RIE Implementation Workshop


 November 4-6, 2010
Santa Fe, New Mexico

 icon-download Download the Implementation Plan

AnnouncementAgenda - Presentation archiveStudent PresentationsWhite Papersmore infoOutcomes

A MARGINS/GeoPRISMS-sponsored workshop on the new GeoPRISMS Rift Initiation and Evolution (RIE) Initiative will be held November 4-6, 2010 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This workshop will produce the implementation plan for the RIE component of the GeoPRISMS Science Plan. Participants will further refine the themes and the unanswered questions proposed in the RIE Initiative in the GeoPRISMS Draft Science Plan. We will also develop the science implementation plan. Two key goals of this workshop are to resolve which themes and questions require “Primary Sites” for concentrated, collaborative investigations, and to finalize selection of one or two such Sites. The RIE Initiative addresses four broad questions:

  1. Where and why do continental rifts initiate?
  2. How do fundamental rifting processes (such as tectonics, magmatism, and erosion, transport, and sedimentation), and the feedbacks between them, evolve in time and space?
  3. What controls the structural and stratigraphic architecture of rifted continental margins during and after breakup?
  4. What are the mechanisms and consequences of fluid and volatile exchange between the Earth, oceans, and atmosphere at rifted continental margins, and between the lithosphere and the mantle?

The workshop will consist of two days of presentations, poster-sessions and breakout group discussions, followed by a half-day discussion to finalize the implementation plan including decisions on Primary Sites. Workshop participants will focus on refining RIE science goals and establishing accomplishment milestones in order to answer the RIE research questions in a 5 and 10 year time period. Participants will also evaluate strategies to address these goals, including opportunities for collaboration with international and national research partners, sister organizations, and industry. On the afternoon of the third day, there will be an optional half-day field trip to various sites within the Rio Grande rift.
Interested researchers from all countries should submit an application online by August 1, 2010. The application should include a brief statement of interest and a short C.V. All scientists interested in rifted margin studies are encouraged to apply, independent of past involvement in MARGINS or GeoPRISMS. Post-docs, senior graduate students, and members of underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to participate. Selected participants will be notified by Sept. 1, 2010. Funding from NSF is expected to cover a significant fraction of travel and accommodation costs for U.S. participants. Questions or comments may now be directed to the GeoPRISMS Office: info (at) geoprisms.nineplanetsllc.com.

Workshop Conveners:

Mike Oskin – University of California, Davis (Chair)
Ramon Arrowsmith – Arizona State University
Peter Flemings – University of Texas, Austin
Donna Shillington – Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
Jolante van Wijk – University of Houston

Day 1 | Wednesday, November 3

4-7:00 pm Loretto Hotel Lobby Registration in the Loretto Hotel lobby with cash bar. Collect your meeting folder and name tag here. Post day one posters.

7:00 pm Meeting organizers gather for dinner out.

Day 2 | Thursday, November 4

7:30 am Zuni Ballroom Coffee and Muffins (grad student orientation)

8:00 am Meeting welcome and logistics | Mike Oskin/organizing committee

8:10 am Summary of RIE Science Plan | Juli Morgan

8:20 am NSF & Other VIP comments

8:30 am Theme Session 1 – Initiation
how and why do continental rifts initiate? |   1Mb – Ramon Arrowsmith
Science Plan Review
Afar/Aden example |   10Mb Derek Keir

Woodlark basin example | Suzanne Baldwin

9:30 am break & posters

10:00 am Theme Session 2 – Evolution
How do fundamental rifting processes (such as tectonics, magmatism, and erosion, transport, and sedimentation), and the feedbacks between them, evolve in time and space? |   3Mb Donna Shillington
Science Plan Review
model perspective |   3MbLuc Lavier
observation perspective |   9MbGraham Kent

11:00 am Grad-student poster pop-ups

11:20 am Charge to Break-Out Groups (Mike Oskin)

11:30 am Break outs 1 & 2 (small groups discuss, each w/leader and scribe)

talk about this science topic. 4 groups, two sets of questions (theme 1 and theme 2). Issues to consider: a) What is the compelling science? b) What is achievable in 5 years? c) What is achievable in 10 years (GeoPRISMS nominal lifetime)? d) What are highest priorities for sequestered GeoPRISMS program funds? e) Which themes require Primary Sites for concentrated, collaborative investigations? f) What specific types of experiments or observations are needed at these sites? g) Provide a ppt summary slide of implementation strategy.

12:30 pm Lunch & posters

2:00 pm Theme Session 3 – Architecture
What controls the structural and stratigraphic architecture of rifted continental margins during and after breakup? |   1Mb Jolante van Wijk
Science Plan Review
stratigraphic architecture |   4MbWonsuck Kim

passive margin deformation |   6MbFrank Bilotti

3:00 pm break & posters

3:30 pm Theme Session 4 – Fluids
What are the mechanisms and consequences of fluid and volatile exchange between the Earth, oceans, and atmosphere at rifted continental margins, and between the lithosphere and the mantle? |   2Mb Peter Flemings
Science Plan Review
mantle / volcanism |   6Mb Tobias Fischer

crustal fluid systems |   17MbJoe Cartwright

4:30 pm Break outs 3 & 4

5:30 pm Break for dinner on your own– recommend that break-out group report writers eat together. Grad-student group dinner.

