(Fig.60)
ICDP is driven by unsolicited project proposals which normally have to pass through a review cycle. In the first phase only an informal letter proposal is required, which describes the project at a still early stage of development. If this proposal is encouraged by the Science Advisory Group which is independent of the general structure of ICDP, composed of internationally renowned earth scientists, not only from the member countries but from also other countries, when this proposal gets a go-ahead, the principal investigators are encouraged to prepare a full proposal which should contain the science plan and also a complete budget plan.
Since the official inauguration of the ICDP which took place exactly three years ago here in Tokyo at the German Embassy, the EC received 47 project proposals. A number of them have been encouraged to proceed in developing full proposals. 18 have been discouraged. 13 new proposals were just recently submitted for1999.
(Fig.63)
Once a letter proposal has been accepted, the principal investigators can apply for ICDP funds to hold an international workshop, together with the experts which we have in this field and to establish a science team. Until now we had seven such workshops already, and two more will be coming in the near future. The next will be in March in Mexico and related to the preparation of a drilling program in the Chicxulub impact structure.
(Fig.53)
This is an example of such a workshop which was highly successful, designed to prepare the Unzen Volcano Drilling Project, and also to define, establish the science team for this project.
(Fig.54)
The operative phase of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program started in January last year with a successful drilling project in the Lake Baikal from a frozen-in barge. A continuous core of 600 meters of length was recovered, covering a time span of 15 million years, and this core was the longest core taken so far from a continental lake, will allow for detailed studies of the climatic evolution in asia, and also of the tectonic evolution of the Baikal area region.
(Fig.55)
Meanwhile the second ICDP co-financed project could be completed. It consisted of deepening the Long Valley Well, an already existing well, in the Long Valley Caldera to a depth of 3,000 m. This program was to study the geothermal system related to a shallow-seated magma chamber, and also the seismicity which is due to repeated inflow of magma into this magma chamber.
During this program a number of new developments and instruments could be tested which will be available for all further ICDP projects. Among them is a new top-drive system which meanwhile has been shipped to Hawaii. And we also developed an on-line gas monitoring system, which might be of use for oil drilling projects on land.
(Fig.56)
The next project to come is the Hawaii scientific drilling project which will start end of February this year. The plan is to combine phase 1 and 2 and to drill to 3,000 m within the next half year, and then in a later third phase to deepen the hole to 4,500 m. This project is devoted to the study of plume-related physical, chemical and volcanological processes. There will be a summer school held on the island of Hawaii this year in order to give young people from the member countries of ICDP the chance to get on-site training, in logging techniques, in using every equipment which we have available at the drill site to investigate the samples which were taken during the first drilling campaign.
