Drilling is the only means for accessing the subsurface to accomplish a variety of scientific goals. These include the collection of pristine rock and fluid samples and the installation of subsurface instrumentation for monitoring and modeling dynamic earth processes. Overriding issues that influence the success of a scientific drilling project are technical complexity, cost and availability of suitable drilling equipment.
DOSECC (Drilling, Observation and Sampling of the Earth's Continental Crust) is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide operational support and specialized equipment for the scientific drilling community. DOSECC now has 50 member research institutions. This award provides support for the next five years of DOSECC operations. DOSECC has clearly supported the needs of the scientific drilling community, providing valuable technical and drilling support. During the past grant period, DOSECC has successfully completed a number of projects in lake drilling for paleoclimate and tectonic studies, deep coring for geologic and geochemical modeling, installation of instruments for monitoring volcanic hazards, and sampling on the continental shelves. During the present grant period, DOSECC will continue to provide specialized drilling systems for drilling on land, on lakes and in shallow marine settings.
