UK joins the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program
| ICDP-UK workshop |
The 1st ICDP-UK workshop was held on 3 July 2012 |
The UK is an active member of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) but has never participated as a member of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). As geologists and geoscientists (and as emphasised in recent forward looks on our science www.ukgeoscience.org.uk) it is essential that we have access to key geological sections which can be well constrained in terms of time and formation. This allows us to determine the processes of global change that affect the Earth and to understand the controls on resource development. In addition, through instrumentation of the drill holes we can monitor and model natural hazards and fluid-related biological processes in the sub-surface.
NERC agreed that BGS could invest in membership of the ICDP on behalf of the Earth Science Sector to build national capability for the UK geoscience community. This will allow UK geoscientists to fully participate in both IODP and ICDP and to develop synergies between these programmes. At the same time BGS will work with European countries through ECORD-IODP and the European members of ICDP to create a European infrastructure for scientific research drilling.
The cost of membership of ICDP is significantly lower than IODP. ICDP provides operational support and scientific evaluation support for approved drilling proposals, but it is up to the proposing scientists to use an 'a la carte' funding mechanism to generate the operational, management and science costs for a particular drilling project.
More information can be found on the main ICDP web site.
As of today UK scientists can actively engage with ICDP in the same manner as other member countries' scientists.
John Ludden
Executive Director
British Geological Survey