In this edition

Director's Welcome

I’m really pleased to be writing to you in the knowledge that ANZIC's funding is secure for the next two years! On 16 November, the Australian Research Council announced the successful projects under the Linkage Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities program – including almost $4.4 million for ANZIC. I would like to thank Eelco Rohling and the other proponents for their efforts in getting us over the line, with special thanks to Steve Eggins who was the main driver behind the preparation of the proposal.

Despite the positive news, my excitement is tempered by the thought that my much-missed predecessor, Leanne Armand, is unable to join us to share in this success. In so many ways, this outcome and the vibrancy of the ANZIC community is a testament to her drive and leadership.

Looking forward, we can now start to plan in earnest for 2023 and 2024. Arrangements are being finalised for the ANZIC Roadshow in February (likely June for New Zealand), and for a new Regional Planning Workshop – a great opportunity to get together to discuss and plan future scientific drilling initiatives in our region and beyond. I look forward to meeting with many of you at these events.

Speaking of planning, I’d like to draw attention to the ECORD/J-DESC workshop on 'The Future of Scientific Ocean Drilling with MSPs and Chikyu', which is taking place over three evenings in January. If you are involved in an existing IODP proposal, or have ideas for future proposals, then I would strongly encourage you to submit an abstract by the 19 December deadline.

ANZIC remains a whirlwind of activity as 2022 draws to a close. Our ANZIC Masterclass is kicking off this Sunday with an impressive cohort of students from around Australia and New Zealand, and I'd like to thank Simon George and his team, including Kelly in the ANZIC Office, for their hard work preparing for this much-delayed ANZIC training initiative. We’re also anticipating proposals from our community for Expeditions 401 and 402. The 1 December submission deadline fast approaching – if you’re planning to apply, please reach out.

Finally, rumour has it that a call under a new National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS) Research Infrastructure Investment Plan – a valuable strategic opportunity for ANZIC to align with the broader Australian geoscience community and secure longer-term funding – is imminent. I have a feeling my plans for January are locked in place (and perhaps don’t include the beach)!

Dr Ron Hackney

Director, ANZIC-IODP

ANZIC awarded ARC LIEF funds for 2023-24

ANZIC is delighted to confirm the securing of operational funding until end-2024, following the announcement of our successful ARC LIEF bid on 16 November.

The grant provides nearly $4.4 million in funding over two years – the largest single LIEF grant in this round – and will ensure our ongoing membership and participation in the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the world’s largest and longest-running collaborative research program in Earth and ocean sciences. The successful bid, led by ANU Research School of Earth Sciences Professors Steve Eggins (pictured) and Eelco Rohling, is the product of a great deal of work by many people.

This success also builds on Professor Leanne Armand's vision for continued Australian and New Zealand involvement in scientific ocean drilling and lays a fresh foundation for a transition to funding under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), something that she worked hard for during her time as ANZIC Director. It is also worth noting that reviews of the LIEF proposal highlighted the rapid improvement in gender balance amongst our LIEF Chief Investigators (now 43 per cent women) and the strong involvement of early-career researchers – changes that Leanne would be proud of.

Confirmation of funding for 2023-24 will enable ANZIC to push forward with a diverse array of planned initiatives to expand marine geoscience research capability in our region and support researchers at all career stages to participate in offshore and onshore science.

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Professor Myra Keep on Expedition 386 PSP

University of Western Australia's Professor Myra Keep is currently onboard Chikyu in Shimizu Port, Japan, for the Personal Sampling Party on IODP Expedition 386: Japan Trench Paleoseismology.

We talked with Myra as she prepared to board about her expertise in structural geology and tectonics, her role as team leader for hydroacoustics on the expedition, and how Expedition 386's depth-record breaking sediment cores are helping fill the gap in long-term records of giant earthquakes to enhance our understanding of how earthquake systems work.

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Last call for applications: Expedition 401

Applications close 1 December 2022

Scientists from ANZIC member institutions are invited to join the Science Party for IODP Expedition 401: Mediterranean-Atlantic Gateway Exchange, taking place from 10 December 2023 – 9 February 2024 onboard JOIDES Resolution.

