martin

Can you imagine a world without scientificocean drilling? Many of us take it for grantedand assume someone else will make sure thatit continues. As it turns out, by agreeing toserve as members of USSAC, we volunteeredto be that “someone.” Now, it is our privilegeto report to you, “the US scientific ocean drill-ing community,” on our efforts to keep scien-tific ocean drilling afloat for our collective fu-ture—and to solicit your input.

For several years, dedicated scientists frommany nations have been working on a scienceplan to become the basis of the IntegratedOcean Drilling Program (IODP). The details ofthis process have been reported extensivelyin past newsletter issues, so we’ll cut to thechase. Although the US has been a key playerin the planning phase, US participation in theIODP hinges upon approval by the NationalScience Board (NSB), the advisory board tothe National Science Foundation (NSF). First,the NSB must approve the concept, and sec-ond, it must authorize the use of NSF programfunds to support the activity.

Later this year, the NSB will receive the IODPInitial Science Plan for 2003-2013, titled Earth,Oceans, and Life: Scientific Investigations ofthe Earth System Using Multiple Drilling Plat-forms and New Technologies, and then con-sider the document for conceptual approval.An international committee drafted this sci-ence plan; therefore, a document that focuses

solely on US needs for scientific ocean drill-ing must also be developed to accompanythe science plan. This so-called “companiondocument” is essentially a proposal to the NSBfor US participation in IODP. Developing thisimportant proposal is consuming most of

Because Earth, Oceans, and Life explores anddescribes in detail the new program’s scien-tific goals, the companion document willmerely highlight the plan’s three fundamentalthemes: (1) The Deep Biosphere and the Sub-Seafloor Ocean; (2) Environmental Change,Processes, and Effects; and (3) Solid EarthCycles and Geodynamics. For each theme, wewill: (1) reiterate the scientific foundation (withreferences to Earth, Oceans, and Life); (2) ex-plain why this science is critical with respectto national issues and US leadership goals; (3)describe links to broader US science initia-tives (NSF and beyond); and (4) demonstratewhy the proposed IODP platforms are neces-sary to accomplish the science.

When complete, UPOD will be a concisedocument (the equivalent of about 15 single-spaced pages) that underscores the compel-

UNDERSTANDING OURPLANET THROUGH OCEANDRILLING WILL BE AVAILABLEFOR YOUR REVIEW ATWWW.JOI-ODP.ORG/USSSP/UNTIL APRIL 12.

USSAC’s attention this winter and spring as westrive to submit it to NSF by June.

The IODP Initial Science Plan has not yet beenfinalized, but it is far enough along, includinga review by a “blue-ribbon panel,” to allowUSSAC to independently evaluate and vigor-ously endorse its scientific framework. The UScompanion document, to be titled Under-standing Our Planet through Ocean Drilling(UPOD), must explain why the US should en-dorse both the international plan and a multi-platform scientific ocean drilling program. Toaccomplish this, it is intended to: (1) conveythe intellectual rigor and excitement of theIODP Initial Science Plan; (2) portray thebreadth, depth, and importance of US re-search affiliated with ocean drilling; and (3)emphasize the link of scientific ocean drillingto national priorities for science funding.

continued on page 3

2 JOI/USSAC Newsletter

ACREATING THE FUTURE

contributed by Steve Bohlen

JOI REPORT

As I accept responsibility for guiding JointOceanographic Institutions (JOI) forward dur-ing this exciting period of transition, I am surethere are many questions about who I am andwhat my aspirations for JOI and the oceanscommunity might be. As I am a firm believerin the adage, “the best way to predict the fu-ture is to create it,” I shall try to answer someof these questions in the context of thinkingbig and planning for success.

Despite several years of leading science pro-grams at the US Geological Survey (USGS), Iconsider myself first and foremost a researchscientist who is energized by the excitementof discovery and progress toward understand-ing how the Earth works. For twenty years Ihave conducted research on the evolution ofthe continental crust and subcontinentalmantle. I have worked to quantify the chemi-cal and physical evolution of the continentalcrust and upper mantle and to understand theformation of regional granulite terrains and thelowermost continental crust. My students andI have attempted to deconvolute the inextri-cable relationships of magmatic underplatingof the continental crust, high-grade metamor-phism, crustal growth and the formation ofcontinental cratons, by integrating field ob-servations with experimental results and theo-retical approaches. Recently, my research in-terests have turned to the role of kinetics ofmineral reactions such as gabbro to eclogiteor coesite to quartz in both driving and re-cording continental-scale processes. Overall,my work and the work of my students andpostdocs has spanned a broad range of top-ics from extensive field work on three conti-nents, to geochemistry, geochronology, ex-perimental petrology, crystallography, andthermodynamics.

As Associate Chief Geologist at the USGS forthe past five years, I led the scientific work ofthe Geologic Division which covers manyfields. These included earthquake, volcano,

“THE BEST WAY TO PREDICTTHE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT.”

DR. STEVE BOHLEN BECAMETHE NEW PRESIDENTOF JOINTOCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTIONSON NOVEMBER 27, 2000.

and landslides hazards reduction; the globalseismographic network; mineral and energyresource assessment; geologic mapping; cli-mate history; and coastal and marine geology.In these research areas, I led the Division to abroader scientific vision of interdisciplinary re-search with greater focus on the interactionsof humans with the surface of the Earth. I alsoworked extensively at the interface betweenscientific research and the politics of the leg-islative and executive branches, explaining thevalue of our work and arguing successfully forenhanced funding for major research pro-grams at the USGS.

JOI attracted me because of the excitement,challenges, and opportunities for the future—especially with the Integrated Ocean DrillingProgram (IODP) taking shape. As you knowbetter than I, great strides have been made inour understanding of the complexities of theEarth’s oceans in the last few decades. Yetthere remains a great deal of important work

to be done to develop a thorough, integratedunderstanding of the processes operatingamong the solid earth, the atmosphere andthe oceans. Differentiating among these pro-cesses will yield information essential for usto enjoy—rather than endure—the comingcentury. I am excited by the opportunity tohelp make this the century of the ocean sci-ences and challenged by the chance to helpbring about and help manage the IODP.

Presidential panels and commissions as wellas legislation presage the era of the oceans. Inthe coming decade we will see the realiza-tion of new ocean observing networks andprocess research at scales heretofore pre-cluded by the lack of technology and fund-ing. The opportunities for oceans research areenormous, but the greatest rewards lie inworking much more closely and actively withour colleagues in the solid earth, atmospheric,and biologic sciences and focusing attentionon the atmosphere-water-human-land system.I intend to be a catalyst for such enhancedinteractions and research. Together we canproduce scientific results that will have a sig-nificant impact on public policy. As our im-pact on public policy grows, so should ourresearch funding.

I look forward to working with you. I under-stand the passions and commitment that driveyou. I share them. As a player in the Washing-ton scene for the past five years, I understandthe complex interplay between the ExecutiveBranch and the Congress and what it takes tosecure funding for large science programs.Finally, I believe that the future success of theoceans sciences lies in working with othersand together impacting public policy in sig-nificant and highly visible ways. JOI is an in-stitution dedicated to service to the oceanscommunity and to success in the areas I havejust outlined. I look forward to getting to knowyou, and together creating the future of sci-entific ocean drilling.

3Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3

DDocumenting the bibliographic legacy of sci-entific ocean drilling in a way that does it ad-equate justice is a formidable project. Theimpact of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP)and the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) on sci-ence in the twentieth century is vast. To beginchipping away at this iceberg of a task, the“Bibliographic Legacy Project” was begun inJune 2000 to compile the scientific, engineer-ing, and technological accomplishments ofODP and DSDP into a searchable database.This bibliographic database will serve a vari-ety of purposes, such as (1) a research andeducational tool for scientists and students;(2) an assessment of ODP’s accomplishmentsagainst ODP’s Long Range Plan; (3) support forthe successor of ODP, the Integrated OceanDrilling Program; and (4) an aid in public af-fairs. Development of the database was initi-ated as a project during my JOI/USSSP Intern-ship. Over time, the project grew to includeODP staff in the Publication and InformationServices departments at ODP-TAMU, ODP’sScience Operator.

