A Workshop for Cooperative Studies of Earth's Deep Interior

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Study of Earth's deep interior is a multidisciplinary and international activity. The Cooperative Studies of Earth's Deep Interior (CSEDI) program was conceived in the 1990s to facilitate multidisciplinary research activities in this area by US researchers. The last update to the research plan was produced in 2004. Numerous advances over the past decade make this a good time for the deep Earth community to revisit the CSEDI science plan and articulate future directions for the CSEDI program. This award will support a community-wide workshop in January 2015. Studies of Earth's deep interior provide the key to the evolution of our planet to its present state, and inform us about its role and deep impacts on climate the hydrosphere and biosphere. The proposed workshop will provide the opportunity for multidisciplinary discussions around the following themes and subtopics: (1) Evolution of Earth and Planets, Path to the Present: Initial Conditions; Planetary Formation; Early Life; Early Tectonic Regimes; Thermal evolution. (2) Deep Earth Engine, Present state and dynamics: Structure and Origin of Major interfaces; Geodynamo; Pattern of large scale flow in the Mantle; Core structure. (3) Deep Impacts on Climate/Hydrosphere/ Biosphere and the Future: Role of volatiles; melt; mass and heat fluxes. The role of research infrastructure and community organizations in CSEDI will also be discussed. Breaking down barriers to doing truly multidisciplinary research is particularly important for improving our understanding of the way the Earth works. The proposed workshop will engage the CSEDI community at all levels from early career researchers to senior participants fully aware of how deep earth research has evolved over their careers. It will not only evaluate where our science is, but will also consider the question of how best to do multidisciplinary science to solve the problems that face us. Deep Earth topics also have a strong appeal to the public, since they include planetary evolution on time scales ranging from accretion of the Earth through origin of the geomagnetic field, development of early life, formation of Large Igneous Provinces and present day hazards related to volcanic process and climate change.