Year: 2019

Call for Participation in Emperor Seamount Chain Seismic Experiment aboard the R/V Langseth 

We invite applications from graduate students, postdocs and early-career scientists to participate in an NSF-funded seismic research experiment aboard the R/V Marcus G. Langseth focused on the Emperor seamount chain. This project will involve the collection of 2D multi-channel seismic reflection data and wide-angle reflection/refraction data along two main transects across and along the Emperor seamount chain to constrain the composition, volume and distribution of magmatic addition beneath the chain and to understand the response of the oceanic plate to magmatic addition. More information about the objectives and design of the project can be found online (https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~djs/hawaii-emperor_seismic_project/main.html). 

The research cruise is scheduled from April 19 – June 1, 2019, and it will depart from Honolulu, Hawaii and return to Kodiak, Alaska. Participants will contribute to collection and onboard processing of seismic data and other underway geophysical data. Applicants do not need to have previous experience with collecting or analyzing active-source seismic data; we hope that this field campaign will provide opportunities for scientists to gain familiarity with these types of data and analyses. Funds are available to cover travel and subsistence costs for US-based scientists. 

To apply to participate, please send a CV and ~1-page statement of interest and experience to Donna Shillington (djs@ldeo.columbia.edu). Applicants will be selected based on the broad relevance of this project and/or type of data to their current research and career objectives.

Application Deadline: March 1, 2018 

SUBITOP TOPO-EUROPE CONFERENCE

5–10 May 2019, Granada, Spain

Early-bird registration and abstract deadline: March 1, 2018

For information and registration: http://topoeurope2019.eu/

Theme: Understanding subduction zone topography through modelling of coupled shallow and deep processes

Tectonic activity and topographic evolution are intimately linked.  This is most powerfully expressed in subduction systems, where geodynamic and geomorphic processes are connected across depths and time scales from individual earthquakes to climate-driven erosion, plate deformation and slab-mantle interactions.  The imprint of all these processes and their links is not only found in the surface topography of subduction systems, but also in their exposed geology and patterns of deformation with attendant hazards. Understanding of the dynamics of subduction systems is advanced by the combined reading of these geophysical, geologic and geomorphic imprints, complemented by physical and numerical modelling.

Key questions include:

• What is the topographic expression of the subduction cycle?
• What are the measurable effects of slab bending and tear at the Earth’s surface? 
• How have these topographic expressions of subduction processes affected surface process systems, from sediment production and routing to atmospheric and oceanic circulation? 
• How strong are the effects of erosion and sedimentation on subduction processes at depth?
• What are the spatial and temporal scales on which the subduction system responds to perturbations and changes of boundary conditions?

This conference brings together researchers from across the spectrum of Geosciences to discuss these questions with insights from models and field and instrumental observations, integrating across time scales and process domains.

TOPO-EUROPE promotes, coordinates and integrates national research programs on geological surface processes and their implications for continental topography and natural hazards in a coherent European network. SUBITOP is an ITN for training and career development of 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESR) in Geodynamics, Geophysics, Geology and Geomorphology.  It has a scientific focus on the dynamics of continental margins where tectonic plates are recycled through subduction.

Call for Participation – PacificArray OBS Recovery Cruise (May-June 2019)

Application Deadline: Feb 11, 2019

Cruise dates: May 6 – June 7, 2019 (flexibility of ±5 days required)

PIs: Jim Gaherty, Zach Eilon, Don Forsyth, Göran Ekström

Science Party: up to 6

We are soliciting apply-to-sail participants for the RV Kilo Moana ocean-bottom seismograph (OBS) recovery cruise, part of the international PacificArray initiative to install OBS arrays across the Pacific plate. We will recover 30 broadband OBS deployed in spring 2018 in a region approximately 500 km NE of the Marquesas Islands in the central Pacific, notable for unexplained gravity lineations that hint at small-scale sub-lithospheric convection. More information about this project can be found online: (https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1658491&HistoricalAwards=false).

Science party responsibilities will include rotating 8-hour watches to assist in recovery of the 30 OBS, collect and archive multi-beam bathymetry and side-scan data, as well as crewing on board oceanographic instrumentation. Cruise activities will include reading and discussion of papers pertinent to the science goals of the experiment. The project blog from the deployment cruise provides a perspective on these activities: (https://pacificorca.wordpress.com/)

Selected applicants will contribute to collecting the open-access data that will be provided to the scientific community for use in addressing a wide spectrum of Earth Science research targets, from marine geophysics to global seismology. Applications from students and early-career scientists are particularly encouraged. Applicants do not need to have experience with the type of data collection they will participate in; we hope that wide community participation in these field campaigns will provide opportunities for scientists to gain familiarity with a variety of data-collection techniques. Funds for travel to/from port (Honolulu, HI) will be provided for US-based researchers.