To back track a bit, in 1999, the PublicationServices Department at ODP-TAMU beganworking with the American Geological Insti-

tute (AGI) to produce a DSDP/ODP-relatedpublication database to generate statistics andreports. To do this, ODP-TAMU purchased theuse of a subset of “GeoRef,” an electronic da-tabase compiled by AGI from over 3,500 geo-logic journals, books, and maps that span theduration of DSDP and ODP. The subset wassorted from the GeoRef master database byusing a predefined set of DSDP/ODP-relatedkeywords. The resulting DSDP/ODP subset isstored on one CD-ROM that contains over16,000 DSDP/ODP-related citations. However,this single-user database is proprietary andcannot be used by individuals. Also, ODP-TAMU is limited in how it can make reportsfrom this database available to the public.

Coincident with ODP-TAMU’s efforts, JOI wassearching for ways to catalog the legacy ofODP’s accomplishments. Scientists’ publica-tions are the most concrete representation ofthose accomplishments. Thus, ODP/TAMU’sexisting single-user database became thelaunching point for the new Legacy ProjectDatabase. Permission was granted by AGI forODP-TAMU to post the database on the webin a format that allowed searches by author’sname only. This allowed scientists to deter-

JOI REPORT

PRESERVING THE PAST

mine which of their citations were missing andto submit new or corrected data. In Novem-ber 2000, an announcement went out to thescientific drilling community over variouslistservers, calling for individual scientists tovisit this specially designed website to assurethat they were aware of publications included.

The community response was enormous; 973“missing” citations were identified and sub-mitted. These citations were routed to AGI tobe added to the DSDP/ODP Legacy Project Da-tabase. Currently, specialists at AGI are review-ing each citation to double check DSDP/ODPrelevance and to determine why it was notinitially included in ODP-TAMU’s original da-tabase subset. Upon its completion, the finalDSDP/ODP database will be available to theODP scientific community on the web, and itwill be maintained and updated by AGI. Theweb address for database access will beposted in this newsletter, on the JOI/USSSPlistserver, and on the JOI website.

contributed by Betsy Fish

ling reasons for US participation and leader-ship in IODP. It will show the connection andrelevance of IODP to an ever-broadening rangeof scientific disciplines. It will also demon-strate that through education, informationtechnology, economic development, andhazard mitigation, IODP participation is vitalto US national interests. Full US participationin all aspects of IODP is required, and capi-talization and operation of a non-riser vesselby the US is essential.

The purpose of this article is both to informyou and to encourage your involvement. Until

April 12, 2001, a draft version of Understand-ing Our Planet through Ocean Drilling will beavailable for your review at www.joi-odp.org/USSSP/ along with instructions for submittingyour comments. USSAC is proud to be the“someone” championing the future of US par-ticipation in scientific ocean drilling, but weare only a few individuals in a large commu-nity so we heartily welcome your support andideas. The contact information for the entireUSSAC membership is on page 15 of thisnewsletter. You are encouraged to contact anyand all of us regarding UPOD or other issuesthat may concern you.

THE AUTHORSMike Underwood, University of Missouri, andJon Martin, University of Florida, are co-chair-ing a USSAC subcommittee to write Under-standing Our Planet through Ocean Drilling.The other subcommittee members are TimBralower, University of North Carolina, ChapelHill; John Sinton, University of Hawaii; andDebbie Smith, Woods Hole OceanographicInstitution.

KEEPING DREAMS AFLOAT, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

THE AUTHORFollowing her JOI/USSSP Internship, Elizabeth“Betsy” Fish became a full-time JOI employeein December 2000.


TODP SHIPBOARD MICROBIOLOGY COMES OF AGE

contributed by Thomas Davies

ODP/TAMU REPORT

The progressive integration of microbiologyinto the ongoing scientific activity aboard theJOIDES Resolution allows ODP pioneers totackle the microbial frontier beneath the sea-floor. Since Rick Murray et al. reported on Leg185 microbiology efforts (JOI/USSAC News-letter v. 12, n. 2, p. 8), an expansion of the labstack has enabled microbiology to be perma-nently housed among the other shipboardlabs. Furthermore, a successful proposal fromAndreas Teske (WHOI) and colleagues to theU.S. National Science Foundation’s LExEN Pro-gram is contributing more than $200,000 to-wards furnishing equipment for the new lab.

Following a strong recommendation from theJOIDES Scientific Measurements Panel(SciMP), the microbiology lab was movedfrom a temporary van, used on Leg 185, topermanent space on the forecastle deck,across from the paleontology lab. To createspace, the XRF was removed, and the thin sec-tion preparation equipment was relocated tothe new lab level atop the lab stack that wasconstructed during the ship’s 1999 dry dockvisit. The XRF was replaced by a J-Y HoribaInductively Coupled Plasma spectrometer(ICP), purchased with the aid of funds fromthe U.S. Department of Energy and installedin the chemistry lab. The relocation of equip-ment and other changes were completed

during Leg 191. Although the X-ray diffractionunit remains in its old location due to con-cerns about that instrument’s ability to with-stand movement, considerable space wasmade for microbiology research. Also, micro-biology and chemistry, which share many toolsand types of measurements, are now adjacent.

Figure 1 approximates the layout of the newmicrobiology space. The lab contains ananaerobic chamber (glove box) with rocksplitting and other sampling equipment fortaking uncontaminated samples from thecores. This is a two-person, medium-sizedmodel with gloves on opposite sides of thepolymer glove bag. Plumbed into the glovebox are both nitrogen and an anaerobic gasmixture of 5% hydrogen, 5% carbon dioxide,and the balance nitrogen. A laminar flow hoodis set up for preparing uncontaminatedsamples for study, and there are facilities forincubating samples. There is also anepifluorescence microscope that was pur-chased with the LexEn grant funding, alongwith a Barnstead Nanopure water system, au-toclave, hydrogen headspace gas chromato-graph, Shimazu TOC solid phase analyzer andvarious miscellaneous high pressure gauges,pumps, connectors, etc. Freezers (-80°C) andpressure vessels allow storage of samples forfuture shorebased studies. A complete list of

shipboard equipment available for microbio-logical work is available at www-odp.tamu.edu/sciops/labs/microbiol/. In ad-dition to sampling and labwork, routine pro-cedures also have been well established forconducting tracer experiments to quantify theextent of downhole contamination of thecores (by drilling fluid pumped down fromthe sea surface).

The new lab is a benchmark representing sig-nificant progress on the JOIDES’ Deep Bio-sphere Initiative (ODP Long Range Plan, 1996).This was made possible by the dedicatedefforts of David Smith, Andreas Teske, and KateMoran, as well as the members of the JOIDESDeep Biosphere PPG, BUGSCOM, and SciMP,and the technical support staff of ODP/TAMU.

The Deep Biosphere PPG was disbanded atthe end of 1999, and its advisory role takenover by SciMP, marking the “coming of age”of microbiological work as a routine ODP ac-tivity. However, much fine-tuning remains.Microbiologists discovering the opportunitiesoffered by JOIDES Resolution, have an enor-mous range of expectations and understand-ing, both in terms of how ODP works and whatis feasible in the ship’s multidisciplinary envi-ronment. Since drydock, microbiology hasbeen an important component of Legs 187,190, and 191, and each case has been verydifferent. Some microbiologists simply wantto collect clean samples for future study onshore; others have visions of extensive lab re-search conducted on board the ship. As anext step, ODP/TAMU will work with SciMPto address these issues and establish a rea-sonable base level of technical support androutine lab equipment and supplies that mi-crobiologists can expect when they sail.

MicroBio Lab

Sample Preparation

Elevator Stairs

HallwayChem Lab

XRD

Paleo Lab

CounterCounter

CounterDesk

Coun

ter

Desk

Free

zer

Glove Bag

Hoo

d

Des

kw

/Sco

pe

Autoclave

Counter

Counter

Counter

XRD Lab

HeatHood

AcidHood

Clean Bench

THE AUTHORDr. Thomas Davies is the Manager of ScienceServices at the Ocean Drilling Program, TexasA&M University.Fig. 1: Approximate layout of the new microbiology lab on board the JOIDES Reslolution.

5Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3

AIESX JOINT PILOT STUDY INTEGRATES SEISMIC DATA

SITE AUGMENTATION

contributed by Dan Quoidbach and Gilles Guerin

Fig.1: Example of an IESX interpretation session from ODP Leg 188. The basemap (upper left) summarizes the relative location of

the wells and seismic lines. The extension of seismic line displayed in the right panel is highlighted in the basemap. The

synthetic seismogram and log data that overlay the seismic line are calculated in a separate window (lower left).

