After IODP: The Next Phase of U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling

Scientific ocean drilling has a rich history in the United States, beginning with Project Mohole in 1961. In 1966, the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the establishment of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP), which, beginning in 1968, carried out coring expeditions aboard the purpose-built drilling vessel Glomar Challenger, managed by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The program became international in 1975 when the Federal Republic of Germany, United Kingdom, France, Japan, and the Soviet Union joined DSDP.

DSDP concluded in 1983 and was succeeded by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). The workhorse vessel for ODP (1985-2003) and the subsequent Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP-1; 2003-13) and International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP-2; 2013-24) was the JOIDES Resolution (JR), owned by Siem Offshore and leased and managed by Texas A&M University. Expeditions during IODP-1 and IODP-2 were also implemented by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling using a mission specific platform model, and by Japan aboard the riser-equipped drilling vessel Chikyu.

Because of a long-term decline in available funds, the lease agreement for the JR ended in 2024; thus, for the first time in more than 50 years, the U.S. is without a dedicated platform for scientific ocean drilling. In this presentation we describe U.S. plans for a Subseafloor Sampling Program (S3P) to succeed IODP-2. S3P will follow a mission specific platform approach. Proponents will submit drilling proposals directly to NSF, which will employ a semiannual review panel to evaluate them in the context of the internationally developed guiding document, “2050 Science Framework: Exploring Earth by Scientific Ocean Drilling.” In addition, the U.S. community is developing a list of near and intermediate term science priorities through the FOCUS (“Future Ocean Drilling in the U.S.”) workshop effort.

A newly created Scientific Drilling Coordination Office (SODCO) will identify and procure appropriate platforms for projects that are positively reviewed and selected for drilling; it is hoped that up to two expeditions per year can be implemented. SODCO will also assist the U.S. community through planning and training workshops, pre-drilling activities, support for technological innovation, and science communication and outreach. A robust advisory committee structure will ensure that the U.S. subseafloor sampling effort is open, broad-based, community-driven, and motivated by achieving the highest quality science at acceptable risk.

International collaboration in ocean drilling remains a priority for the U.S. For example, NSF is contributing significant funds toward IODP³/NSF Expedition 501 (New England Shelf Hydrogeology) and will support the participation of around a dozen U.S. scientists. Similarly, the U.S. is interested in providing opportunities for non-U.S. scientists aboard S3P expeditions. The exact mechanisms and policies for mutual participation remain to be developed; the U.S. will take a flexible approach that emphasizes transparency, reciprocity, and the interests of potential partners.