Apply to Sail: Expedition 390/393 South Atlantic Transect

 


 

SPECIAL CALL: The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is seeking scientists with expertise in the following disciplines to apply for Expedition 393 (7 Jun-7 Aug 2022): paleomagnetics and physical properties. The deadline to apply for this special call is February 23, 2022 at 11:59 PM EST.

 


 

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is now accepting applications for scientific participants on Expeditions 390 and 393 South Atlantic Transect 1 and 2, aboard the JOIDES Resolution.

 

South Atlantic Transect Expeditions 390 and 393 are a multidisciplinary and joint scientific ocean drilling project that aims to recover complete sedimentary sections and ~200 m of oceanic crust along a crustal age transect at ~31°S across the South Atlantic Ocean to: (1) investigate the history of low-temperature hydrothermal interactions between the aging ocean crust and the evolving South Atlantic Ocean; (2) quantify past hydrothermal contributions to global geochemical cycles; (3) investigate the sediment and basement-hosted microbial community in the low energy South Atlantic Gyre subseafloor biosphere; and (4) investigate the response of subtropical biota and ocean circulation in the core of the global conveyor belt and the subtropical gyre in the South Atlantic Ocean as a result of the opening of the Drake Passage.

 

The South Atlantic Transect expeditions will target six primary sites on 7, 15, 31, 49, and 61 Ma ocean crust. The proposed transect, which follows a Mid-Atlantic Ridge crustal flow-line, will fill critical gaps in our sampling of intact in-situ ocean crust with regards to crustal age, spreading rate, and sediment thickness. The transect traverses the previously unexplored sediment- and basalt-hosted deep biosphere beneath the South Atlantic gyre, samples of which are essential to refine global biomass estimates and investigate microbial ecosystems’ responses to variable conditions in a low energy gyre and aging ocean crust. The transect is located near World Ocean Circulation Experiment line A10, providing present-day carbonate chemistry and deep-water mass properties across the western South Atlantic for comparison to records of key Cenozoic intervals of elevated atmospheric CO2 and rapid climate change. Reconstruction of the history of the deep western boundary current and deep-water formation in the Atlantic basins will yield crucial data to test hypotheses regarding the role of evolving thermohaline circulation patterns in climate change, and the effects of tectonic gateways and climate on ocean acidification.

 

The expeditions will take place from 7 April to 7 June 2022 (Expedition 390) and 7 June to 7 August 2022 (Expedition 393). For up-to-date operational information and scientific prospectus, please visit the expedition webpages: http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/south_atlantic_transect.html

 

COVID-19 Protocol: The JRSO has created a protocol to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. If pandemic conditions have not improved by early-mid 2022, one or both expeditions may need to sail with a reduced shipboard contingent. However, all participants will maintain their designation as science party members regardless of whether they sail or not, and will have equal access to all expedition data and core materials. The protocol is available here: http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/JR_COVID-Mitigation-Protocols.pdf.

 

This is a special call for scientists with expertise in paleomagnetics or physical properties to apply for Expedition 393 . The JOIDES Resolution Science Operator (JRSO) is committed to a policy of broad participation and inclusion, and to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all program participants. We encourage applications from all qualified scientists, including graduate students. Good working knowledge of the English language is required.

 

U.S.-affiliated scientists interested in responding to the special call should apply to sail through the U.S. Science Support Program – click here to review the application process and link to the USSSP Application Portal. The deadline to apply for the special call is February 23, 2022.

 

For questions, please email usssp@ldeo.columbia.edu.