The Netherlands joins continental drilling programme

15 February 2011

Since Monday 14 February 2011, the Netherlands is a member of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). The programme drills into the earth's crust collecting samples and measurement data. These enable researchers to develop models which provide improved understanding of the processes taking place in the crust. On behalf of the Netherlands, NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) provides the $75,000 annual contribution. Professor Jacob Fokkema, Chairman of NWO Aard- en Levenswetenschappen (Earth and Life Sciences) and Professor Rolf Emmermann, chairman of the ICDP's executive committee, signed the agreement during the Dutch ICDP Symposium in Delft.

Thanks to the membership, Dutch researchers can submit project applications to this prestigious geosciences research programme. Research from the ICDP provides access to unique material that cannot be acquired in any other way. This regularly leads to publications in scientific journals.

The ICDP is currently conducting research in 8 fields: climate change, impact structures, geobiosphere and early life, volcanology, mantle plumes, faults, plate tectonics and natural resources.

Two examples of ICDP projects are the drilling near Campi Flegrei in Italy and in Lake Van in Turkey. Campi Flegrei is a supervolcano which partially constitutes the Bay of Naples. Strong subsidence and uplift indicate increasing volcanic activity in this densely populated area. Using a 3.8 km bore hole, researchers wish to determine, among other things, how deep the magma is currently located.

At Lake Van in eastern Turkey, researchers are drilling through a 250 m layer of sediment. This can provide information on annual climatological changes and vegetation, but also allows the reconstruction of earthquakes up to 500,000 years back.

International cooperation beneficial to the Netherlands

This type of drilling research is generally too expensive for individual countries. That is why the Dutch research community is very happy to become part of international initiatives such as the ICDP. The ICDP also has a successful maritime counterpart, the IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme), which the Netherlands has been involved in for some time now. Because the NWO also pays those contributions, Dutch (climate)researchers can carry out their studies on board extremely expensive drilling ships. This allows the scarce funds for scientific research to be put to better use than if individual countries were to incur great expenditure individually purchasing such expensive equipment. This Dutch approach also reoccurs in NWO’s funding of 5 mobile laboratories at the British Antarctic base Rothera.

Project applications

Dutch researchers can submit their applications to the ICDP. If granted, the ICDP will take care of logistics. Applicants can submit applications to various NWO subsidy channels or other funds, such as, the EU, ministries and companies to cover the remainder of the costs.

About NWO
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the independent Dutch science funding body and its mission is to facilitate excellent scientific research in the Netherlands by means of national competition. Each year NWO spends more than 700 million euros on grants for top researchers, on innovative instruments and equipment, and on institutes where top research is performed. NWO funds the research of more than 5300 talented researchers at universities and other research institutes. Independent experts select the best researchers and the best research by means of a peer review system. NWO facilitates valorisation and the transfer of knowledge to society. NWO has an independent position decreed by Dutch law. The Governing Board, which apart form the chair Jos Engelen has four other members drawn from the world of science, appoints the director general.

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last modified on 16 March 2011