A shining achievement of ODP has been tomake accessible an unprecedented amountof data with just a few clicks of a mouse.Readily available core and log data on boardthe JOIDES Resolution and on shore allow dataand results to be combined with ease. Inte-grating data is a natural way to analyze all ship-board measurements. For example, the juxta-position of sample and log measurementswith a core photo or an electrical FMS imagemay explain certain features. In the past,among scads of digital leg data, one majortype has often been omitted—seismic. Also,comprehensive data integration in a well’s vi-cinity has usually been deferred to post-cruiseresearch. Individual scientists have producedsynthetic seismograms and time/depth con-versions, but these studies are rarely per-formed at sea. Fortunately, commercial soft-ware and the ever-increasing power of work-stations have made the shipboard integrationof these data types possible: the GeoQuestIESX seismic interpretation package, part ofthe GeoFrame software used to process logdata, is now available for routine drillship use.

IESX use was successfully initiated during Legs180, 182, and 188, which highlighted someof the software’s features that are most usefulto ODP scientists: 1) basemap display of seis-mic lines and wells to monitor the distribu-tion of data; 2) interactive 2-D visualization/interpretation of individual seismic lines; 3) 2-D visualization of intersecting seismic lines; 4)generation of synthetic seismograms from logdata and their superposition on seismic lines;and 5) 3-D interactive visualization of seismiclines and wells. Figure 1 highlights some ofthese tools and illustrates how they are dy-namically linked. IESX is also available for post-cruise work at the five shorebased facilitiesaffiliated with ODP logging services: Colum-bia Univ. (USA), Univ. of Leicester (UK), Univ.of Aachen (Germany), Univ. of Montpellier(France), and Univ. of Tokyo (Japan), as wellas at several other university-based locations.

As recommended by the Scientific Measure-ment Panel (SciMP), a joint Borehole ResearchGroup (BRG) and Site Survey Data Bank (SSDB)pilot study is underway to determine proce-dures and tools to enhance ODP’s routine seis-mic data integration with IESX. The study willdetermine SSDB guidelines for digital datasubmission that allow ready data conversioninto IESX “projects.” Ways to insure data inte-gration early in cruise planning and the natureof the output for post-cruise archiving will alsobe addressed. The level of effort needed toprepare projects and ways to secure their in-tegrity onboard and post-cruise will also beidentified. An ad hoc SciMP working group ismonitoring issues related to the pilot study.

The IESX pilot study is focused on two legs.Leg 194, in January 2001, investigated thedevelopment of the carbonate platforms ofnortheast Australia. Before the leg, IESX wasused to evaluate the available seismic data atall of the proposed drilling sites. Next, pre-cruise efforts defined a “project” containingall seismic data and site locations and pro-

vided the basic framework for shipboard dataintegration. Core and log data collected dur-ing the leg were progressively added into theproject. Leg 196 will drill on the Nankai ac-cretionary prism using Logging-While-Drilling(LWD) tools prior to the deployment of twoadvanced CORKS for long-term monitoring offluid processes. During the leg, LWD data willbe tied to the seismic surveys in the area bytheir progressive addition into the Leg 196 IESXproject. The confidentiality of some of thesedata will be maintained by password-re-stricted access to each project. We are confi-dent that this study will generate a significantimprovement in the shipboard use of seismicdata and well-to-seismic integration, leadingto their becoming an essential and routine in-gredient in most ODP legs.

THE AUTHORSDan Quoidbach is the Director of the ODP SiteSurvey Data Bank, and Gilles Guerin is the Tech-nical Analyst at the Borehole Research Group.Both are at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.


DRILL BITS

THE SKINNY ON ODP

Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) issearching for qualified applicants to intern atthe JOI Office in Washington, DC. The JOI/USSAC Internship Program’s goal is to intro-duce science students (ranging from under-graduates to graduate students) to the careerpossibilities of science management. Internswill work full-time on site, and dedicate fiftypercent of their time to a specific ocean drill-ing project. Their remaining time will be usedto support US Science Support Program(USSSP) activities.

The JOI Intern position is scheduled to lastfor three months, although JOI may extend theinternship for up to six months. The start andend dates of the internship will be negotiatedbetween the intern and JOI (ideally it will beover Summer 2001 with a term beginning inJune). A stipend is available. Interested ap-plicants should submit a cover letter, CV, andthe names and contact information, includingphone number and email address, of four ref-erences to the JOI Office by March 30, 2001.Interviews with finalists will be scheduled inearly April, and a decision will be made bymid-April. Please send your application to:Brecht Donoghue, JOI, 1755 MassachusettsAvenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC20036. If you have questions, email Brecht [email protected].

JOI FISHES FOR INTERN even managed to master our new postal ma-chine—a feat that inspires awe and admira-tion throughout the office. Robert Wright, for-merly the webmaster at Johns Hopkins/SAIS,recently accepted JOI’s Technical Program As-sociate position. As such, he has undertakenresponsibility for JOI’s web presence (and forpretty much anything else at JOI that boastsan electrical cord). Nicole Eisen is JOI’s newHuman Resources Assistant. Nicole graduatedfrom Smith College last spring and is now hardat work beating JOI’s corporate policies andprocedures into submission. And finally,Eldon “The Check Is In the Mail” Hayman, for-merly JOI’s Accounting Manager, has beennamed as JOI’s Director of Finance. We are verypleased to have them all aboard.

SCIENCE SYMPOSIUMA joint JOI/USSSP and SCOR/IMAGES spon-sored science symposium titled “Asian Mon-soon Variability on Milankovitch & Sub-Milankovitch Time Scales” will be held inBeijing, China on May 9-11, 2001. Thesymposium’s goal is to present, discuss, andintegrate paleoclimate records and modelingstudies of monsoon variability at Milankovithand Sub-Milankovitch time scales in an effortto better understand linkages among: (1) oce-anic, atmospheric, and terrestrial componentof the monsoon system; (2) linkages betweenorbital-scale and abrupt-change variability inthe monsoon record; and (3) the physicalmechanisms driving monsoon variability atthese time scales. If you would like more in-formation please contact: Dr. Steven C.Clemens, Geological Sciences, Brown Univer-sity, email: [email protected].

TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’There have been changes at JOI over the pastfew months that, while they may have goneunheralded, have had enormous positive im-pact on the office. Many of you may be famil-iar with Betsy Fish as a JOI/USSSP intern work-ing on the ODP Bibliographic Legacy Project(see page 3). Although her term as an internended in December, she agreed to stay andtake on the dual role of Administrative Assis-tant to both the IWG Support Office and theUSSSP Director. She has handled the addedresponsibility with her usual aplomb and has

tailed Planning Group (DPG) to investigate theoperational logistics requirements of drillingthe Lomonosov Ridge.

At its first meeting in January 2001, the DPGbegan addressing a score of tasks that wereeither self-imposed or assigned by SCICOM.According to the DPG Chair Jan Backman(Stockholm Univ.) the exciting outcome of themeeting is that three viable scenarios for Arc-tic drilling were identified with preliminarycost estimates of US$5.6M to $7.7M—pricetags similar to that of ODP Legs. These esti-mates are for full expedition support, includ-ing all vessels and helicopters, necessary shiprefits, and airborne radar imagery. Sweden hasalready offered to contribute nearly $1M tothis endeavor in the form of the Oden, aSwedish icebreaker identified as a participantin all three scenarios. The expedition is envi-sioned to spend 35 days “in the ice.” This in-cludes 10 days in roundtrip transit through1000 nautical miles of ice and 25 days on site.

All three scenarios include the Oden and aRussian Nuclear Icebreaker (NIB). In the firstscenario, the multipurpose Botnica, which hasa large moonpool and dynamic positioning,would be the actual drilling platform. Built in1998, the Botnica spends winters keepingsouthern Finland’s waterways and coastlinesopen to commercial traffic. Its owners willpermit the Botnica to venture to the high Arc-tic in the summer months with the additionalicebreaker support of the Oden and a NIB. Asecond option for drilling the LomonosovRidge is to use the Canadian barge, Sea Sor-ceress, as the drilling platform with ice sup-port from three icebreakers: the Oden, a NIB,and the Canadian Terry Fox. The third scenariois to refit the Oden and to use it as the pri-mary drilling platform with ice support from aNIB and the Terry Fox. The DPG will continueexploring options and will meet again thisJune in Washington, DC. They will submit theirfinal report to SCICOM in August.

