From Rift to Ridge '07

National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
A workshop dedicated to North Atlantic rift - drift evolution under the influence of the Iceland Hotspot

Fundamental scientific question to be addressed
How does a hotspot influence the development of an oceanic basin from rifting through to mid-ocean ridge spreading?

Why is this important?
Mantle influence on rifting and break-up geometries
Understanding mantle circulation and hotspot phenomena
Consequences for crustal-scale horizontal and vertical tectonics
Influence on the structure of oceanic crust and the geometry of seafloor spreading
Determine linkages between basin evolution and oceanographic circulation, and thus to climate change

Rationale of meeting
To summarize the current 'state-of-knowledge' in the field.
To consider the fundamental scientific questions that remain to be addressed?
To identify existing data resources, where they are, who owns them and how to access them?

Anticipated aims and outcomes of meeting
To suggest, plan and coordinate current and future IODP drilling proposals for the North East Atlantic.
To coordinate with ongoing and future data acquisition programmes in the North Atlantic
To develop a coordinated and joined-up international strategy to address the the wider questions of hotspot-influenced ocean basin evolution.
To stimulate scientific proposals to national funding agencies e.g. NERC, NSF.
To identify funding agencies and resources (e.g. IODP, InterRidge, EUFP7, NSF, NERC etc.).
To forge links with potential industrial partners with the aim of enabling the research (e.g. site survey resources, existing well data, etc.).

Preliminary meeting agenda

28 June 2007
Keynote talks summarising the state-of-knowledge for the region, the key geological processes, and planned research activities.
Plenary session to identify major outstanding questions.

29 June 2007
Plenary session to recap on major outstanding questions and arrange break-out groups and chairs.
Breakout workshop sessions covering each of 5 themes:
Theme 1: The Iceland hotspot: origins and influences
Theme 2: Origin and evolution of the Iceland Plateau
Theme 3: Ridge-hotspot interaction
Theme 4: Rift dynamics and continental break-up geometry
Theme 5: Basin evolution and influences on ocean circulation
Plenary session to identify a coordinated strategy (e.g. IODP, InterMargins, InterRidge and national funding including Europe)
Identify work packages and task people to lead proposals in those areas

Confirmed keynote speakers
Prof. Godfrey Fitton (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Prof. Gillian Foulger (University of Durham, UK)
Dr. Stephen Jones (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)
Prof. John Hopper (Texas A& M, USA)
Dr. Erik Lundin (Statoil ASA, Norway)
Prof. James Wright (Rutgers, USA)
Prof. Garrett Ito (University of Hawaii, USA)
Bryndís Brandsdóttir (University of Iceland)
Dr Nicky White (University of Cambridge, UK)
Michael Larsen (Dong Energy, Denmark)

For more information and registration details, go to the Rift to Ridge '07 Website