Expedition 402 (Tyrrhenian Continent-Ocean Transition): In a bid to shed light on the enigmatic process of mantle exhumation during lithospheric extension, the International Ocean Discovery Program announces Expedition 402. Initiated in response to the ongoing debate over the nature and genesis of continent-ocean transitions, sparked by the discovery in the 1980’s of exposed mantle in the continent–ocean transition (COT) west of Iberia, this expedition aims to address critical questions about the mechanisms of continental break-up, the inception of seafloor spreading, and the nature of COTs.

See the full Press Release here.

Expedition 401 (Atlantic-Mediterranean Gateway Exchange): The exchange of seawater between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean has a tremendous impact on global climate both through ocean chemistry and its circulation patterns. By studying the opening and restriction of gateways between these bodies of water, Expedition 401 seeks to uncover secrets about past climates buried beneath hundreds of meters of water and rock. This expedition forms part of the larger IMMAGE Project, the first land-to-sea drilling project.

See the full Press Release here.

Discovery of products from an explosive submarine eruption in Santorini Caldera implies more hazardous behavior of the Kameni Volcano: Scientist Jonas Preine and colleagues from the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 398 Hellenic Arc Volcanic Field have found evidence of a historical submarine explosive eruption of Kameni Volcano, Santorini. Their paper in Nature Geoscience (March 25th) details newly discovered submarine pumice and ash deposits that support historical writings about a submarine eruption in 726 CE which produced pumice rafts that covered the sea over an immense area reaching the coasts of Asia Minor, over 400 km away. The study suggests a greater volcanic hazard exists than previously thought, which has important implications for hazard assessments of recharging volcanic systems locally and globally.

See the full Press Release here.

Announcement of the Non-Renewal of the JOIDES Resolution Operations and Maintenance Cooperative Agreement

Ocean-drilling ship that revolutionized Earth science due to retire

An ambitious vision for the future of scientific ocean drilling

Drilling Deeper into Ocean Floor in Search for Origins of Life

Lab Coats and Hardhats: The People Behind the Expeditions in Scientific Ocean Drilling 

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