Summary of Earth Structure/Geodynamics
1.
How can the CND be enhanced to better address this
science?
2.
What other approaches could be combined with the
observatory elements to better address the science
questions across the range of spatial/temporal scales?
3.
What experiments, observations, or activities are likely to
yield early success for the ORION program? How can ORION
facilitate that success?
STAGE II-SCENARIO 2
WORKING MODEL
1750 km Backbone
6 Science Nodes
5 Branching Units
9 Water column moorings
Total = $107M
50°N
N11
N10
N7 N8
N5
N9
N6
N4
45°N
N2
N1
N3
130°W
125°W
Science Recommendations for RCO
• Make Cleft an operable node. The benefits of this site
need to be weighed in the context of all other ridge sites.
• Redesign the CND to include the SE corner of the RCO.
Will allow better coverage of JDF, Blanco and future
expansion toward the seismically active Gorda plate.
•
•
N5 no science drivers; to save $ could remove.
Cost/benefit of redundancy.
Science recommendations that impact
both Global/RCO.
• RIDGE community needs to prioritize MOMAR
and EPR.
– Consider Cleft in this discussion. What are the
scientific merits of each and how should they be
ranked?
White: questions 1&2 (biogeochem, ecology, biodiversity)
yellow: question 3 (ridge and subduction sites)
Pink: question 4 (seismic studies of earth structure)
Green: question 5 (air-sea flux)
Question 6 still missing
Global Science Priorities:
1. Occupy existing boreholes drilled for global
seismology. Borehole near EPR (OSN2).
•
If RIDGE chooses EPR site, then prefer another
borehole site (H2O, then 396B).
2. Southern oceans, western Pacific (55ºS
150ºW)
Science recommendation for Global
Margins’ sites
• Margins community needs to prioritize sites:
– Middle America: Non-accretionary continental arc, fluid flux
toward toe of fore arc. A MARGINS focus site. Provides a
comparison with Cascadia.
– Western Pacific: Fluid flux through serpentinite mud volcanoes.
Non-accretionary, ocean arc. Biosphere of interest. Provides a
contrast to Cascadia.
• Choosing Western Pacific would provide more diversity of
subduction zone sites.
• Both margins sites were proposed as high-end spar-type
buoys. Ask margins community to consider what they
could do with less.
White: questions 1&2 (biogeochem, ecology, biodiversity)
yellow: question 3 (ridge and subduction sites)
Pink: question 4 (seismic studies of earth structure)
Green: question 5 (air-sea flux)
Question 6 still missing
Endurance Cabled Arrays
GOM
Oahu
SAB
Science questions relevant to cabled
coastal observatories:
• There were no geophysics questions posed by the
coastal observatories, however, these observatories do
provide excellent opportunities:
– Structure of continental margins
– Hazards/slumping
– Tremor/exotic events
• Coastal observatories provide opportunities to make
connections between continental and marine studies.
Serve as starting point for more extended arrays.
Q2: What other approaches could be combined with
the observatory elements to better address the science
questions across the range of spatial/temporal scales?
• Revive the Ocean Mantle Dynamics Initiative (Webfoot,
portable arrays):
– Provides a mechanism for linking observatories and bridging gap
in scales between local, regional and global studies.
– Links EarthScope with ORION (Webfoot)
– Transportable arrays for problem specific experiments. For
example, higher resolution imaging near margins or mid-plate
regions.
• Use coastal observatories to provide additional linkages
between EARTHSCOPE and ORION
Q2: What other approaches could be combined with
the observatory elements to better address the science
questions across the range of spatial/temporal scales?
•
Design compatible interfaces that allow instrumentation to be moved
among different components of the ORION observatory (global,
RCO, coastal)
•
Make a suite of measurements at all ORION sites (e.g., seismic,
pressure gauge, wave heights) in order to understand coupling
between the solid earth, oceans and atmosphere.
•
NSF/ORION work to leverage the global set of NOAA buoys and
IODP drill holes:
–
–
•
Continuous recording of low data rates (1 sps)
Add sensors
Iridium link, share/increase satellite bandwidth
Q3. What experiments, observations, or activities are
likely to yield early success for the ORION program?
How can ORION facilitate that success?
• Deploy a high bandwidth SPAR
buoy at a dynamic environment
to allow for interactivity and
response to events, return of
data from web cam (educational
component).