To apply, please assemble an application package (2-page CV and 1-page statement of interest and experience) and submit it electronically to James Gaherty (gaherty@LDEO.columbia.edu) no later than February 11, 2019. Applications from graduate students and post-docs require a letter of support from the graduate advisor or supervisor.

Dear GeoPRISMS community:

Please make note of this workshop announcement and apply to attend if at all possible.  

However, your input on the following questions is highly valued and encouraged even if you don’t intend to apply.

Looking beyond 2023, what current IODP science plan challenges need to be modified or expanded? How and why? (IODP science plan challenges can be found here – http://www.iodp.org/about-iodp/iodp-science-plan-2013-2023

What new scientific challenges should be formulated in the next IODP science plan?

What is needed in a new U.S. riserless drilling vessel (from coring to shipboard analysis) to answer these new or updated challenges?

The direct link to the workshop announcement is here: https://usoceandiscovery.org/next_workshop/

Although maybe not intuitively obvious, to provide your input, click on the “Apply to the NEXT workshop” button (even if you don’t intend to go), and follow along as if you are applying.  There will be a place to check whether or not you are planning to attend the workshop. 

Thank you for your support!

-Sue DeBari (member of the US Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling)

———– Workshop Announcement  NEXT: Scientific Ocean Drilling Beyond 2023 To the Scientific Ocean Drilling Community,   In December, we announced the U.S. workshop for the future of scientific ocean drilling to be held in Denver, Colorado, USA on May 6-7, 2019. The workshop, entitled “NEXT: Scientific Ocean Drilling Beyond 2023,” will convene approximately 120 IODP community members to develop the U.S. plan for continued scientific ocean drilling without a hiatus at the end of the current program. Progress is being made on plans to replace the aging JOIDES Resolution with a modernized, more capable non-riser drilling vessel to help accommodate our transition to a long-term future in scientific ocean drilling.   The goals of this workshop are to: (1) update existing scientific challenges and identify new challenges to be included in a post-2023 science plan; and (2) identify and prioritize the required technologies and platform needs to enable the scientific ocean drilling research community to address those challenges in a new ocean drilling program.   Space will be limited at this meeting, but it is important to hear all voices and ideas. Therefore, pre-meeting webinars, and possibly live streaming of the workshop, will be available to those who cannot attend. In preparation for the workshop, we ask on the application for you to carefully consider and respond to three questions:

• Looking beyond 2023, what current IODP science plan challenges need to be modified or expanded? How and why?
• What new scientific challenges should be formulated in the next IODP science plan?
• What is needed in a new U.S. riserless drilling vessel (from coring to shipboard analysis) to answer these new or updated challenges?

Below you will find links to the workshop web page, application site, and current science plan. Your answers to the above questions are important and will guide us in our selection of who will be invited to the NEXT workshop. Your input is extremely valuable even if you are not invited or are unable to attend the meeting, as it will inform the discussion prior to the meeting and allow all participants to come prepared with new thoughts and ideas.    The end product of the NEXT workshop will be a document that will be shared with our international partners and the National Science Foundation. This workshop report will also serve to inform other stakeholders such as the deans or directors of our research institutions and our elected representatives in the U.S. Congress.   The application period closes on February 15. Invited participants from U.S. institutions will be supported by the USSSP Office. Interested non-U.S. scientists are encouraged to complete an application and contribute to the community dialog, but must work with their national Program Member Offices with regard to funding. We anticipate around 20-30 openings for international participants, so invitations will be limited.   Sincerely,    Anthony Koppers and Jim Wright, Co-Chairs Instituting US Scientific Ocean Drilling Beyond 2023 (IODP)   NEXT workshop webpageApply to the NEXT workshop (by Feb 15)Current IODP Science Plan

NSF’s Division of Ocean Sciences is sponsoring an April 1-3, 2019 facilitated workshop in Alexandria, Virginia to address plans for future 3D and deep crustal seismic data acquisition for NSF-funded basic research in the marine geosciences. The meeting will necessarily be limited to about 40 participants. We invite researchers interested in participating to submit a statement of interest for this Future of Marine Seismic Capabilities Workshop via SurveyMonkey to:

NSF has established 2020 as the final year of operation of the NSF-owned research vessel R/V Marcus G Langseth (RV  MGL). They seek guidance from the marine seismic research community regarding how to best replace this capability, with the following caveats:

1. A future seismic research vessel should not be owned by NSF; and
2. NSF’s annual budget to support the cost of ship operations, including shipboard technical staff, will not exceed $50 million over five years.

In August 2017, NSF sought proposals to replace the RV MGL capability in solicitation NSF 17-563, “Provision of Marine Seismic Capabilities to the US Research Community.” However, after review, all proposals submitted for consideration under that solicitation were declined. 

