A major emphasis of marine geosciences is to understand the role of hydrogeological processes in the evolution of the oceanic lithosphere. The role of fluids in the crust is now known to be important in modifying crustal chemistry, in controlling the chemistry of seawater and in cooling the oceanic lithosphere. Although ocean drilling provides a mechanism for examining the results of these processes directly, performing long-term experiments and repeat observations are required to understand the rate at which these processes occur. Such experiments are best performed through reentry of drill holes at periodic intervals or by deployment of long term instruments. The cost of drillship operations has lead the international community to develop alternate ways of deploying experiments in drill holes. This award will support US scientists to participate with French colleagues using a submersible to place instruments in drillholes in the North Atlantic. The US scientists will be responsible for measurement of fluid flow and crustal strain. Because the project represents a venture into an emerging research area and is a new approach to an old research topic it is being funded as an SGER award.