Expedition 401 is part of the Investigating Miocene Mediterranean-Atlantic Gateway Exchange (IMMAGE) drilling proposal, designed to recover a complete record of Atlantic-Mediterranean exchange from its late Miocene inception to its current configuration and map the effect of changes in gateway geometry on global ocean circulation and associated heat transport and climate. Drilling will sample the seafloor up to a subbottom depth of 1277 metres, recovering Miocene sediments expected to date between 5.33 and 7.2 million years old.

Applications close 1 December 2022. Visit our website for more details on Expedition 401 and important information on how to apply.

Learn more

Last call for applications: Expedition 402

Applications close 1 December 2022

Applications are now open for scientists from ANZIC member organisations to join IODP Expedition 402: Tyrrhenian Continent-Ocean Transition, sailing on JOIDES Resolution from 9 February – 8 April 2024.

Expedition 402 will investigate the temporal and spatial evolution of a continent-ocean transition (COT), from breakup to robust magmatism and subsequent mantle exhumation with closely time-related magmatism. Drilling will be focused on the Tyrrhenian Basin – the youngest basin of the western Mediterranean Sea formed in the late Miocene to recent. Material will be recovered across six sites to explore the kinematics of the opening, the crust and mantle deformation mechanisms, and the relationship of melting products to the exhumed mantle.

Applications close 1 December 2022. Visit our website for more details on Expedition 402 and important information on how to apply.

Find out more

Future D.E.E.P. Regional Planning Workshop

*Please note that dates are tentatively booked for 3-4 April 2023. More information and registration will be released in the December edition of the Bulletin.

The Future D.E.E.P. workshop will be introduced with a plenary session of invited speakers outlining the broad science plans of the scientific drilling programs (post-IODP platform providers, ICDP) and capabilities (including site surveys and other national drilling and digital infrastructure), along with lightning talks reviewing key themes and ideas in the regional context during breakout sessions.

The goal of Future D.E.E.P. is to trigger development of new scientific drilling proposals for implementation in the period beyond the current IODP phase (2024) for the Australasian and Southern Ocean regions. The workshop intends to cover all possible drilling platforms for scientific ocean drilling, the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), and Australian and New Zealand national drilling capabilities. The workshop will also include a focus on site surveys and proposal writing.

The ANZIC Office is currently accepting short email Expression of Interest (EOI) submissions for focused themes for breakout sessions for the Future D.E.E.P. plannig workshops. EOIs can focus on a specific (post-)IODP or ICDP scientific theme or topic, or they may focus on a geographic region, integrating multiple topics. EOIs are welcomed from the global scientific community interested in these regions. If your theme is accepted, the ANZIC Office will coordinate with the lead convener to help facilitate the breakout session details.

The submission deadline for EOIs is 1 March 2023.

AESC call for abstracts: ANZIC/IODP session

Abstracts due by 1 March 2023

ANZIC will host a session titled 'The science behind the next phase of the International Ocean Discovery Program' at the Australian Earth Sciences Convention, taking place in Perth in June 2023.

The International Ocean Discovery Program is a research collaboration that addresses fundamental questions about the interconnected processes that characterise the complex Earth system and shape our planet’s future. We invite submissions on the broad Earth science research being done with scientific ocean drilling material.

This session is highly interdisciplinary and welcomes presentations focused both on past accomplishments as well as those that form the foundation of scientific ocean drilling through to 2050: ground truthing future climate change; probing the deep Earth; assessing earthquake and tsunami hazards; diagnosing ocean health; and exploring life and its origins. We encourage submissions that bring together partnerships and collaborations with organisations that have complementary goals to the future of scientific ocean drilling, including continental drilling, technology development, and big data analytics.

The session will take place in the Surface Processes theme and be chaired by Dr Sarah Kachovich (ANZIC/Australian National University) and Dr Agathe Lise-Pronovost (University of Melbourne).

Find out more

ANZIC survey: supporting scientific ocean drilling proposals

Got a scientific drilling proposal in mind? In the lead-up to our Future D.E.E.P. workshop (see above), let us help you develop your idea, support the proposal process or connect you with collaborators. Just fill in our short survey to let us know what you're seeking to do and we'll go from there!