Planning for scientific drilling in the ArcticOcean heated up last August when a proposalfor drilling the Lomonosov Ridge receivedSCICOM’s highest ranking. The proposal hasn’tyet been scheduled. However, SCICOMstarted the snowball rolling by forming a De-

ARCTIC DRILLING PLANS HEAT UP

7Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3

POST-2003 PLANNING

IODP: FULL STEAM AHEAD

IWG ACTIVITYPlanning activity for the post-2003 IntegratedOcean Drilling Program (IODP) continues tomove forward at a fast pace. The InternationalWorking Group (IWG), which is composed offunding agency representatives from thoseinternational funding entities that have de-clared an intent to become a member of thefuture IODP, met for the eighth time on Janu-ary 16-17 in Southampton, UK to hammer outthe principles upon which IODP will ultimatelybe based. Current IWG membership includesrepresentatives from Japan, the United States,Australia, Canada, China, the European Com-mission, the European Science Foundation(ESF) Consortium on Ocean Drilling, France,Germany, and United Kingdom. At the meet-ing, the new co-chairs of the IWG, MargaretLeinen, US National Science Foundation (NSF),and Yoichiro Otsuka, Ministry of Education,Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology(MEXT) of Japan were formally introduced.The IWG said goodbye and offered a heart-felt thanks to the former co-chairs, G. MichaelPurdy, NSF, and Satoshi Tanaka, STA, for theirsuccessful tenure.

At the Southampton meeting the membersdiscussed the “Principles Documents” that willguide IODP drilling platforms, program, mem-bership, implementation, and management.As the Principles currently stand, the US andJapan, (Lead Agencies) will share equally inthe IODP program costs. To be considered a“Lead Agency” a country or consortium mustmake a contribution to the Program that isequal to that of other Lead Agencies. The USwill be legally and fiscally responsible for thenon-riser vessel; Japan will be likewise respon-sible for the riser vessel. Ways to encouragethe contribution of a “third leg” or missionspecific platforms (e.g., arctic or shallow-water capabilities) to the new program arebeing discussed. Representatives from NSFand MEXT estimated that the new program willcost approximately US$140 M/year to oper-

ate two drilling vessels and that the yearlymembership dues will be around US$5 M. Foradditional information, you may downloadthe Executive Summary of the SouthamptonIWG meeting from the IODP website,www.iodp.org.

IODP INITIAL SCIENCE PLANThe Initial Science Plan (ISP) for IODP, “Earth,Oceans, and Life: Scientific Investigations ofthe Earth System using Multiple Drilling Plat-forms and New Technologies,” will be avail-able in May 2001. Drs. Frank Rhodes, CornellUniversity, US, and Seiya Uyeda, Institute ofPhysical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Ja-pan, co-chaired a blue-ribbon panel of inter-national scientists who carefully reviewed theISP. The Review Committee members praisedthe ISP and stated that “the scientific signifi-cance, technical feasibility and societal ben-efits of the ISP make it of exceptional impor-tance and timeliness…the benefits of the pro-gram described in the ISP far outweigh thecosts and technical uncertainties.”

A draft version of the ISP is available atwww.iodp.org. For a bound copy of the ISP,or a CD ROM containing the high-resolutionISP graphics, please contact the IWG SupportOffice [email protected] and the item(s) willbe sent when they become available in May.

ISAS: PREPARING FOR IODPIn January, the IWG approved the draft man-dates for the iSAS (interim Science AdvisoryStructure) panels and committees along withthe draft processes for scientific drilling pro-posal development and review. The IWG re-quested that the OD21 and JOIDES advisorystructures collaborate to form iSAS. Both ad-visory structures will nominate members forseveral iSAS committees and panels in Feb-ruary and March 2001. The panel structure andproposal review process will be similar to thecurrent JOIDES structure. Final evaluation, rank-ing, and scheduling, however, will be con-

ducted by the formal IODP Science AdvisoryStructure, which will be established on 1October 2003. Further development of theiSAS structure will likely occur once key pan-els and committees are formed in May andJune. iSAS panel members will attend upcom-ing JOIDES panels as observers to maintainscientific continuity and momentum. The iSASpanel membership and the proposal reviewguidelines will be in effect, pending approvalof the IWG, for the interim period before IODPbegins in October 2003.

The IWG also approved the formation of aniSAS Support Office that will be establishedby June 1, 2001. Japan has offered to spon-sor this office. The iSAS Support Office willwork closely with the JOIDES office and theIWG Support Office to manage logistics dur-ing the interim period before IODP officiallystarts. All JOIDES drilling proposals that willnot be drilled as part of ODP will be passedon to iSAS for consideration in IODP. A pub-lic call for new IODP drilling proposals willbe made in June.

IPSC will finish its tasks this spring. In its wakeand an interim Planning Committee (iPC) willbegin. Drs. Hajimu Kinoshita and Ted Moorewill co-chair the iPC, which will report directlyto the IWG on the status of iSAS issues. Thefirst iPC meeting is planned for August.

IODP EXHIBIT BOOTHSLook for the IODP Exhibit Booth at two inter-national meetings this spring:

• The European Union of Geosciences(EUG) Meeting in Strasbourg, France(April 8-12, 2001)

• The Geological Society of America - Geo-logical Society of London (GSA-GSL) JointMeeting in Edinburgh, Scotland(June 24-26, 2001).

8 JOI/USSAC Newsletter8 JOI/USSAC Newsletter

A N N O U N A N N O U N OCEAN GEOSCIENCE LECTURES

Southern Ocean Impacts on Global Climate: Clues from the Antarctic MarginDr. Robert Dunbar, Stanford University

Late Pleistocene Evolution of the Ocean’s Carbonate System: A Serendipi-tous Result from ODP Leg 177Dr. David Hodell, University of Florida

Methane Hydrates: Boon or Bane?Dr. W. Steven Holbrook, University of Wyoming

The Nature, Origin, and Fate of a Giant Oceanic Plateau: Ontong Java PlateauDr. John Mahoney, University of Hawaii

Hunting the Earth’s Magnetic FieldDr. Lisa Tauxe, University of California, San Diego

Subduction Zone Megathrusts: Why Stratigraphy and Sedimentology MatterDr. Michael Underwood, University of Missouri

The JOI/USSAC Distinguished Lecturer Series brings the results of ODP researchto students at the undergraduate and graduate levels and to the earth sciencecommunity in general. JOI is now accepting applications from US colleges, uni-versities, and nonprofit organizations to host talks given by the speakers listedbelow in the upcoming the 2001-02 season. Applications are available online atwww.joi-odp.org/USSSP/DLS/DLS.htm or from JOI (phone: 202-232-3900, email:[email protected]). Applications are due April 6, 2001.

Leg 193: Manus BasinODP/TAMU Staff Scientist: Jay MillerLDEO Logging Staff Scientist: Gerardo IturrinoWolfgang Bach, WHOIDavid Vanko, Georgia State UnivLizet Christiansen, Johns Hopkins Univ

Leg 194: Marion PlateauUS Co-Chief: Alexandra Isern, NAS/NRCODP/TAMU Staff Scientist: Peter BlumJOIDES Logging Scientist: Gregor Eberli, RSMASTesfaye Birke, Univ of Hawaii, ManoaStephen Burns, Univ of MassachusettsGuido Bracco-Gartner, RSMASBrandon Dugan, Pennsylvania State UnivMichael Fuller, Univ of Hawaii, ManoaPamela Hallock Muller, USF, St. PetersburgAlbert Hine, USF, St PetersburgMichael Howell, Univ of S CarolinaGarry Karner, LDEOBrooke Olson, Univ of MassachusettsWuchang Wei, Scripps InstitutionTimothy White, Pennsylvania State Univ

JOI/USSSP SUPPORTEDSHIPBOARD PARTICIPANTS

GATEWAYS TO GLACIATION

A Teachers’ Guideto accompany the interactive

educational CD ROM:

is now available athttp://www.joi-odp.org/USSSP/

CurrEnr/Curriculum.html

(Email [email protected] for yourcomplimentary CD ROM.)

Educational Resources

As of January 1, 2001, the JOIDES Office rotated from GEOMAR inKiel, Germany to its new location at the Rosenstiel School for Ma-rine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS) at the University of Miami.

The scientific staff in the new office areEXCOM Chair Chris HarrisonSCICOM/OPCOM Chair Keir BeckerInternational Liaison Elspeth UrquhartScience Coordinator Aleksandra Janik

The contact information ishttp://joides.rsmas.miami.eduemail: [email protected]: (305) 361-4668fax: (305) 361-4632

JOIDES OFFICE 2001-2003

JOIDES OfficeUniversity of Miami - RSMAS4600 Rickenbacker CausewayMiami, FL 33149

9Summer 2000, Vol. 13, No. 2Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3 9

C E M E N T SC E M E N T S

SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES

To understand the chemical fluxes, fluid pathways, and ore deposition of felsic volcanic-hostedpolymetallic massive sulfides by probing the active PACMANUS hydrothermal system.