The goal of the Future of Marine Seismic Capabilities Workshop is to provide the basis for a new solicitation by NSF for proposals to address the community’s requirements for a RV MGL replacement beyond 2020. The workshop will focus on a few specific recommendations to be prepared ahead of the meeting. It is anticipated that the workshop will lead to a solicitation that will be issued by NSF during summer 2019, with a goal to make an award before the end of the year.

Some background documents are available at:

In addition, we plan to prepare two webcasts, one in late January and the second in late February, to outline the options to be considered at the April meeting.

For more information, please contact Alexander Shor (shor@soest.hawaii.edu).

Please see below for sessions of interest to the GeoPRISMS Community, taking place at the 2019 IUGG General Assembly held at Montréal, Canada (July 8-18, 2019).

Abstract submission is open at http://iugg2019montreal.com/abstract-submission.html

Abstract deadline is February 18, 2019

Please contact the GeoPRISMS Office at info@geoprisms.nineplanetsllc.com if you wish to advertise your sessions of interest on the GeoPRISMS Listserv.

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JS03 – Subduction Zone Deformation and Structure

Subduction zones encompass a range of significant processes contributing to the long-term evolution of the Earth. Megathrust earthquakes along subduction margins define a major geohazard capable of catastrophic damages, as evidenced by the 2011 Japan and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquakes, that are stark reminders of what is likely in store for Cascadia. However, our understanding of subduction zone processes and ultimately characterization of geohazards is hampered by a lack of observations, in particular offshore. For Cascadia, this data gap lies directly above the seismogenic zone and its downdip transition to slow earthquake phenomena, where material properties evolve due to hydro-mechanical variations and metamorphic reactions. In recent years, improvements to permanent monitoring networks and dense temporary deployments have focused on a 4D characterization of stress, strength and fluid pressure evolution in subduction zones. In this session we invite contributions from a broad range of disciplines that address first-order questions about how megathrusts work, based on onshore/offshore surveys and integration of observation and modeling approaches for global subduction zones.

S20 – Earthquake Source Mechanics

Recent high-quality seismic and geodetic observations provide large volumes of data, which enable accurate determination of earthquake source parameters, including locations, magnitudes, moment tensors, and detailed imaging of coseismic rupture processes. Further, techniques for solving inverse problems have improved substantially in the recent past. Abundant information from these analyses is the basis for studying a variety of earthquakes including swarms, tectonic and volcanic events as well as induced events, and to seek the governing laws and conditions for rupture initiation, growth and arrest. It also provides useful input to estimate the stress state, fault geometry, and fluid movement around seismic regions. The entire earthquake process from long-term tectonic loading and slow nucleation to rapid rupture propagation with strong motion radiation is now studied using numerical simulations. The validity of assumptions in these simulations is tested by data analysis and laboratory experiments supported by several drilling projects. In this symposium, we invite contributions on data analysis and interpretation of earthquake parameters and source processes, on improvement and validation of routine analysis techniques, on theoretical and numerical modeling of dynamic ruptures and earthquake sequences, and observational and experimental studies on the physics of earthquakes. In addition, studies of significant earthquakes including recent events such as the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan (Mw 7.0), Central Italy (Mw 6.2), and 2017 Mexico (Mw 8.1 & 7.1) earthquakes are welcome.

Conveners: Satoshi Ide, Naofumi Aso, Simone Cesca, Daniela Kühn, Yajing Liu, Seok Goo Song

Best regards,

Satoshi Ide (ide@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp)

Call for Participation: High-Res Patagonia Lacustrine Seismic Cruise (May 2019)

Application Deadline: Feb 15, 2019

Cruise dates: May 1-31, 2019 (flexibility of ±5 days on either end required)

PI: M. Beatrice Magnani

Science Party: up to 5

Applications are being solicited to participate in the Argentinian Patagonia lacustrine cruise, part of the multidisciplinary GUANACO Project that will acquire ~500 km of high-resolution seismic reflection data in the proglacial region of Lago Argentino, located in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Argentina. The data collected during the cruise will image the glacial history of the region, which today is experiencing very rapid vertical uplift (~4 cm/yr at peak) due to glacial isostatic adjustment, and provide key observational constraints on glacier fluctuations, bedrock erosion and sediment transport.

Science party responsibilities will include daily 8-hour watches to assist in deployment and recovery of the streamer, airgun and chirp equipment, collect, process and archive multi- and single-channel seismic reflection data, as well as crewing on board seismic instrumentation. Cruise activities will include reading and discussion of papers pertinent to the science goals of the experiment. We will maintain a project blog throughout the cruise and participants will be encouraged to contribute.

Applications from graduate students and early-career scientists are encouraged. Applicants need to have experience with seismic reflection data collection, either marine or land. Funds for travel to/from Patagonia will be provided for US-based researchers.