This survey is open to anyone in Australia or New Zealand who is considering a drilling project in any ocean, or international collaborators considering drilling projects in ANZIC waters. We also encourage ICDP proposal ideas.

Complete the survey

ANZIC Masterclass 2022

Meet the ANZIC Masterclass Class of 2022! This impressive group of students will take part in an exciting program of workshops, seminars and field trips in Sydney and on the NSW South Coast from 4-12 December.

Highlights include fossil coral reef logging exercises in the USYD GeoReef Lab with Expedition 389 Co-Chief Professor Jody Webster, fieldwork on Sydney Harbour followed by labs and presentations at Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences, a visit to the Geological Survey of NSW core store, and an exciting program of fieldwork and workshops exploring the South Coast. Keep an eye on ANZIC's Twitter and Facebook feeds to follow the adventure as it unfolds.

Interested in hosting the ANZIC Masterclass in 2023 at your institution? The Expression of Interest will be released soon. In the meantime, contact the ANZIC Office to register your interest.

New GeoDicoveryNZ logo and website

GeoDiscoveryNZ have a new logo/tohu (icon)! The new tohu marks the signing of an agreement between the NZ institutions involved in scientific drilling (GNS Science, NIWA, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago, and University of Auckland) and the start of a new and exciting phase of scientific discovery in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The team worked with Jesse Pickery, GNS Science Senior Māori Relationship Advisor, and an iwi graphics designer to develop ideas around scientific drilling and discovery. The design endeavoured to retain the circle motif of drillholes and incorporate some of the traditional blue colour of the IODP and ANZIC logos, as well as elements of the ICDP grey. The final tohu incorporates traditional Māori Niho Taniwha, the triangle pattern, used to represent landscape, rivers, lakes, mountains, and the seafloor, together with the Pūhoro used to communicate movement, genealogy, and navigation.

There is also a new GeoDiscoveryNZ website. Jump online and explore the diverse global Earth and ocean scientific research coordinated by GeoDiscoveryNZ.

ANZIC's Sarah Kachovich named Superstar of STEM

Dr Sarah Kachovich – ANZIC Program Manager, micropaleontologist and self-described Time Lord – has been named as one of Australia’s newest Superstars of STEM. She joins a diverse field of 60 STEM professionals chosen to step into the media spotlight and inspire young Australians into STEM careers. She also plans to use the platform to highlight the critical importance of scientific ocean drilling in our national and international research infrastructure, and contribute to diversity and inclusion advocacy in the STEM fields.

“One of the best ways to close the gender gap and encourage girls into STEM fields, while also supporting early and mid-career women to thrive in their STEM journeys, is to give them role models,” she said. “I am tremendously thrilled to join the next cohort of inspiring Superstars of STEM and to polish my communication and leadership skills to better serve the public and my science.”

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ANZIC at ANU College of Science Research Expo

ANZIC was on site for the ANU College of Science Research Expo on Wednesday 16 November, taking the opportunity to share our research capabilities with our campus community. The ANZIC Office’s replica cores – including one from ODP Leg 171B (1997), taken from a site approximately 1900 kilometres from the Chicxulub impact crater left by the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs – were a big hit, with attendees able to see the impact of this catastrophic event as recorded in the sediments. Director Dr Ron Hackney (pictured here with Dr Tony Travouillon from ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics) enjoyed connecting with colleagues and discovering opportunities for synergies and collaboration across broad scientific fields.

Weren’t able to make it to the Expo, but keen to learn more about how scientific ocean drilling can aid your research? Email us for a copy of our research capabilities brochure.

Showcasing women in IODP at Dorothy Hill Symposium

The Dorothy Hill Symposium for Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences was held at the University of Queensland from 7-9 November 2022. Over the three days, attendees were encouraged to network, participate in tough but much needed discussions, and listen to some inspiring women who are creating a much-demanded change for equity and diversity in our field.

