Deep Carbon
Observatory Deep Life
Workshop to Develop
an ICDP Drilling Project
Deep life studies have “piggy-backed”
onto ICDP drilling projects,
(e.g., Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater,
COSC in Sweden, Oman Ophiolites,
Bushveld Complex?),
But, piggy-backing is problematic:
• ICDP structure makes it hard to
come in late – no Ancillary Project
Letters
• Drilling/sampling plans get set in
stone early in the process
• Difficult to add tracers, subcoring,
etc.
• Biologists get low priority for
scheduling, samples.
COSC ICDP drilling
Summer 2014
ICDP needs the
continental drilling
equivalent of IODP Leg 201.
Compelling research question
and site that will pave the way
for future deep-life-driven
projects.
ICDP wants deep life, but
the continental deep life
community has been slow to
initiate a bio-driven drilling
project.
ICDP Selection Criteria
Global Criterion -- The proposed projects should focus on drilling targets which represent
problems of global significance (“World Class Problems”) and be conducted at the best
possible locations world-wide (“World Geological Sites”).
International Criterion -- ICDP projects should be international in scope in order to choose
the very best targets, to optimise scientific yields, and to pool technological and financial
resources
Need-for-Drilling Criterion -- The ICDP should only choose drilling projects where it can
clearly be shown that the necessary information is not otherwise obtainable than by drilling,
or which exploit the unique environment of the borehole.
Depth-and-Cost Criterion -- The ICDP projects should try to be cost effective by minimizing
the depth, difficulty, and hence cost, of the drilling targets selected, by judicious choice of
the best possible locations worldwide for the classes of phenomena being investigated.
Societal-Needs Criterion -- The ICDP projects, where appropriate, should strive to
collaborate with industry, and not only be concerned with purely academic issues. Where
possible it should give preference to projects, which have some relevance to societal needs,
such as energy and mineral resources and geological hazards, etc.
Active-Processes Criterion -- The ICDP should put special emphasis on the study of active
rather than ancient systems. Drilling projects should focus on projects where drilling
provides crucial information, not
ICDP application
flowchart
DCO DL ICDP
Workshop, Nov. 2014
Jan 2016 or 2017
Jan. 2015
Late 2015 (or 2016)
Obtain external
funds
Drill in 2018??
Proposed sites – so far
Let’s consider other sites, as well.
Conduct a systematic, global survey.
Basalt flows
Geologic provinces
?
Ni-Cu-PGE sulphides
Ophiolites
Shale oil/gas