GeoScan: Geophysical Site Characterization and Needs

June 6, 2003 – Houston, Texas
Convener: Nathan Bangs

Summary

The transition from ODP to IODP is significant in many aspects including seismic surveying for site characterization. Although 3-D seismic surveys have been conducted and used in ODP drilling (e.g., Legs 156 and 171A near Barbados, and Leg 204 offshore Oregon), they will be a significantly larger part of IODP. Most riser drilling and some non-riser drilling will likely need 3-D surveys of some kind. This workshop was conducted to begin to understand how to address the substantially larger effort that will be required of 3-D surveying for IODP vs. the mainly 2-D surveying of ODP.

The primary focus of the GeoSCAN workshop was regional or exploration surveying to meet the needs for developing science programs that will lead to IODP drilling. We identified this need as distinct from surveys designed to provide geohazards or geotechnical information for specific drill sites, which will also require 3-D seismic data, but with high-resolution and focused on 300 – 500 m below seafloor in small, localized areas around planned drill sites. The focus of the GeoSCAN workshop was on regional surveying because of the current need to develop scientific programs early in IODP; however, as discussed in the workshop and described in the report these data sets can potentially overlap, and feasibility of drill sites should be considered early in the planning stages of drilling, especially riser drilling.

Workshop Report (pdf)

Organizing Committee
Nathan Bangs, University of Texas at Austin
Robert Burger, Joint Oceanographic Institutions
Greg Mountain, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Warren Prell, Brown University
Tom Shipley, University of Texas at Austin