International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) - FY2019-2023

Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam - Deutsches Geoforschungszentrum Gfz, Potsdam

Investigators

Abstract

Scientific drilling is an indispensable tool of modern Earth Science research because it provides the only means of obtaining direct information about on-going processes below the surface of the Earth. Large international teams and multi-source funding are necessary to conduct drilling projects of this scale. This award will support the United States' involvement in international continental scientific drilling. Multi-national efforts in continental scientific drilling have been coordinated by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) since 1996. The concept for this program was developed in response to the international geosciences community's need for scientific drilling as an essential tool to achieve a better understanding of fundamental Earth processes and structure. ICDP fosters proposals through international workshops that assist researchers in the development of a full drilling proposal. To date, 86 such workshops have been funded and have resulted in a total of 37 ICDP-supported and successfully executed drilling projects. Thematically, the activities have covered various geoscientific key challenges focused on paleoclimate investigations, earthquake and volcano research, impact events, geodynamics, and potential energy resources. Under the umbrella of the science program, ICDP addresses key societal challenges in hazards, resources, and the environment. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.