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August 9, 2016
JAMSTEC

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 362
- The Sumatra Seismogenic Zone -

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP)*1 Expedition 362, “The Sumatra Subduction Zone” began with the JOIDES Resolution*2, which will set sail from Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 9, 2016.

Drilling offshore North Sumatra, this expedition aims to establish (1) the initial and evolving properties of the North Sumatran incoming sediments and (2) their potential effect on seismogenesis, tsunamigenesis, and forearc development for comparison with global examples. A total of 31 scientists including four from Japan and those from the U.S., Europe, China, South Korea, and Australia, India and Brazil will participate in it.

*1 The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) is a multinational cooperative project started from October 2013. A total of 25 nations are currently participating: Japan, the U.S., 17 European countries, China, South Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand and Brazil. The scientific drilling vessel D/V Chikyu operated by Japan and the JOIDES Resolution by the U.S, and the option to charter mission-specific platforms by Europe are utilized for expeditions. It aims to shed light on global environmental changes, the earth’s mantle and crust dynamics and tectonics, and the biosphere beneath the seafloor.

*2 The JOIDES Resolution is the U.S. drilling vessel operated for IODP. Compared to the deep-sea scientific drilling vessel Chikyu by JAMSTEC, it is used more often for drilling in shallow waters.

Figure 1

Figure 1. Regional physiography of the eastern Indian Ocean with proposed Expedition 362 drill sites (shown in red circles).

Table 1. Overview of Drilling Sites (order of drilling)
Site Name Water Depth Depth of
penetration
Estimated
time at site
(days)
SUMA-11C 4,169m 1,460m 25
SUMA-12A 4,200m 1,610m 23

Contact:

(For IODP and this expedition)
Kae Takahashi, Research Support Division I, Research Support Division
(For press release)
Tsuyoshi Noguchi, Manager, Press Division, Public Relations Department
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