Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) was established in October 2005 for processing, storage, and research on core samples recovered from drilling below the seafloor. In 2007, the institute became one of three official core repositories of the International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), and is responsible for the cores collected from the Indian Ocean, western Pacific Ocean, and Bering Sea, which together make up approximately one-third of the global ocean. As of April 2022, the cumulative length of cores reached a total of more than 146 km, and they are being utilized by scientists from all over the world through the curation services provided by the institute.
Besides maintaining the core repository, we utilize the core samples to conduct state-of-the-art research and development across a range of disciplines, including: 1) rock mechanics, focusing on the mechanics of earthquakes and faulting, 2) isotope-geochemistry, targeting Earth's material circulation processes, and 3) geomicrobiology, to understand the nature of subseafloor life and the biosphere. In addition, we aim to develop multidisciplinary studies on interconnected processes that characterize the evolution of the Earth system from past to future.
The activities mentioned above are carried out at the Kochi Core Center (KCC), which is co-operated by Kochi University and JAMSTEC. The KCC is responsible not only for core-based research as described above, but also for playing an educational role to help nurture the next generation scientists by providing opportunities to learn various research techniques through the "Core School", as well as pre- and post-expedition activities organized at the KCC. As one of the key institutions for scientific drilling, we warmly welcome scientists, especially young researchers, from all over the world to visit Kochi Core Center.
Dr. Takehiro Hirose
Director
Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research
