****************************************************************** From: Andrew Cohen <cohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> ****************************************************************** Call For Drilling Site Proposals As an outcome of the recently held International Continental Scientific Drilling Program/NSF sponsored workshop "Scientific Drilling for Human Origins: Exploring the Application of Drill Core Records to Understanding Hominin Evolution", proposals are being sought for high priority scientific drilling targets in the East African Rift of relevance to human evolution. Proposed drilling targets should focus on lacustrine or similar deposits with strong potential for providing high resolution paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental information, and should target strata in the 6-0Ma time interval. The highest priority sites will be those that can be drilled with truck-mounted, relatively portable drilling systems and have road access and water (for drilling) availability. Barge, ship or platform-mounted drilling operations on lakes and in the ocean will not be considered at this stage but will form the focus of future drilling planning. All proposals should address the following criteia Science -Location and age of deposits -Quality of lacustrine sediment record of direct interest to human evolution -Compelling science issue to be addressed by drilling. Intersection of high quality paleoclimate and/or paleoenvironmental record with important issues in paleobiology and human evolution -Stratigraphic completeness, continuity and resolution -Existence of baseline stratigraphic, facies and paleontologic data -Existence of supporting subsurface information from correlative outcrops, geophysics or prior drilling -Existence of an age model for the sediments through the target interval (geochronology) Logistics -General challenges to drilling the site and obtaining subsurface information (e.g., suitable terrain for site survey geophysics) -Probability of success -Road access -Access to abundant water supplies nearby for drilling operations -Security issues -Complexity of operations, local impact/cooperation (community and environmental) Proponents should be prepared to become rapidly involved in subsequent geophysical and logistical site survey proposals and follow-on fieldwork should their sites be selected for detailed consideration in a first round of drilling. Proponents should also be prepared to take the lead in organizing logistics (permitting, transport etc.) for their proposed areas. Priority will be given to proposal teams that include expertise in both earth science and paleoanthropology. Proposals should be 3-5 pages in length, not including references, and may include up to two figures. All proposals should be submitted as .pdf files to Andrew Cohen (cohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) Department of Geosciences University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 The deadline for proposal submissions for consideration for inclusion in an upcoming ICDP drilling proposal is 1 March, 2009. Please feel free to contact Andrew Cohen with any questions regarding this project. Andrew S. Cohen Department of Geosciences University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 Tel 520-621-4691 Fax 520-621-2672 http://www.geo.arizona.edu/web/Cohen/AC_page.html ============================================================== To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message: signoff volcano to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to: volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments. ==============================================================
