Review of the Scientific Accomplishments and Assessment of the Potential for Future Transformative Discoveries with U.S.-Supported Scientific Ocean Drilling

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Abstract for Proposal 1010773The National Science Foundation has requested that the National Research Council appoint an ad hoc committee to review the scientific accomplishments of U.S.-supported scientific drilling (Deep Sea Drilling Project [DSDP], Ocean Drilling Program [ODP], and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program [IODP]) and assess the potential for future transformative scientific discoveries. The study committee will undertake two tasks:1) Analysis of DSDP, ODP, and IODP scientific accomplishments and their significance, with an emphasis on evaluating how scientific drilling has uniquely shaped understanding of the Earth system, including Earth history, dynamic processes, climate change, and the deep biosphere. Additional emphasis should be placed on assessing the extent to which the availability of deep drilling facilities has enabled creation of new fields of inquiry. The analysis will include consideration of the drilling programs? contributions to science education and outreach activities. It will not consider organizational framework.2) Assessment of the potential for transformative scientific discovery resulting from implementation of the draft science plan for post-2013 international ocean drilling. This assessment will include advice on opportunities resulting from stronger integration of ocean drilling with other NSF-supported science programs and research facilities.The broader impacts of this study are very significant, as the ocean drilling program contributes directly to matters that have large societal relevance, such as climate chage, hazards, and the history of sea-level change.