To establish an accurate sea-level curve for the Cenozoic to interpret continental margin sedimentsequences, as well as for global stratigraphic correlation and basin analysis.

To emplace a seismic observatory to aid the study of earthquake dynamics, plate subduction pro-cesses, formation of island arcs, and their relation to mantle convection.

To conduct Logging-While-Drilling and to install CORK hydrologic observatories at sites drilled duringLegs 131 and 190. Leg 196 is the second part of a two-leg Nankai Trough proposal.

To penetrate basement (150-250 m) to obtain samples for paleomagnetic tests to determine the mo-tion of the Hawaiian hotspot during the formation of the Emperor Seamounts.

To explore extreme warmth and climatic transitions, both long-term and abrupt, in the Cretaceous andPaleogene by drilling a depth transect on Shatsky Rise, Central Pacific.

To extend high-quality paleoceanographic records, using APC/XCB coring, back to the Eocene tostudy the “hot house world” (hydrothermal activity, equatorial circulation, productivity, etc.).

To create a long-term observatory to 1) study the fast-spreading Pacific crust, 2) serve as a high-prioritylink in the Ocean Seismic Network, 3) monitor geophysical and geochemical experiments in the crust.

To test whether various sedimentary geochemical regimes are characterized by different subsurfacemicrobial communities—or merely by different degrees and kinds of community activity.

To study Neogene and older sediments in latitudinal/depth transects of SE Pacific topographic rises toassess history of boundary currents and millennial-scale climate variability.

To test existing models and to develop an understanding of the processes associated with theseismogenic zone and with the workings of the subduction factory.

To investigate the formation and physical properties of gas hydrates, as well as to calibrate their vol-ume estimates, evaluate their role in slope stability, and identify paleo-proxies for methane release.

To emplace a seismic observatory in the western equatorial Pacific, at a high-priority site for the Inter-national Ocean Network (ION) and the Ocean Seismic Network (OSN).

SCHEDULE FOR ODP LEGS 193-205For more information: http://www.oceandrilling.org/Cruises/Cruises.html

DEPARTURELEG REGION CO-CHIEFS PORT DATE

193 Manus Basin Binns Guam 11/00Barriga

194 Marion Plateau Anselmetti Townsville 1/01Isern

195 Mariana/ Shinohara Guam 3/01West Pacific ION Salisbury

196 Nankai II Becker Keelung 5/01Mikada, & Moore

197 Hotspots Tarduno Yokohama 7/01Duncan

198 Shatsky Bralower Yokohama 8/01Premoli Silva

199 Paleogene Lyle Honolulu 10/01Wilson

200 H2O Stephen Honolulu 12/01

Kasahara

201 Peru D’Hondt Panama City 1/02TBN

202 SE Paleoceanog. Mix Valparaiso 4/02Tiedemann

203 Costa Rica Morris Panama City 6/02TBN

204 Gas Hydrates Trehu San Francisco 7/02Bohrmann

205 Eq. Pacific ION Orcutt San Francisco 9/02TBN

In January 2001, a two-year shorebasedfellowship was awarded to:

Kristen Averyt, Stanford University“Marine Barite as a Monitor of

Seawater Sr/Ca Ratios”(multiple DSDP/ODP legs)

Next fellowship deadline:April 15, 2001

For information: www.joi-odp.org/USSSP/fellowship/fellowship.html

SCHLANGER OCEANDRILLING FELLOWSHIP

ODP and USSSP Director Positions

JOI is seeking a highly qualilfied scientist, with established leadership andmanagement skills, to fill the vacancy of Director, Ocean Drilling Program. Con-tingent upon the results of the search for a Director, JOI may also be seeking acandidate, also a highly qualified scientist with leadership and managementskills, to become the Associate Director for ODP and the US Science SupportProgram Director.

For additional information, visit:www.joi-org/joi/employment/employment.html


T

WORKSHOP REPORT

OPPORTUNITIES IN GEOCHEMISTRY FORPOST-2003 OCEAN DRILLING

contributed by Rick Murray, Dan Schrag, and Geoff Wheat

Throughout the history of scientific ocean drill-ing, geochemistry has played an important rolein advancing a variety of research programs.A broad suite of topics—ranging from theearliest efforts of the Deep Sea Drilling Project(DSDP) to radiometrically date altered sea-floor basalts during the testing of the plate tec-tonic hypothesis, to studies involving accre-tionary prisms, the deep biosphere, chemicalpaleoceanography, mid-ocean ridge hydrol-ogy and other important subjects—have eachrelied upon and simultaneously contributedto our understanding of chemical inventories,chemical sources and sinks, and chemicalmass balances.

Geochemistry will continue to be an impor-tant part of scientific ocean drilling in the In-tegrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). Withthe ongoing construction of the scientificthemes and technological goals of multi-plat-form post-2003 drilling, the geochemicalcommunity thought it worthwhile to gather its

members to identify and target research ques-tions to be addressed through ocean drilling.

In Octobe r 2000, the USSSP-sponsored work-shop, “Opportunities in Geochemistry forPost-2003 Ocean Drilling,” assembled about50 international geochemists with a diverse setof interests and orientations. Their purposewas to help develop a guiding “blueprint” forshipboard and shorebased geochemical stud-ies during the next phase of scientific oceandrilling. Representatives from the US NationalScience Foundation and the ODP/IODP advi-sory structure also participated. The two-dayworkshop was held at the Boston UniversityCorporate Education Conference Center inTyngsboro, Massachusetts, which provided anideal retreat setting for the exchange of ideas.An explicit goal of the workshop was to in-volve individuals who in the past have onlyhad limited interactions with DSDP/ODP, in thehope of strengthening the ties to other mem-bers of the geochemical community. The pre-

liminary outcome from this workshop is de-scribed here, and a full report will be avail-able in Spring 2001.

Plenary sessions, designed to encouragecross-fertilization between the different fieldsof geochemistry, alternated with Focus Groupbreakout sessions. These Focus Groups hadfour broadly overlapping themes: (1) Forma-tion and Alteration of Crust; (2) Porewater andSediment Chemistry; (3) Chemical Paleocean-ography; and (4) Microbiology and Bio-geochemistry.

A series of questions served as an initial frame-work for discussion and assisted in identify-ing commonalities among fields. Participantsstrived for consensus in prioritizing scientificissues that can and should be targeted by thenew multiplatform program, and they devel-oped specific recommendations that willcontribute to the planning process for the fu-ture program. The initial questions were:

(1) What scientific problems should be ofhighest priority?

(2) What drilling objectives should be priori-tized to address these problems?

(3) What new technology is needed and/orwhat existing technology needs substan-tial improvement?

(4) What operational and funding issues re-quire attention?

COMMON ISSUESRegardless of specialty, the geochemistspresent at the workshop identified several keyapproaches that would facilitate progress ingeochemical research in the IODP.

Increase Commitment to Thematic Consis-tency. Recognizing that the DSDP and ODPhave largely been single-platform endeavors(with associated practical and logistical limi-tations), the participants nonetheless strongly

1) Site SurveyAge Transects

2) MoHole 3) Observatory

Seawater chemistrySeismics

gas exchange

Mantle

LowerOceanic Crust

UpperOceanic crust

Sediments

Technology

Deep Observatory•Geophysics•Geochemistry

Fluid Flow Magnetics

AlterationCO2, Mg, Ca.....

DeepBiosphere

BoreholeExperiments

Fluxes

Sensors

The Road to the Moho

Aerosolsatmospheric particulates

Fig. 1: One of the proposed post-2003 thematic initiatives that would require an interdisciplinary approach.

11Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3

believe that increasing linkages among legswith closely allied scientific goals would en-courage and facilitate consistent communityinvolvement and result in greater scientific in-tegration. While it is unclear whether or notthe current, relatively rigid, “two-month leg”system will remain unchanged for the riser-lessship in the IODP, an increased flexibility ingrouping highly-ranked research targets to-gether to make a concerted “push” in a par-ticular direction would be fruitful. Those in thegeochemical community at the workshopidentified several thematic thrusts that will bynecessity involve an interdisciplinary ap-proach, including “Continental Margins as Bio-geochemical Reactors,” “The Road to theMohole” (Figure 1), and “Global Biogeochemi-cal Cycles and Budgets.” The complete work-shop report will detail the initiatives and in-terests within these themes.