ANZIC Program Manger Sarah Kachovich took out the People's Choice Award for her poster titled 'A small leak can sink a great ship: bolstering women’s leadership pipeline of the scientific ocean drilling programs'. This study was dedicated to all the women (with a special tribute to Professor Leanne Armand), and those identifying as women, in their pioneering and ongoing efforts to push for systemic change for gender equity and inclusion in the scientific ocean drilling programs. This study will aid ANZIC’s strategic decisions going forward to become a more inclusive program. The ANZIC Science Committee and ANZIC Program Manager plan to finalise and publish the study towards the end of next year so that full statistics of the current IODP phase can be included.

View the poster

Engage with upcoming expeditions

With so many ANZIC scientists scheduled to sail onboard JOIDES Resolution in 2022 and 2023, there are lots of opportunities to connect with the science as it happens and get a taste of what life is like at sea. During expeditions you can book free live ship-to-shore video broadcasts, where the expedition's Outreach Officer will take you and your students, visitors or community groups on a tour of the impressive vessel, talk to the scientists and operators, and see the science in action.

Calls can be tailored to individual needs, from connecting with curriculum-based learning to speaking with a particular researcher or team. Bookings are first come, first served.

Download the schedule and booking details

Scientific drilling workshops

ECORD Workshop on the Future of Scientific Drilling with Mission Specific Platforms and Chikyu

17, 19 & 26 January 2023

Online (three hours each day)
Abstract deadline: 19 December 2022
Find out more

MagellanPlus Workshop: MAREXKUS
MAntle Remelting and hydrothermal chemical EXchange at Knipovich Ultraslow Spreading ridge
1-3 March 2023
Rome, Italy
Registration deadline: 30 November 2022

Find out more

ANZIC Regional Planning Workshop: Future D.E.E.P.

3-4 April 2023 (tentative dates)
Hobart
More details coming soon

EGU General Assembly 2023: Joint ICDP-IODP Session
Achievements and perspectives in scientific ocean and continental drilling
23-28 April 2023
Vienna, Austria & online
Registration deadline: 10 January 2023

Find out more

Call for MagellanPlus proposals

Deadline: 15 January 2023

Proposals should follow the themes of the 2050 Science Framework and the ICDP Science Plan, and will include complete and realistic scripts for the proposed workshop. A funded workshop must be executed within 12 months after notification of funding. MagellanPlus workshops are normally expected to take place in ECORD/ICDP member countries, but exceptions can be made when justified. The workshop should be located close to a convenient air and/or train hub and have relatively low-cost facilities. A typical workshop is expected to take place over 2-4 days and have 20-35 participants.

Find out more

2023 paleoCAMP applications now open

Applications close 13 January 2023

paleoCAMP is a 2-week summer school for graduate students in paleoclimatology, hosted at a rotating location in the American West. The school’s mission is to provide vital cross-disciplinary training for the next generation of climate scientists, provide an optimal environment for networking and mentoring of rising stars in paleoclimatology, and promote diversity and inclusive practices in order to encourage retention of underrepresented groups in the Geosciences.

paleoCAMP 2023 will be held at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory near Mammoth Lakes, CA, USA from 15-28 June 2023. A limited number of places are available to international participants. To apply, you must be actively enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program in an Earth science discipline such as geology, geography, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, or climate science. Visit the paleoCAMP website for full details on eligibility and how to apply.

Find out more

Join ANZIC at upcoming events

Australian Earth Sciences Convention
27-30 June 2023
Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
Registration and abstracts now open. ANZIC plans to host a session, a booth, and a Town Hall meeting for our community.
Find out more

Other upcoming events in our community

Australasian Quarternary Association Conference: AQUA22

6-8 December
The University of Adelaide
Find out more

AGU Fall Meeting

12-16 December
Chicago, USA
Find out more

2022 Monsoon Seminar Series
Held weekly
Today's talk (7pm AEDT on Tuesday 29 November) features Clara T. Bolton from CEREGE, France, on the topic 'Past Biological Export Productivity and the South Asian Monsoon – A Tale of Two Drivers'.
Find out more

AMSA 2023: Science in Sea Country
2-7 July 2023
Gold Coast, Queensland
Workshop proposals due 10 February 2023.
Find out more

XIII SCAR BIOLOGY Symposium

31 July – 4 August 2023
Christchurch, New Zealand
Find out more

Publications

Aware of a recent publication by an ANZIC member author not listed below? Please let us know at pr.anzic@anu.edu.au so we can include it in the next edition. Be sure to tag us on Twitter (@anzic_iodp) or Facebook (@ANZICIODP) when you share your publications so we can assist with promotion.

