European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling

From 1968 and the verification of the Plate Tectonics hypothesis, the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and later, from 1985 to 2003, the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) have undertaken an unprecedented programme of international research in Earth science. Europe & Canada, jointly to the U.S.A. and Japan, have helped to shape a new era of research using scientific ocean drilling. This new science plan, the Initial Science Plan (ISP) for IODP, "Earth, Oceans, and Life: Scientific Investigations of the Earth System using Multiple Drilling Platforms and New Technologies," involves several platforms for advanced sampling of the ocean floor by drilling and provides a critically needed data-base for undertsanding the complex functioning of the Earth system.

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), the new international program
for oceanic drilling started up in October 1, 2003 joining the U.S.A.,
Japan and ECORD. China joined IODP in April 2004,
and South Korea in June 2006.

IODP structure: The program is funded by 5 agencies, NSF and MEXT as Lead Agencies, EMA, as Contributing Member, MOST (China) and KIGAM (South Korea) as Associate Members.
The program is managed by IODP-MI, IODP Management International Inc.
Working as a central management organisation, with SAS, Science Advisory Structure, it develops and manages the implementation plans for the IODP science program.

SAS comprising 8 standing committees, conducts the IODP scientific plannning such as the scientific evaluation, ranking, and scheduling of the drilling proposals submitted to the IODP-MI Sapporo Office.

3 Implementing Organisations (IOs) undertake science operations of the vessels and platforms :

IODP-USIO, comprising the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Texas A&M University (TAMU), and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, for the riserless vessel (JOIDES Resolution and its successor),
CDEX-Centre of Deep Earth Exploration for the riser vessel Chikyu,
ESO-ECORD Science Operator, for mission-specific platforms (MSPs).

3 Scientific Supports and 2 Program Member Offices are responsible for the scientific planning and coordinate and support scientist participation in IODP and work closely with the IODP Science Advisory Structure (SAS):

USSSP (US Science Support Program) for the U.S.A.,
J-DESC (Japan Drilling Earth Consortium) for Japan,
ESSAC (ECORD Science Support and Advisory Committee) for ECORD,
MOST (Ministry of Science and Technology) for (China),
KIGAM (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources for South Korea.

l Acronyms l Addresses l Contact ECORD l IODP News l Links l Members l Vacancies l

ECORD - European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling
EMA - ECORD Managing Agency 2004
ema@ipgp.jussieu.fr