Expand the Scope of Research Targets. TheDSDP and ODP together have a strong recordof success in the earth and ocean sciences.With IODP, geochemists and other scientistshave an opportunity to expand the scope ofthe targeted scientific problems and “thinkoutside the box” in terms of the global-scalenature of scientific inquiry. The workshop par-ticipants projected that increasing the coor-dination with and ties to other marine geol-ogy and geophysical national and internationalinitiatives (e.g., MESH, MARGINS, RIDGE, andGERM), as well as to terrestrial projects (e.g.,continental drilling), would assist in achiev-ing this expansion of scope. An additionalbenefit would be the recruitment of new geo-chemists into the marine drilling community.

Increase the Use, Development, and Qualityof In Situ and Other Instrumentation. To date,the fundamental focus of scientific ocean drill-ing has been to recover solid and aqueoussamples to be returned for shipboard andshorebased analysis. While logging, downholetools, and other avenues of data acquisitionhave been increasing in utility in recent years,a concerted effort is necessary to facilitate in-tegrating these data sets with the more tradi-

tional types of sample recovery. The ability torecover sediment, rock, and porewatersamples at in situ temperatures and pressuresshould be of utmost priority in IODP. Greaterflexibility is needed in order to improvesample archiving, to allow special samplehandling for particular needs (shipboard andshorebased), and to allow larger sample sizesto accommodate the battery of geochemicaltechniques now available to the community.

Develop More Advanced Shipboard Labora-tories. As chemical instrumentation becomesmore robust and able to tolerate the ship-board environment, there is an opportunityfor the new program to greatly expand its ana-lytical capabilities. While the recent installa-tion of an ICP-emission spectrometer on theJOIDES Resolution is a welcome addition, itshould be considered as only one small ex-ample of the capability of the “next genera-tion” of chemical instrumentation that shouldbe routinely available. These acquisitions mustbe considered in the context of the increas-ing interdisciplinary nature of research targets.

For example, increased organic chemical ap-paratus will be essential for the Deep Bio-sphere research in both sedimentary and ig-neous environments. Great progress can bemade with the integration of an onboard ra-dioisotope isolation facility, installation ofwhich is deemed essential for the success ofDeep Biosphere initiatives. This capability willallow for tracer experiments that will yieldestimated rates of biologically mediatedgeochemical transformations. While protocolsfor the coexistence of radiotracer techniquesand radiocarbon-based geochronology needto be in place prior to installation of a radio-isotope facility, these potentially conflictinginterests currently coexist on UNOLS vessels,which can serve as useful models for futurecapabilities on board the drilling vessel. Fi-nally, issues regarding post-cruise funding,technician support, and database construc-tion and integration were discussed and willbe described in the full Workshop Report.

CONVENORSR. W. Murray Boston University.D. P. Schrag Harvard University.C. G. Wheat Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks

FOCUS GROUP COORDINATORSPaul Baker Duke UniversityLou Derry Cornell UniversityJohn Hayes WHOIJulie Morris Washington UniversityJim Natland RASMAS, Univ. of MiamiAdina Paytan Stanford UniversityDavid Smith University of Rhode IslandDamon Teagle Southampton, UK

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTSAltabet, M.; Bach, W.; Burdige, D.; Cavanaugh,C.; Claypool, G.; D’Hondt, S.; De Carlo, E.;Delaney, P.; Dauphin, P.; Dickens, G.; Edwards,K.; Filippelli, G.; Frey, F.; Gilbert, L.; Goldberg,D.; Hannan, B.; Hart, S.; Hemming, S.;Henderson, G.; Herbert, T.; Higginson, M.;James, R.; Kastner, M.; Kump, L.; Lang, S.;Linsley, B.; Malone, M.; Mandernack, K.;McLennan, S.; Meyers, P.; Peucker-Ehrenbrink,B.; Plank, T.; Salters, V.; Sansone, F.; Scott, K.;Sherrell, R.; Spivack, A.; Torres, M.; Von Damm,K.; Wei, K.-Y.; Wray, D.

CONCLUSIONThis meeting endeavored to reach out to theentire geochemical community. Although theattendees represented many fields and writ-ten comments were solicited from personswho were unable to attend, we recognize thatnot all of the goals, ideas, and needs that rep-resent the broad spectrum of geochemicalresearch interest may have been incorporatedinto the workshop. We encourage additionalthoughts pertaining to the four questions listedabove while we compile and complete theworkshop report. Please send responses toRick Murray at [email protected]. Your continuedinput is greatly appreciated and required tostrengthen the scientific purpose of oceandrilling during IODP and to maintain the high-est standards for chemical study in the drill-ing environment.


T

FELLOWSHIP PROFILE

FISHING FOR THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LPTMUSING SEAWATER ND ISOTOPIC RECORDS

Debbie ThomasPh.D. Institution:Univ. of North Carolina,Chapel Hill

Faculty Advisor:Tim Bralower

Nd

NdBottom Water

deep-waterformation

continental weatheringand runoff

stratigraphic record offish tooth Nd isotopes yieldstemporal record of bottom

water Nd for each site

recorded by fish teethat sediment surface

fish dies, teethsettle to sediments

The Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum (LPTM)is one of the most spectacular examples ofrapid climate change in the geologic record.Occurring ~55 million years ago, the LPTM wascharacterized by a ~4 to 6˚ sea surface tem-perature warming, while global deep oceantemperatures increased by ~8˚C within thespan of just a few thousand years (e.g., Rohlet al., 2000). Perhaps the most dramatic envi-ronmental change associated with the rapidwarming was a 3-4 ‰ negative carbon iso-tope excursion within marine and terrestrialcarbon reservoirs. A host of biotic responsesaccompanied the environmental changes,most notably the largest extinction of benthicorganisms of the past 90 million years.

The warming of the deep oceans may haveresulted from a change in the nature of ther-mohaline circulation in which deepwatersource regions switched from cool, high-lati-tude areas to warmer, more saline, and lower-latitude deepwater sources. In order to inves-tigate the potential role of a deep-seacirculation change associated with the LPTMintermediate and deep water warming, I usedmy JOI/USSAC Ocean Drilling Fellowshipfunding to generate high-resolution neody-mium isotopic records across the LPTM usingfossil fish teeth from deep-sea sedimentarysections recovered from six DSDP and ODPsites (401, 527, 549, 690, 865, and 1001).

Nd isotopes are a useful tracer of intermedi-ate and deep water mass circulation becauseof the short residence time of Nd (~1000

years) with respect to oceanic mixing (~1500years). Intermediate and deep water massesinherit the Nd isotopic signature (which is de-rived from continental weathering and runoff)of the region where waters downwell andmaintain that isotopic signature during transitthroughout the oceanic basins (with slightmixing with other water masses). For example,North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) has arather nonradiogenic Nd isotopic signature re-flecting the ancient terranes draining into theLabrador Sea (e

Nd ~-13), whereas the Pacific

intermediate and deep waters have a highlyradiogenic signal imparted by the weatheringof circum-Pacific arc terranes (e

Nd ~-5).

In order to reconstruct the Nd isotopic com-position of the late Paleocene to early Eoceneintermediate and deep water masses repre-sented by the six DSDP and ODP sites, I ana-lyzed the Nd contained within fossil fish teeth.A growing body of research indicates thatfossil fish teeth (when the diagenetic oxidecoating has been completely removed)record the Nd isotopic composition of thewater mass overlying the sea floor upon which

they were deposited (Figure 1). Thus strati-graphic records of fish teeth Nd isotopesshould yield a temporal record of the deepwatermass bathing a particular location, anda geographically dispersed set of such strati-graphic records may enable us to reconstructpatterns of ancient thermohaline circulation.

The results of this investigation are significantfor several reasons. The LPTM-interval Nd iso-topic records exhibit changes which arestratigraphically correlative across very broadgeographic and hydrographic ranges, andthey coincide with the onset of the LPTMstable isotope excursions. Our results also in-dicate that significantly different water massesexisted in the Atlantic basins during the earlyCenozoic. Finally, these data are the first setof truly high-resolution paleo-seawater Nd iso-topic records, and they reveal how complexNd isotopic systematics are when examinedin detail.

REFERENCESRohl, U., Bralower, T.J., Norris, R.D., and Wefer, G., New chro-

nology for the late Paleocene thermal maximum and its en-

vironmental implications, Geology, 28, 927-930, 2000.