ANZIC Member Publications: November 2022
‘Comparison and synthesis of sea-level and deep-sea temperature variations over the past 40 million years’, by E.J. Rohling, G.L. Foster, T.M. Gernon, K. M. Grant, D. Heslop, F.D. Hibbert, A.P. Roberts & J. Yu; Reviews of Geophysics, 60, 2022. DOI: 10.1029/2022RG000775

‘Formation of calcium chloride brines in volcaniclastic-rich sediments’, by C. Sena, D.L. Parkhurst, F.J. Tepley, F. Jiang, C. van der Land, F. Coelho, V. Oliveira, M.A. Lever, O. Ishizuka & R. Arculus; Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, 2022. DOI:10.3389/feart.2022.869567

‘Southern Ocean biogenic blooms freezing-in Oligocene colder climates’, by K. Hochmuth, J.M. Whittaker, I. Sauermilch, A. Klocker, K. Gohl & J.H. LaCasce; Nature Communications, 13, 6785 (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34623-9

‘Oceanic nutrient rise and the late Miocene inception of Pacific oxygen-deficient zones’, by X.T. Wang, Y. Wang, A. Auderset, D.M. Sigman, H. Ren, A. Martínez-García, G.H. Haug, Z. Su, Y.G. Zhang, B. Rasmussen, A.L. Sessions & W.W. Fischer; PNAS, 119 (45). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204986119

‘A synthesis of monsoon exploration in the Asian marginal seas’, by P.D. Clift, C. Betzler, S.C. Clemens, B. Christensen, G.P. Eberli, C. France-Lanord, S. Gallagher, A. Holbourn, W. Kuhnt, R.W. Murray, Y. Rosenthal, R. Tada & S. Wan; Scientific Drilling, 31, 1–29, 2022. DOI: 10.5194/sd-31-1-2022

Selected IODP Publications: November 2022
Scientific Drilling: Reports on Deep Earth Sampling and Monitoring, 31, October 2022. Download PDF

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 392 Preliminary Report: Agulhas Plateau Cretaceous Climate, by G. Uenzelmann-Neben, S.M. Bohaty, L.B. Childress & the Expedition 392 Scientists. http://publications.iodp.org/preliminary_report/392/

‘Mechanical compaction mechanisms in the input sediments of the Sumatra subduction complex – insights from microstructural analysis of cores from IODP Expedition 362’, by S. Lahiri, K.L. Milliken, P. Vrolijk, G. Desbois & J.L. Urai; Solid Earth, 13, 1513–1539, 2022. DOI: 10.5194/se-13-1513-2022

‘Weakening behavior of the shallow megasplay fault in the Nankai subduction zone’, by A. Roesner, M.J. Ikari, A. Hüpers & A.J. Kopf; Earth, Planets and Space, 74, 162 (2022). DOI: 10.1186/s40623-022-01728-w

‘Eocene to middle Miocene contourite deposits in Cyprus: A record of Indian Gateway evolution’, by F.J. Hernández-Molina, H. Hüneke, F.J. Rodríguez-Tovar, Z.L. Ng, E. Llave, A. Mena, A. Gibb, D. Chiarella, S. Sammartino, A. de la Vara; Global and Planetary Change, Volume 219, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2022.103983

ANZIC meetings

ANZIC Governing Council Meeting, 16 February 2023
ANZIC Science Committee Meeting, date TBC

Next IODP Meetings

Science Evaluation Panel, 10-11 January 2023, La Jolla, CA, USA
Environmental Protection and Safety Panel, 21-23 March 2023, College Station, TX, USA
JOIDES Resolution Facility Board, 16-18 May 2023, Washington, DC, USA
Chikyu IODP Board, 7-8 June 2023, Kobe, Japan