To apply, please assemble an application package (2-page CV and 1-page statement of interest and experience) and submit it electronically to M. Beatrice Magnani (mmagnani@smu.edu) no later than February 15, 2019. Applications from graduate students and post-docs require a letter of support from the graduate advisor or supervisor.

https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/earlycareer2019/index.html

Application deadline: March 24, 2019

If you are in your first three years of a permanent faculty position, please apply to join us for a multi-day workshop in a stimulating and resource-rich environment where you will participate in sessions on topics including effective teaching strategies, course design, establishing a research program in a new setting, working with research students, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and time management. Participants must have a full-time faculty position at a two-year or four-year college or a university at the time of the workshop and must be in their first three years of full-time teaching or starting a full-time position in the Fall. The workshop is offered by NAGT On the Cutting Edge professional development program for geoscience faculty with support from the National Science Foundation, Geological Society of America and American Geophysical Union.

The workshop registration fee is estimated at ~$925 ($875 for NAGT members). Accommodations and some meals will be covered by the registration fee. Travel is not included in the registration fee. Participants or their home institutions must provide transportation to and from the workshop. In cases where the cost of attending this workshop would cause financial hardship, you may be able to apply for a stipend to help defray these costs. Ask your department or university for funds to attend as well – many have been quite supportive. The registration fee will be due after notification of acceptance into the workshop.

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Dear GeoPRISMS Friends of Subduction Zone Research:

This email is a community update on exciting new developments in the planning for a future subduction zone research program envisioned to span the U.S. research community: the SZ4D Initiative, or Subduction Zones in Four Dimensions. The outcome of the massive Subduction Zone Observatory Workshop (Boise, October, 2016) was the 2017 report The SZ4D Initiative: Understanding the Processes that Underlie Subduction Zone Hazards in 4D (www.iris.edu/sz/sz4d.pdf), known as the SZ4D Vision Document. It laid out a vision for an ambitious decadal-scale program of research themes and potential infrastructure to advance our predictive understanding of the processes behind subduction-related geohazards, but also acknowledged that the development of a specific and detailed community-driven plan would require time and sustained effort.

NSF responded by funding an SZ4D Steering Committee Research Coordination Network (RCN) for three years to shape a concrete and comprehensive SZ4D implementation plan. NSF also funded two other closely-related SZ4D RCNs: the Modeling Collaboratory for Subduction Zones (MCS) and the Community Network for Volcanic Eruption Response: (CONVERSE). These are truly grass-roots endeavors for the community to build SZ4D. The more than $1 million in funding from NSF for these development and planning activities signals to us their very robust interest in the nascent SZ4D effort. All three of these RCNs had kick-off activities late in 2018.

The SZ4D Steering Committee is beginning active development of Working Groups that will be charged with taking broad community input and turning it into a blueprint for a full SZ4D Program. An open call for members of those Working Groups will be forthcoming soon. The working group themes will be Megathrust Processes, Magmas to Eruptions, and Subduction to Surface Links.

If you would like to be engaged with SZ4D activities, we have two requests of you today:

1. Sign up so we can contact you, and
2. Provide your input to the CORES survey to support subduction zone science.

Sign Up for SZ4D Updates and Info

An SZ4D website is under development. In the meantime, please sign up for the new SZ4D listserv so that you won’t miss future updates and developments! Here is the link to the very simple form: https://goo.gl/forms/6m6TSMEDjVqMW7cK2

Please Provide Input to the NRC CORES Committee on the Future of NSF Earth Sciences

The National Research Council of the National Academies is conducting a “decadal” study Catalyzing Opportunities for Research in the Earth Sciences (CORES) for NSF’s Division of Earth Sciences. The purpose of the CORES study is to: (1) identify a concise set of high-priority scientific questions for the next decade, (2) assess infrastructure needed to address these questions, and (3) determine opportunities for greater collaboration with other NSF divisions and directorate, federal agencies, and domestic and international partners.

CORES has a Community Input Form (https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4717567/CORES-Community-Input). There you will be asked for you input on a) important scientific topics in your discipline and across all disciplines, b) ideas for needed infrastructure,  c) how best to leverage NSF resources, d)  how to train a workforce for innovation and discovery.

This is an excellent opportunity to voice your support for SZ4D themes and subduction zone science! This CORES study will be absolutely critical in determining the priorities for NSF Earth Science in the years to come. A resounding response from our community is essential. We strongly urge you to answer the brief survey. There is no deadline, but input has been solicited over the past month.

One area of particular interest for SZ4D science is a strong connection between the land and marine approaches to solid earth science, which falls between the EAR and OCE mandates at times. This is a good opportunity to address that that in the context of collaboration across NSF divisions.

The CORES website (http://nas-sites.org/dels/studies/cores/) provides more detailed information on the statement of task for the committee, the membership of the committee, and how to subscribe to receive updates from the committee.

Harold Tobin

(on behalf of the SZ4D RCN Steering Committee)