IODP-751Full (Ross Sea) Proposal Revision Workshop

Workshop Proposal: IODP-751Full (Ross Sea) Proposal Revision Workshop: June 12-16, 2013, St. Petersburg, FL

Summary: We request $5000 to support US participant travel and meeting costs for an IODP proposal writing workshop in St. Petersburg, Florida from June 12- 16, 2013. During the workshop, a small international group of proponents will revise the IODP-751Full proposal to drill Neogene sequences on the shelf and slope of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, which has not been drilled since DSDP Leg 28 (1978). IODP-751Full focuses on understanding the evolution of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and associated climate forcings and feedbacks across major Neogene climate transitions, including the Miocene Climatic Optimum (16.5-14.5 Ma), the middle Miocene Climate Transition (14.5-13.8 Ma), and the mid Pliocene warm period (~3 Ma). These science goals relate directly to Challenges 1 and 2 in the 2013-2023 IODP Science Plan and build on the regional successes of two NSF-funded ANDRILL programs. IODP-751Full has been in the IODP system since 2009 and reviewed favorably by PEP and SCP. However, the proposal needs substantial revision to reflect the current state of Antarctic margin drilling and the knowledge gained from ANDRILL and IODP Expedition 318 (Wilkes Land). In 2010, PEP informed the proponents that they have one final revision before the proposal is either sent for external review or deactivated. In 2013, PEP and NSF encouraged the proponents to resubmit by October 1, 2013 to take advantage of potential Southern Ocean drilling opportunities afforded by the proposed 2014-2017 JOIDES Resolution ship track. Since 2010, attempts to revise the proposal remotely have been incremental. The proponents feel that a small workshop is the best setting to make the appropriate revisions and to ready the proposal for submission to PEP in October 2013. The University of South Florida College of Marine Science has offered free meeting space for up to 15 proponents from June 12 to 16, 2013. All current and past proponents as well as scientists with complementary expertise, as recommended by PEP, have been encouraged to attend the workshop. Should the IODP-751 proposal be successful, the proponent group is committed to broadening participation to scientists not normally involved in Southern Ocean drilling, as well as to engaging new communities (e.g. the deep biosphere community). Matching funds for international participants travelling to the St. Petersburg workshop are provided by the SCAR-PAIS program (Carlotta Escutia, pers. comm., 2013).