Fig. 1: Schematic of fish teeth Nd utility in reconstructing paleo-deepwater Nd isotopic composition.

13Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3

I

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

NEW COMBINATIONS IN OUR ALPHABET SOUP…NEWS ABOUT THE ODP AND IODP

Sincerely,

Margaret L. Delaney Chair, USSAC

I find myself very encouraged at progress andgood news about various aspects of scien-tific ocean drilling, both present and future.The past year has been a busy and produc-tive time for USSAC, in defining, pursuing, andrepresenting the US science community’s in-terests in scientific ocean drilling. I’ll use thiscolumn to share the good news, as well astell you some of my views about the devel-opments I describe. I’ll begin with JointOceanographic Institutions (JOI) and theOcean Drilling Program (ODP) and will followwith news about progress toward the Inte-grated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), aboutthe interim science advisory structure for IODP,and about US participation in IODP.

First, what are the important changes at JOI,Inc., the prime contractor managing the ODP?As you noticed in the late-breaking news inthe last JOI/USSAC Newsletter, Dr. StevenBohlen, formerly of the United States Geologi-cal Survey, is now the JOI President. I had achance in an early November meeting to ac-quaint Steve with my views of US communityconcerns about ODP and JOI. Steve was alsoable to join us at our most recent USSAC meet-ing in January 2001, and this gave him a muchbroader perspective on the US community’srole and interests in ODP. JOI is currentlysearching for a new Director of ODP at JOI,and I look forward to the outcome of thatsearch as well.

A major focus of our recent USSAC meeting,and of our efforts over the past year, was onpreparing Understanding Our Planet throughOcean Drilling (UPOD), the US companiondocument to the internationally-prepared sci-ence plan for IODP. (The lead article in thisnewsletter gives more information about thecompanion document.) The Initial SciencePlan (ISP) for IODP—Earths, Oceans, and Life:Scientific Investigations of the Earth SystemUsing Multiple Drilling Platforms and NewTechnologies—has been successfully and

positively reviewed by a “blue-ribbon panel”of experts. The science plan is available onthe web at http://www.iodp.org/pdf/IODP_ISP.pdf, while it continues to be refinedand revised. We are working diligently to bringforward a draft version of the US documentfor community review and response, whilemeeting the ambitious goal of having thedocument ready before June 2001, in paral-lel with the final version of the ISP.

The other item of good news in progress to-ward IODP is the establishment of the interimScience Advisory Structure (iSAS). The Inter-national Working Group (IWG), the group offunding agency representatives from nationsexpressing interest in the continuation of sci-entific ocean drilling beyond 2003, hascharged JOIDES and the OD21 Science Ad-visory Committee with peopling the interimScience Advisory Structure (iSAS). At our mostrecent meeting, USSAC provided advice tothe JOIDES SCICOM Chair Keir Becker by pro-viding nominations for membership in the vari-ous bodies of the iSAS.

The iSAS will have a structure parallelling thatof the existing JOIDES Advisory Structure tothe ODP. This includes an interim PlanningCommittee (iPC), an interim Site Survey Panel(iSSP), and an interim Scientific MeasurementsPanel (iSciMP). In particular, the most impor-tant avenue of contact with the communitywill be the interim Science Steering and Evalu-ation Panels (the iSSEPS), one in Environmen-tal Change, Processes, and Effects (iESSEP) andone in Solid Earth Cycles and Geodynamics(iISSEP). As I understand it, these panels willbe charged with interacting with proponentsduring the ODP-IODP transition to work withsubmitted drilling proposals (nurturing, initialassessment, recommending for external re-view, etc.). The iSAS panels should be offi-cially created in June 2001 (this year!) andcontinue through the official start of IODP onOctober 1, 2003. (They will then be replaced

by the permanent advisory structure for theIODP.) The good news here is that you, as pro-ponents, can continue to submit proposalsthat define and shape scientific ocean drill-ing objectives and priorities.

I want to end with an exhortation about ODP.In the past few years, we have often focusedon the impending end of ODP, because theprogram operations officially end on Septem-ber 30, 2003. (Post-cruise activities will havea much longer tail, obviously, as we completeresearch and publication related to ODP ex-peditions.) The focus on the end of ODP isimportant in spurring planning for the futureprogram, but it should not be allowed toobscure the exciting drilling and related sci-ence being carried out in ODP right now andthrough 2003. There are still multiple oppor-tunities to sail as a shipboard scientist and tocarry out science on drilling-related samplesand data within ODP. I encourage you to takeadvantage of these opportunities. If you don’tknow how, please—just ask! Any and all ques-tions, suggestions, and advice are alwayswelcomed by our representatives at JOI, byme, and by any USSAC member.


H

NSF REPORT

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM NSFcontributed by J. Paul Dauphin, Associate Program Director, NSF/ODP

continued on page 16

Here’s a bit of news about NSF, the presentand future drilling programs, and some im-portant events and changes here in the Divi-sion of Ocean Sciences.

Although the FY 2001 NSF budget was re-duced by 4% from the President’s originalrequested level, the overall increase finallyapproved by Congress (13.4%) represents thelargest increase in the history of the agency.High-priority NSF initiatives (Biocomplexity,Information Technology, Nanotechnology,etc.) are likely to see significant growth. TheGeosciences Directorate and the Division ofOcean Sciences expect to see increasesroughly comparable to the overall Foundationincrease. As this article is being written, inter-nal distribution of NSF Program funds have notyet been announced. During the formulationof the 2001 budget, arguments for a higherbudget—from an ODP perspective—were forincreases in US ODP scientific research, in-cluding incremental support for drilling-re-lated research under the MARGINS initiative.

Significant personnel and structural changeshave occurred within the Division of OceanScience. For starters, the Division has been re-organized into three sections. The first, theOcean Section, comprises Biological Ocean-ography, Physical Oceanography and Chemi-cal Oceanography. The second (and new)section is the Marine Geosciences Section,which contains the Marine Geology and Geo-physics Program and the Ocean Drilling Pro-gram. The third section, the Integrative Pro-grams Section, includes support for cross-Di-vision activities, including ship operations, in-strumentation and technical services, theOcean Technology and Interdisciplinary Co-ordination Program, and education activities.Personnel changes have accompanied this re-organization. Larry Clark has been appointedthe new head of the Ocean Section and MikeReeve was named as the head of the Integra-tive Programs Section. Our Division Director,

Mike Purdy left NSF on November 30 to be-come the director of the Lamont-Doherty EarthObservatory. We wish him well in his new en-deavor (Good luck Mike!). Don Heinrichs hasemerged from his retirement to assume theposition of interim Division Director (and act-ing head of the Marine Geoscience Section).Formal recruitment actions are ongoing to fillthe Division Director and Marine GeosciencesSection head positions. Within the Ocean Drill-ing Program, Jamie Allan has departed to be-come the department chair at AppalachianState University. He will be missed, and wewish him well in his new position. Brad Clem-ent from Florida International University will bearriving in April to fill this position. We are alsosearching to fill a second visiting scientist/en-gineer position recently identified for the ODPProgram. It is expected that this position willconcentrate on IODP planning — specificallywith respect to the acquisition of the non-riserdrill ship. The position was announced in theNovember 16 issue of Eos.

Focused funding at NSF in support of ODPscience is divided between the US ScienceSupport Program (USSSP) administered by JOI($6.4M in FY 2000) and a separate unsolicitedproposal/grant activity administered by NSF($9M in FY 2000). As most of you probablyknow, you can keep abreast of USSSP newsby going to http://www.joi-odp.org/USSSP/.At NSF, ODP field programs supported forcalendar year 2001 include: (1) an MCS andOBS study of rifting processes in the Gulf ofAden under the direction of Neil Driscoll(WHOI), John Diebold (LDEO) and Brian Tay-lor (UHawaii); (2) an MCS study ofmegamullions on the Mid Atlantic Ridge byBrian Tucholke (WHOI); (3) a heat flow studyof the eastern Cocos plate under the direc-tion of Andy Fisher (UCSC); (4) an MCS studyof the Gulf of Corinth led by Brian Taylor(UHawaii); (6) construction and installation ofinstrumentation in the corks to be deployedat Nankai under the direction of Keir Becker

(RSMAS): and (7) installation of fly-in corks ineastern Pacific ODP holes. Additional propos-als for field programs are under review. Toview what is being funded through the NSF/ODP unsolicited proposal/grant activity youcan go to: http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_awards.htm/. Emphasis for field pro-grams in 2002 will shift to planning for IODPdrilling; more on this soon in a future article.

