Funds are provided to support the GeoPRISMS Office at Rice University from October 2010 through September 2013. The GeoPRISMS Program provides a framework for developing an integrated understanding of the origin and evolution of continental margins through focused studies that cross the shoreline. the Program maps a pathway of scientific investigation, guided by the MARGINS Decadal Review Committee and the MARGINS Successor Planning Workshop. The program will include: (1) two broad Initiatives focusing research into Rift Initiation and Evolution and Subduction Cycles and Deformation, (2) five overarching scientific themes that cross-cut tectonic categories, (3) interdisciplinary teams carrying out observational, experimental, and modeling studies, and (4) implementation of science objectives through focus-site and thematic-based studies. GeoPRISMS research will also see increased attention on US margins and facilities such as EarthScope and the Cascadia Amphibious Array. This science initiative will be guided by the GeoPRISMS Steering and Oversight Committee (GSOC), which will provide support, evaluation and oversight for the program, and will form the principal link to the broader scientific community. The GeoPRISMS Office will provide the organizational support for the community activities, which will feed back into the "science plans". The Office will organize planning and coordination efforts through support of the GSOC and related committees, and through promotion of planning meetings and workshops.
Broader Impacts. Primary functions of the GeoPRISMS Office will be the support of scientific infrastructure through workshops, and dissemination of scientific results through publications. GeoPRISMS also has practical application to resource management and availability, and understanding and mitigating geohazards. Education and outreach will be a major activity of the Office, developing resources and providing opportunities for K-12 to early career scientists, including Distinguished Lecture Series, GeoPRISMS mini-lessons for undergraduate courses, postdoctoral fellowships, and Best Student Paper awards.
