Workshop on Geophysical Studies of Continental Rift Initiation at Woods Hole Oceanographic institution in Massachusetts, March, 2009

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Rifting is a fundamental process in the evolution of continents; continental rift zones are widespread around the world and have occurred from the Archaean to the Present. Although investigations of well-developed rifts worldwide have resulted in increased understanding of advanced stages of continental rifting, almost no research has focused on the processes that initiate and control the earliest stages of continental rifting. Key controversies exist regarding models explaining the initiation of continental rifting and several unsolved process-oriented questions about global continental rifting remain.This award provides support for a focused workshop centered on identifying major research gaps and key research questions on the geodynamic controls of continental rift initiation and propagation. The workshop is designed to identify research priorities, and to explore possible areas of joint research collaboration between different investigators. Other important issues to be discussed during the workshop include examination of the logistics necessary to conduct the large scale geophysical investigations that will be necessary to answer these questions.The workshop will take place at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts in March, 2009. Output from the workshop will be a well thought out science and logistics plan that will guide community researchers in preparing proposals to perform the research outlined above. Participants at the workshop will include scientists from Catholic University of Malawi, the Zambian Geological Survey, the University of Dar es Salaam in addition to oil/mineral industry participants.