– High bandwidth is most useful for
interacting with instruments.
– Most likely locations will be ridge
crest or margins sites.
– Data return/interactivity with sites
would be high profile and exciting.
•
GLOBAL:
–
–
What is the scale, shape and nature of
heterogeneities in the earth’s mantle and core and
how do they relate to key processes such as plate
tectonics, the generation of the earth’s magnetic
field, or variations in earth’s rotation?
What are the linkages between tectonic and
volcanic processes in the ocean crust, from its
formation to its destruction, and ocean ecology and
biogeochemistry, both above and below the seafloor
? (Ridge/Margins processes)
White: questions 1&2 (biogeochem, ecology, biodiversity)
yellow: question 3 (ridge and subduction sites)
Pink: question 4 (seismic studies of earth structure)
Green: question 5 (air-sea flux)
Question 6 still missing
We could group the science questions into:
response of the ocean to surface and subsurface forcing, and internal variability.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Role of hi-lat sourthern ocean in climate change and variability (physical and
biogeochemical and )
What is the effect of unique hi-wind processes on air-sea fluxes ?
How will CO2 uptake affect biogeochemical cycles ?
The effect of changing aerosol forcing on changing ocean productivity and human
health ?
How will changing surface physical forcing due to climate change perturb ocean
ecosystem and flux of carbon to the deep sea and sea floor ?
What is the role of the oceans in preserving global biodiversity ?
What is the interplay between tectonic and volcanic forces and biogeochemistry and
ecology of the oceans ?
What is the mantle circulation that drives plate tectonics ? What is the role of the
superplumes in global mantle circulation ? How does the rotation of the earths inner
core affect length of day and how does interact with the hydrosphere ?
Can we detect changes in the meridional heat flux of the oceans ?
What is the role of eddy fluxes in the evolution of the physics, biology and chemistry
of the upper ocean ?
How do subtropic and subarctic gyres respond to wind and large-scale climate
forcing ?
How does ocean interior heat content affect sealevel rise ?
What is the space-time geography of energy input and dissipation in the ocean ?
1.
How will changing physical forcing due to climate change perturb ocean ecosystem
and flux of carbon to the deep sea and sea floor ? (Includes CO2 impact on
biogeochemical cycles.)
2.
Ecosystem community changes/ Biodiversity/ contrasting regime....
3.
What are the linkages between tectonic and volcanic processes in the ocean crust,
from its formation to its destruction, and ocean ecology and biogeochemistry, both
above and below the seafloor ? (Ridge/Margins processes)
4.
What is the scale, shape and nature of heterogeneities in the earth‘s mantle and core,
and how do they relate to key processes such as plate tectonics, generation of the
earth‘s magnetic field, or variations in earth‘s rotation ?
5.
Impact of extreme and/or episodic conditions and of aerosol/dust on air-sea fluxes....
(physical and biogeochemical)
6.
Over-arching ocean circulation/P.O. question...
Can we detect changes in the meridional heat flux of the oceans ?
What is the role of eddy fluxes in the evolution of the physics, biology and chemistry of the upper
ocean ?
How do subtropic and subarctic gyres respond to wind and large-scale climate forcing ?
How does ocean interior heat content affect sealevel rise ?
What is the space-time geography of energy input and dissipation in the ocean ?
STAGE II-SCENARIO 2
WORKING MODEL
1750 km Backbone
6 Science Nodes
5 Branching Units
9 Water column moorings
Total = $107M
50°N
N11
N10
N7 N8
N5
N9
N6
N4
45°N
N2
N1
N3
130°W
125°W
STAGE II-SCENARIO 2
WORKING MODEL
1750 km Backbone
6 Science Nodes
5 Branching Units
9 Water column moorings
Total = $107M
50°N
N11
N10
N7 N8
N5
N9
N6
N4
45°N
N2
N1
N3
130°W
125°W
Example of Pioneer Arrays
West
Coast System
VENUS
VENUS
VENUS
(March 28, 2006)
STC-SATURN
Leverage systems
OOI -- Global
OOI -- RCO
“NSF long-term coastal
observatories”
Other coastal
observatories
(inventory in progress)
MARS
NOAA backbone
LTERs
Endurance Cabled Arrays
GOM
Oahu
SAB
Integrated East Coast Ocean Observing System
Two powerful current
systems affecting climate,
ecosystem structure, and
the carbon cycle.