21st Century Drilling workshops

Building capacity in the digital domain using scientific ocean drilling legacy material

Workshop dates

• Workshop 1: Monday 8 April 2024 - Friday 12 April 2024 (complete)
• Workshop 2: Monday 4 November 2024 - Tuesday 12 November 2024

Both workshops will be held at the BCR and MARUM (University of Bremen), Germany. 

Download the updated workshop flyer (PDF, 6.62mb)

Workshop aim

The success of 50+ years of scientific ocean drilling through the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and its predecessors has resulted in a wealth of legacy material stored in the IODP repositories and databases. It is now possible to generate digital representations of cores (e.g., through software packages like CODD) and use these as a primary data source. Integrating these digitally-derived core records with re-analysis of the physical legacy cores offers scope to increase the capacity and utilisation of legacy material. We will explore best practices for enhancing this capacity during two linked 5-day MagellanPlus ‘21st Century Drilling’ workshops at the BCR and MARUM. The workshops will be linked together to advance our understanding of the extent of Miocene ice rafted debris (IRD) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean.

We are looking for experienced scientists and early career researchers (ECRs, including PhD students) to form teams in Core description, Biostratigraphy and Geochemistry-Physical Properties (~12 participants per workshop).

Participants will combine new digital core data with reassessment of physical cores from two Miocene ODP sites in the South Atlantic (e.g., Sites 704 and 1090/1092). Online syntheses will develop best practices for digital drilling of legacy materials while aiming to advance our understanding of Miocene IRD.

Workshop 1 ran successfully in April 2024. Applications are now closed for Workshop 2. Stay tuned for updates about the Workshop outcomes. 

Application process

The applications are now closed for both workshops. 

For both workshops, we selected ~12 participants to join each workshop as part of teams in Core Description, Biostratigraphy and Geochemistry-Physical Properties (~4 people per team). We received applications from a wide range of specialties (including, but not limited to geochemistry, stratigraphy, sedimentology, palaeomagnetism, biostratigraphy [especially diatoms, radiolarians, planktonic foraminifera]). The teams were made up of both experience scientists and ECRs alike and included both those with prior (shipboard) experience or those who have not had the opportunity to participate in an IODP expedition before. We were especially happy to have a wide range of PhD students join us, as these workshops are also aimed at training ECRs (PhD, postdocs) in digital competencies and shipboard methods.

Expected time commitment

• Participation will involve joining the full 9-day in-person workshop: 
  • Arrival expected Sunday 3 November 2024
  • Workshop proper: Monday 4 November - Tuesday 12 November 2024 (Free day on Saturday 9 November 2024)
  • Departure expected Wednesday 13 November 2024
• Prior to the workshop, we expect the following time commitment:
  • There will be 1-2 full-group online meetings to introduce the workshop structure, share and discuss plans
  • Individual groups may meet to collate information and agree sampling strategies.
  • We expect participants to commit ~10-15h to complete some assignments ahead of the workshop

Applications for Workshop 2 are now open. The deadline for submission is the Monday 2 of September 2024.

ECORD and USSSP travel support

There are some MagellanPlus travel support grants (up to ~€1,000) available for ECORD scientists, with preference given to ECRs and those without existing funding. MagellanPlus funding can only be used to support researchers from ECORD members. USSSP funding may be available for successful US-based participants.

Organising committee

For any queries, get in touch at 21CenturyDrilling@leicester.ac.uk. 

• Anna Joy Drury (University of Leicester)
• Beth Christensen (Rowan University)
• Gerald Auer (University of Graz)
• Thomas Westerhold (MARUM, University of Bremen)
• U. Röhl (MARUM, University of Bremen)

Workshop 1 participants

• Anna Joy Drury, University of Leicester, UK
  • PI (Geochemistry and Physical Properties, Digital)
• Beth Christensen, Rowan University, USA
  • PI (Biostratigraphy)
• Gerald Auer, University of Graz, Austria
  • PI (Core Description)
• Thomas Westerhold, MARUM, University of Bremen, Germany
  • PI (Digital core, Geochemistry and Physical Properties)
• Ulla Röhl, MARUM, University of Bremen, Germany
  • PI (Geochemistry and Physical Properties)
• Anna Arrigoni, University of Graz, Austria
  • Core Description
• Disha Baidya, University of Southern California, USA
  • Geochemistry and Physical Properties
• Or Bialik, University of Munster, Germany
  • Core Description
• Alianna Bronstein, Rowan University, USA
  • Digital core
• Cécile Figus, University of Szczecin, Poland
  • Biostratigraphy - Diatoms
• Monica Alejandra Gomes Correa, Hamburg University, Germany
  • Core Description
• Claire Jasper, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, USA
  • Core Description
• Heather Jones, MARUM, University of Bremen, Germany
  • Biostratigraphy -  Calc. nannofossils
• Boris Karatsolis, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium
  • Geochemistry and Physical Properties
• David King, University College London, UK
  • Biostratigraphy - Planktonic Foraminifera
• Diederik Liebrand, University of Manchester, UK
  • Geochemistry and Physical Properties
• Torben Struve, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment
  • Core Description
• Deborah Tangunan, University College London, UK
  • Biostratigraphy -  remote
• Victoria Taylor, University of Bergen, Norway
  • Geochemistry and Physical Properties
• Jeremy Young, University College London, UK
  • Biostratigraphy -  Calcareous nannofossils