Press Releases
JAMSTEC
International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 363
- Neogene and Quaternary records of Western Pacific Warm Pool paleoceanography -
The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP)*1 Expedition 363, “Western Pacific Warm Pool Neogene and Quaternary records of Western Pacific Warm Pool paleoceanography” will begin with the JOIDES Resolution*2 on October 7, 2016.
It seeks to document the regional expression of climate variability in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) as it relates to global and regional climate change from the middle Miocene to Late Pleistocene on millennial, orbital, and secular timescale. The planned six drill sites will be at the heart of the WPWP (northern Papua New Guinea and south of Guam) and around its western edge (western margin of Australia to the south and southern Philippine Islands to the north) to capture the most salient features of the WPWP.
A total of 29 scientists including three from Japan and those from the U.S., Europe, China, South Korea, Australia, Brazil and Philippines 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. Location of the proposed drill sites
| Site Name | Water Depth | Depth of penetration |
Estimated time at site (days) |
| WP-12D | 1,470m | 490m | 6.2 |
| WP-11B | 1,790m | 350m | 5.1 |
| WP-71A | 1,030m | 225m | 3.0 |
| WP-05A | 1,337m | 200m | 2.9 |
| WP-03A | 2,600m | 300m | 5.1 |
| WP-02A | 2,355m | 250m | 4.2 |
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