Long-Range Exploration of the Ridge Crest
An international workshop sponsored by InterRidge and ChEss
28-30th June 2010, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
Deadline for registration is 26th May 2010. Registration for the workshop is £80.
Aims
There is a vast range of mid-ocean ridge scientific questions that may only be answerable through long-range exploration of the ridge axes. These questions cover such diverse fields as hydrothermal chemistry (What is the distribution of high temperature venting along the axes? What are the relative proportions of mafic and ultramafic-hosted systems? (relevant for coupling of Fe and Corg in the wider deep ocean and therefore for questions ranging from ocean biogeochemistry to astrobiology)) magmatic petrology (What is the nature of crustal formation through time? To what extent does off-axis volcanism play a role in the final state of the crust?) or chemosynthetic biology (What are the linkages amongst populations (on the scale of an ocean basin)? What are the sources and sinks for dispersal? What are the dispersal vectors? What are the links to other chemosynthetic environments and what are the filters and barriers?). Advances in deep-submergence technologies means that it may be feasible, in the near future, to begin answering some of these questions if the right expeditions and right technologies come together. This will, however, still require new technological developments both in terms of the vehicles used as well as the sensors they deploy.
In order to encourage both the development and formulation of a concrete scientific justification for the long-range exploration of the ridge axes and also to stimulate the necessary technological developments, InterRidge and its "Long-range Exploration Working Group" is holding an open Workshop in June 2010 at NOC Southampton. We expect the workshop to produce a clear science plan for long-range exploration, a list of technological developments necessary to tackle these scientific questions and a list of "hot-spot" areas where the scientific payback from long-range exploration might be greatest.
The structure of the three-day workshop has been devised with the aim of achieving the goals of wide-ranging discussion combined with formulation of clear planning objectives. It begins with discipline-specific themes so that participants begin the meeting on their own scientific ground and agree upon key questions that need to be addressed and key geographic areas that need to be targeted to implement such work. As the meeting progresses, and the different disciplines report back in plenary, discussion about priority areas can become cross-disciplinary.
Registration for the workshop is £80.
It is an open meeting but attendance will be limited to 100 due to space restrictions in the meeting rooms.
Convener: Colin Devey (IFM-GEOMAR, Germany)
Steering Committee: Chris German (WHOI, USA), Sidney Mello (Univ. Federal Fluminense, Brazil), Lucia Campos (Univ. Federal do Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Anton le Roex (Univ. Cape Town, South Africa), Cindy Van Dover (Duke University, USA), Gwyn Griffiths (NOC, Southampton, UK), Koichi Nakamura (AIST, Japan), Hidenori Kumagai (IFREE, JAMSTEC, Japan), Jiabiao Li (2nd Inst. of Oceanog., China), Marcia Maia (Univ. Brest, France)
This workshop is sponsored by InterRidge and ChEss for the Long-Range Exploration Working Group.
Conference dinner: Chesil Rectory, Winchester "A unique, historic Grade II listed building dating back to 1450, the oldest house in the medieval city of Winchester, bequeathed to it by Mary Tudor". Tuesday 29th June, 2010
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ACCOMMODATION
We have reserved a number of rooms at the Jurys Inn Southampton. This is a good hotel and about 20 minutes walk to the Oceanography Centre. See http://southamptonhotels.jurysinns.com/
Rates are £69 Bed & Breakfast, single occupancy, and £79 for double/twin occupancy. Guests should quote “OCEANRIDGE” to receive the above rates. Please make bookings directly with the hotel by 26th May 2010.
Email: jurysinnsouthampton@jurysinns.com
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 371204
The cancellation policy is 2pm on the day of arrival, and check in time to the hotel is from 2pm. Departure time is 12pm. If guests have made a booking but fail to show up to the hotel there will be a no show charge.The Jurys Inn does not have its own car park but there is an NCP car park directly below the hotel. Guests do receive a discount on the daily rate, after having their ticket validated on departure. The rate for 24 hours (after the discount) is £6.
Other hotel suggestions include:
Cargo Hotel Southampton (small hotel close to NOC) www.cargosouthampton.com +44 23 8082 9042 (Quote "Debbie Milton-InterRidge" for reduced rates of £65 Bed & Breakfast)
Hotel Novotel Southampton www.accorhotels.com +44 23 8033 0550
Hotel Ibis Southampton Centre www.accorhotels.com +44 23 8063 4463
Etap Hotel Southampton Centre (very cheap but basic) - http://www.accorhotels.com +44 23 8022 7705
DeVere Grand Harbour Hotel - www.devere-hotels.com +44 23 80633033
Premier Inn Southampton City Centre www.premierinn.com +44 870 2428000
TRAVEL TO/FROM SOUTHAMPTON
Details of travel to/from Southampton and the NOC can be found at:
http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/nocs/findus.php
The most convenient major international airport to fly into is London Heathrow but European delegates or those flying via other European Hubs might like to fly directly into Southampton Airport.
Travel to/from London Heathrow can be by National Express coach to Southampton (http://www.nationalexpress.com/) or the Bus/Rail link (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/).
You can also be picked up from the London airports with English Rose collection service. (http://www.englishrosecollection.co.uk/). If you mention you are attending a meeting at NOC they should give you the discounted rate ( ~£75 each way from Heathrow).
LOCAL DIRECTIONS
Local maps and travel within Southampton.
