9727654 Smithson The single most important result from deep scientific drilling in crystalline rocks in Russia and Germany may be the discovery of hydrous fluids through the entire depth range (9 to 12 km) of deep boreholes. The presence of hydrous fluids is so important, because even in small amounts, they have a dramatic effect on geologic processes such as mineral reactions, melting, rock strength, material transfer, seismic wave attenuation and ore deposits. Fluids also strongly affect seismic reflectivity by creating larger reflection coefficients than can be found from rock-rock interfaces alone. This award supports the U.S. portion of a cooperative project with the Principal Investigator's German colleagues to conduct a vertical seismic profile (VSP) in the deep part (3-8.5 km) of the KTB borehole in Germany and a moving source profile (MSP) from the surface into geophones in the borehole. The ICDP (International Continental Scientific Drilling Program) has already approved funding for the project. This award will provide one-third of the data acquisition costs. The Principal Investigator will participate in the data acquisition and data analysis by contributing his time to the project at no charge. ***