7:00-9:00 pm breakout group report preparation / grad-student poster judging

Day 3 | Friday, November 5

7:30 am Coffee and Muffins & poster trade-out (take down day 1, post day 2)

8:00 am Overview of schedule and goals of day | Mike Oskin

8:10 am Break-out 1A & 1B report & discussion (10 min presentation from each group, followed by 15 minute discussion of theme implementation strategy)

8:45 am Earthscope collaboration opportunities | Mousumi Roy

9:10 am Break-out 2A & 2B report & discussion

9:45 am Break

10:00 am USGS & IODP collaboration opportunities |   2MbCarolyn Ruppel

10:25 am Break-out 3A & 3B report & discussion

11:00 am industry collaboration opportunities | Lori Summa

11:25 am Break-out 4A & 4B report & discussion

12:00 pm Lunch (& grad student implementation report prep)

1:30 pm Implementation Strategies 1 (Short talks based on submitted white papers)

2:45 pm Break

3:00 pm Grad student-led presentation on implementation strategy

3:30 pm Implementation Strategies 2

4:45 pm Charge to break-out groups and discussion of site ranking procedure

5:00 pm Break-out group discussion: Formulate 1 or 2 straw implementation plans based on evaluation of sites, White Paper presentations

6:00 pm Meeting banquet, award for best grad-student poster & special presentation  | Karl Karlstrom & Laura Crossey

7:30 pm Poster Session & break-out group report preparation

Day 4 | Saturday, November 6

7:30 am – Coffee and Muffins

8:00 am Intro to structure of science plan writing and organization of day | Mike Oskin

8:15 am Group Discussion of Overall Implementation Plan (including reports of break-out groups from end of day 2)
a) What is the compelling science? b) What is achievable in 5 years? c) What is achievable in 10 years (GeoPRISMS nominal lifetime)? d) Which themes require Primary Sites for concentrated, collaborative investigations? e) What are highest priorities for sequestered GeoPRISMS program funds?

9:45 am Summarize viable implementation strategies for consideration.

10:00 am Break & non-binding secret ballot on implementation strategies

10:30 am Group Discussion of Primary Sites

11:30 am Decision on Primary Sites (by consensus or by ballot)

12:00 pm Meeting ends, optional half-day field trip

12:00 pm Lunch (writing team only)

1:00-5:00 pm Writing team meeting

 icon-download Download the compiled white papers

The Walker Lane Rift System: A Natural Laboratory to Study Rift Initiation that Culminated in Seafloor Spreading (in the Gulf of California) |  1Mb Cathy Busby et al.

The East African Rift System: A possible primary or thematic site |  6MbAtekwana et al., Ebinger, Gaherty et al., Reilinger et al., Rooney et al.

Oblique rifted margins: Lena trough as an archetype |  1Mb – Dick et al.

Submarine Landslides Rapid Response Opportunities |  1Mb Brandon Dugan et al.

Active Faulting and Magmatic Processes: Fundamental Constraints on Passive Margin Formation |  6Mb – Cindy Ebinger et al.

US Atlantic Continental Margin |  1Mb Gaherty et al., Hornbach et al., Olsen et al.

Continental Breakup and Formation of Rifted Margins: The Gulf of Mexico as a Natural Laboratory |  10Mb D. Harry et al.

Woodlark Rifting White Paper: Important processes and implementation |  25Mb Mann et al.

Final participant list (last update 09-24)

Conference venue: Loretto Hotel

Thank you to the meeting attendees for participating in the difficult process of reaching a consensus on the future direction of GeoPRISMS. The active engagement of a vibrant community is essential to the success of the program. Also, a special thanks to all of the speakers, break-out group leaders / co- leaders, and White Paper authors, without whom we could not have had such a meaningful debate on the direction of the RIE component of GeoPRISMS. Finally, we want to recognize the enthusiastic participation of the graduate students, which greatly influenced this process. For those that could not attend, the decision process on Primary Sites is as follows:

Active Margin: East Africa Rift system (onshore / lacustrine)
Passive Margin: North Atlantic (U.S., Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland)

There remains a number of important tasks ahead. The conveners and selected meeting participants will develop a draft of the implementation plan by January 5 for review by the community. This plan will be submitted to NSF by February 1 if not sooner. It is apparent from the size of the Primary Sites (each are 1000s of km in length), that additional planning workshops will be forthcoming to further focus community efforts and develop proposals for gathering of community data sets.

Workshop Conveners (in alphabetical order):

Mike Oskin – University of California, Davis (Chair)
Ramon Arrowsmith – Arizona State University
Peter Flemings – University of Texas, Austin
Donna Shillington – Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
Jolante van Wijk – University of Houston