U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling

U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling Advancing Earth science using ocean drilling | Account managed by the U.S. Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office (SODCO)

⚓️ Sailing opportunity for students!US GO-SHIP is accepting applications from students to participate in an upcoming re-...
09/08/2026

⚓️ Sailing opportunity for students!

US GO-SHIP is accepting applications from students to participate in an upcoming re-occupation of a central Pacific meridional hydrographic transect aboard the R/V Thomas G. Thompson.

The cruise has two legs. The first will cover the southern portion of the transect, from New Zealand to Tahiti, and take place between January and March 2027. The second will cover the central portion of the transect, from Tahiti to Hawaii, and take place between March and April 2027.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with review beginning September 21, 2026. Learn more: https://usgoship.ucsd.edu/2026/08/27/p16s-c-student-cruise-opportunity-review-begins-9-21-26/.

US GO-SHIP is part of the international GO-SHIP network, which aims to develop a globally coordinated ocean observation network.

Improvements in sampling techniques are opening the way to new insights into the biological communities of rocky oceanic...
09/03/2026

Improvements in sampling techniques are opening the way to new insights into the biological communities of rocky oceanic crust.

A recent paper describes a workflow for microbiological and biogeochemical (MBIO) sampling of rock cores that was tested and refined on IODP Expedition 399 to the Atlantis Massif, near the famous “Lost City” hydrothermal field. Better than expected core recovery from one of the drill holes allowed scientists to take over 200 MBIO samples, which they used to assess and optimize their sampling workflow.

The authors provide key takeaways and recommendations for MBIO rock sample workflows that maximize the potential for interdisciplinary research and minimize contamination. Read the paper in Scientific Drilling: sd.copernicus.org/articles/35/159/2026/

📷 Erick Bravo, IODP JRSO

This week, the SODCO Advisory Board met at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Highlights included heari...
08/27/2026

This week, the SODCO Advisory Board met at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Highlights included hearing presentations from the ‘25-26 Schlanger fellows, exploring the museum’s impact crater exhibit, and of course, planning for the future of US SciOD. Outcomes from the meeting will be posted to the SODCO website.

One of the biggest questions we get is what scientific ocean drilling in the US looks like now that IODP has ended. US S...
08/24/2026

One of the biggest questions we get is what scientific ocean drilling in the US looks like now that IODP has ended.

US Scientific Ocean Drilling is primarily funded and managed by the NSF US Sub-Seafloor Sampling Program (S3P), SODCO, and the GCR.

📑 The NSF S3P handles most US-based scientific ocean drilling-related proposals.
🌊 SODCO provides operational and science support to the U.S. scientific ocean drilling community.
🔬 The GCR stores and curates cores from the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, and the Southern Ocean.

Check out our FAQ page to learn more: https://sodco.org/frequently-asked-questions/

Do you have questions about US SciOD? Let us know!

A new analysis of sediments from the Santorini Caldera combines geological and genomic data to reveal how hydrothermal c...
08/20/2026

A new analysis of sediments from the Santorini Caldera combines geological and genomic data to reveal how hydrothermal conditions evolved with Santorini’s past volcanic activity.

The exchange of heat and materials between the Earth’s interior and surface around marine volcanoes creates unique and highly toxic environments. These environments are enriched with trace metals, such as mercury and arsenic, as well as microbes that have evolved to tolerate their presence.

Sediment cores retrieved during Expedition 398 to the famous Santorini Caldera provide insights into how these geological systems have changed over hundreds to thousands of years. Using both metal and microbial signatures, scientists assessed past hydrothermal conditions in the Santorini caldera.

Their analysis reveals distinct and previously unknown hydrothermal trends before and after large eruptions, and shows how microbes adapted to thrive in this toxic cocktail.

The study is in press with Nature Communications, which has provided early access to findings during the review process. Read the paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75931-8.

Images:
1. The JOIDES Resolution at one of the Santorini Caldera sites used in the paper, Site U1595. Credit: Thomas Ronge.
2. View of Santorini cliffs. Credit: Zenon Mateo, IODP JRSO.
3. Compilation of some sediment lithologies from Expedition 398. Credit: Thomas Ronge, IODP JRSO.

Makayla McShane describes her summer research project investigating a discrepancy in two records of ice-rafted debris, m...
08/11/2026

Makayla McShane describes her summer research project investigating a discrepancy in two records of ice-rafted debris, material transported by the movement and melting of glaciers. Ice-rafted debris records are important for understanding past ice sheet dynamics.

Makayla was one of four undergraduates supported by SODCO to pursue SciOD research as part of the 2026 Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory summer internship program.

Great work, Makayla!

📈 Figures from Makayla McShane

Smruti Sardar participated in last month's CORE School at the GCR. Read what she learned as part of the paleomagnetics l...
08/07/2026

Smruti Sardar participated in last month's CORE School at the GCR. Read what she learned as part of the paleomagnetics lab group.
Thanks for sharing, Smruti!

At the GCR’s 2026 CORE School, participants delved into four labs: core description, physical properties, paleomagnetism...
07/29/2026

At the GCR’s 2026 CORE School, participants delved into four labs: core description, physical properties, paleomagnetism, and biostratigraphy. Each provides critical pieces of the story we can learn from seafloor cores. Through providing participants with hands on experience using instrumentation and analyzing seafloor cores, CORE School is building expertise in scientific ocean drilling.

07/24/2026

Our second annual CORE (COres for Research and Education) School is underway at the Gulf Coast Repository!

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