The International Working Group (IWG) for theIODP continues to make solid progress to-wards developing the principles and frame-work for a new drilling program to be in placeby October 1, 2003. The major events at themost recent IWG meeting in January includedthe following three discussions:

(1) Discussion of review comments on theIPSC IODP Science Plan. Following IPSC’s sub-mission of the draft initial science plan for theIODP in early October, the IWG commissionedan international blue-ribbon panel to reviewand evaluate the proposed program. Overall,the Committee was highly supportive of theInitial Plan, noting, “the ISP is a bold interdis-ciplinary and international project of extraor-dinary importance, high promise and uniquesignificance.” Primary concerns raised with theInitial Science Plan included: (1) the lack ofdetail on the integration of mission specificplatforms into the plan; (2) a need to clarifythe strategies to encourage partnerships withother programs and industry; (3) a need toclarify the status of required technologies; and(4) further clarification on the cost estimatesfor the IODP. The committee also identifiedconcerns with organization and implementa-tion which need to be clarified in IWG-IODPplanning. Based on these concerns, the IWGhas requested IPSC to modify its Plan prior topublication on May 1.

(2) Discussion and acceptance of the basicprinciples (Platforms, Program, Membership,Implementation, and Management) for the

15Winter 2001, Vol. 13, No. 3

Dr. John M. Armentrout (term ends 9/30/01)Cascade Stratigraphics20060 SE Hwy 224Cackamas, OR 97015-8889phone: (503) [email protected], [email protected]

Dr. Barbara Bekins (term ends 9/30/03)U.S. Geological SurveyMailstop 496345 Middlefield RoadMenlo Park, CA 94025phone: (650) 329-4691; fax: (650) [email protected]

Dr. Timothy J. Bralower* (term ends 9/30/02)Department of Geology, CB#3315University of North CarolinaMitchell Hall, Room 107, South Columbia St.Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3315phone: (919) 962-0704; fax: (919) [email protected]

Dr. Timothy Byrne* (term ends 9/30/01)Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, U-2045University of Connecticut345 Mansfield RoadStorrs, CT 06269-2045phone: (860) 486-4435; fax: (860) [email protected]

Dr. Margaret Delaney, Chair* (term ends 9/30/01)Ocean Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa Cruz1156 High StreetSanta Cruz, CA 95064-1077phone: (831) 459-4736; fax: (831) [email protected]

Dr. Peter B. deMenocal (term ends 9/30/03)Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryColumbia UniversityPalisades, NY 10964phone: (845) 365-8483; fax: (845) [email protected]

Dr. Gregor Eberli* (term ends 9/30/01)Marine Geology and GeophysicsUniversity of Miami/RSMAS4600 Rickenbacker CausewayMiami, FL 33149phone: (305) 361-4678; fax: (305) [email protected]

Dr. Jeffrey Gee (term ends 9/30/03)Geosciences Research Division-0220Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of CaliforniaLaJolla, CA 92093-0220phone: (858) 534-4707; fax: (858) [email protected]

Dr. Jonathan B. Martin (term ends 9/30/02)Department of GeologyUniversity of FloridaP.O. Box 112120241 Williamson HallGainesville, FL 32611-2120phone: (352) 392-6219; fax: (352) [email protected]

Dr. Tommy J. Phelps (term ends 9/30/02)Environmental Sciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryP.O. Box 2008-6036Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6036phone: (865) 574-7290; fax: (865) [email protected]

Dr. Warren L. Prell (term ends 9/30/03)Department of Geological SciencesBrown University324 Brook Street, Box 1846Providence, RI 02912phone: (401) 863-3221; fax: (401) [email protected]

Dr. Carolyn Ruppel (term ends 9/30/03)School of Earth and Atmospheric SciencesGeorgia Institute of Technology221 Bobby Dodd WayAtlanta, GA 30332-0340phone: (404) 894-0231; fax: (404) [email protected]

Dr. John M. Sinton (term ends 9/30/02)Department of Geology and GeophysicsUniversity of Hawaii1680 East-West RoadHonolulu, HI 96822phone: (808) 956-7751; fax: (808) [email protected]

Dr. Deborah K. Smith* (term ends 9/30/02)Department of Geology and Geophysics, MS 22Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution266 Woods Hole RoadWoods Hole, MA 02543phone: (508) 289-2472; fax: (508) [email protected]

Dr. Mike Underwood (term ends 9/30/01)Department of Geological ScienceUniversity of Missouri101 Geology BuildingColumbia, MO 65211phone: (573) 882-4685; fax: (573) [email protected]

Membership term is three years.*USSAC Executive Committee

Dr. J. Paul DauphinAssociate Program Director, ODPNational Science Foundation4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 725Arlington, VA 22230phone: (703) 292-8581; fax: (703) [email protected]

Dr. Thomas DaviesManager, Science ServicesOcean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University1000 Discovery DriveCollege Station, TX 77845-9547phone: (979) 862-2283; fax: (979) [email protected]

Dr. John FarrellProgram Director, JOI/USSSPJoint Oceanographic Institutions1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036-2102phone: (202) 232-3900 x211; fax: (202) [email protected]

USSAC MEMBERSHIP

THE U.S. SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MEMBERS LIAISONS

N E W S L E T T E R

Executive Editor: John FarrellManaging Editor: Andrea JohnsonAssistant Editor: Brecht Donoghue

The JOI/USSAC Newsletter is issued threetimes a year by Joint Oceanographic Insti-tutions (JOI) and is available free ofcharge. JOI manages the internationalOcean Drilling Program (ODP) and the USScience Support Program (USSSP) whichsupports US participation in ODP. Fundingfor JOI/USSSP is provided through a coop-erative agreement with the National Sci-ence Foundation (NSF).

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, orrecommendations expressed in this publi-cation do not necessarily reflect the viewsof NSF or JOI. To subscribe, contact: JOI/USSAC Newsletter, JOI, 1755 Massachu-setts Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington,DC 20036-2102; email: [email protected],phone: 202-232-3900. For more informa-tion about USSSP, visit: www.joi-odp.org.


N E W S L E T T E R

Joint Oceanographic Institutions1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036-2102 USA

PRE-SORTEDFIRST CLASS MAIL

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

SUBURBAN, MDPERMIT NO. 3905

NSF REPORT, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

IODP. These were described in the last news-letter, and can be found on the IODP site athttp://www.iodp.org. The IODP Principles aredesigned to be the basic definition of theIODP and its ground rules for operation, andwill serve as the basis for the formal interna-tional agreements. Final consideration of theManagement principle is scheduled for thenext IWG meeting in June.

(3) Further consideration of a key provision inthe Implementation Principle that calls for es-tablishing an interim Science Advisory Struc-ture (iSAS) to carry-on the planning initiatedby IPSC until the formal IODP Science Advi-sory Structure is established on October 1,2003. The iSAS will be a joint working grouprepresenting JOIDES and OD-21 science ad-visory committees, with approximately 1/3Japanese, 1/3 US, and 1/3 other membership.JOIDES and OD-21 will cooperate in identi-

fying membership on the committees. Thechairs of IPSC and OD-21 scientific advisorycommittees will co-chair iSAS and its govern-ing interim Planning Committee (iPC) and re-port directly to the IWG. IPSC had submitteddraft terms of reference and operational pro-cedures for this new structure and IWG ac-cepted them in January 2001. The IWG co-chairs have formally requested OD-21 andJOIDES advisory structures to form this newadvisory mechanism by June of this year. It isexpected that there will be significant over-lap in membership between correspondingJOIDES and iSAS committees and that thecommittees will meet in conjunction witheach other.

To catch-up further on planning activities forfuture scientific ocean drilling we recommendthat you read about Post-2003 Planning onpage 7 of this newsletter.

Before closing we would like to take this op-portunity to issue a warm welcome to Drs.Chris Harrison and Keir Becker, as the newchairs of EXCOM and SCICOM respectively,with the move of the JOIDES office from theGEOMAR Research Center, University of Kiel,Germany to the University of Miami’s RosenstielSchool of Marine & Atmospheric Science. Wewish them well with their new responsibili-ties in this evolving and challenging period forscientific ocean drilling. At the same time, wewould like to express a sincere debt of grati-tude to the outgoing EXCOM and SCICOMchairs Drs. Helmut Beiersdorf (Bundesanstaltfür Geowissennschafteen und Rohstoffe, Ger-many) and Bill Hay for their efforts on behalfof JOIDES during the past two years.

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