San Francisco, USA, 14th December 2000
Meeting held at Crown Plaza Hotel, Union Square
Members and Guests in attendance:
LL - Laurent Labeyrie (Chair); MS - Michael Sarnthein (Executive Director); AH – Ann Holbourn (Assistant Director); FG – Francis Grousset (France); FA - Fatima Abrantes (Portugal); RS – Ralph Schneider (Germany); MLMC – Maria Luisa Machain-Costello (Mexico); MTC - Min-Te Chen (Taiwan); TO - Tadamichi Oba (Japan); EJ - Eystein Jansen (Norway); TP - Tom Pedersen (Canada); NP - Nick Pisias (USA); NMC - Nick McCave (UK); HK - Hodaka Kawahata (Japan); DA - Dave Anderson (USA); TVW - Tjeerd van Weering (The Netherlands); JG - Joan Grimalt (Spain); FB - Franck Bassinot (France); FR - Frank Rack (USA); RZ - Rainer Zahn (UK); YB - Yvon Balut (IFRTP)
Meeting opened by Chair at 09.00
1.1 Opening remarks (MS)
1.2 Agenda
Agenda accepted.
1.3 Report from Chairman
LL highlighted the achievements of IMAGES over the last five years and stressed the necessity to project a scientific vision for the future of IMAGES. LL proposed that funding agencies such as NSF be approached to discuss ways of securing the funding of international cruises.
1.4 Report from Executive Director
MS announced that a new data manager, Mr Stefan Rothe, was now employed in Kiel until end of September 2001. MS reported that Austria, Brazil, Ireland and Italy had expressed interest to join IMAGES. MS requested that outstanding year 2000 national reports and lists of publications be sent urgently to the IMAGES office for posting on the IMAGES website.
(UPDATE: No new report received by 20/01/01). MS suggested that it was time to consider the future location of the IMAGES office, presently located in Kiel until end 2002.
1.5 Availability of IMAGES shipboard and lab data
MS outlined high-priority tasks for the new data manager:
MS stressed that shipboard and available postcruise data from past IMAGES cruises had to be urgently submitted to the PANGAEA database and that pending cruise reports should be published rapidly. Discussion followed regarding the difficulty to complete cruise reports on board because, in contrast to ODP practice, no set standards were established. It was agreed that protocols be standardized for cruise data acquisition and report compilation before next IMAGES cruise. NP emphasized that PIs should take full responsibility during cruises to ensure that cruise data and report were delivered. It was proposed that a scientific assistant/technician be funded by an increase in core price, who would be responsible for acquiring and transmitting data of all IMAGES cruises.
Summary decision:
MS reported on the ESCOD meeting in Nancy, France on 28th-29th September 2000.
It was agreed that it was fundamental to articulate scientific issues that IMAGES could address and not solely target technological developments. FG emphasized that there was no possibility to develop longer (150-200 m) cores. The only realistic strategy was to improve the Calypso coring system (up to 80 m), perhaps with the help of EU funding. It was critical to emphasize that IMAGES could provide greater flexibility to address problems that IODP could not solve (site survey, coring, accoustic imaging). Best was to fill gap within the new IODP structure.
Summary decision:
UPDATE: The IMAGES proposal was received very positively at Brussels meeting. Scientific discussion will continue at Lisbon Meeting (May 10th-12th 2001). LL will encourage attendance by several IMAGES representatives.
3.1 Decadal-to-Millennial-Scale Variability
MS reported that a 2-5 day workshop would be held at the University of California, Santa Barbara in late May 2001. The workshop will consist of less than 20 participants including the WG steering committe, key subeditors of the volume being produced from papers presented at Trins and about 6 additional scientists to present key time-series records. MS requested 5 000 US$ from IMAGES to support the workshop. Main objectives of the workshop were:
NMC stressed that SCOR WGs were set up with well defined terms of reference and consisted of a small number of members (10). The ultimate objective of the proposed Santa Barbara meeting should be to produce a final report in agreement with WG terms of reference. WGs should not have a long-term meeting calendar but should aim to complete pre-defined objectives. MS agreed to these guidelines.
3.2 SEAMONS
NMC remarked that the proposal to hold the SEAMONS 2001 WG meeting together with the Leg 184 postcruise meeting would leave no time for scientific evaluation and report writing. LL suggested that an international workshop should be scheduled for 2002 that would fully address the original WG terms of reference. It was agreed that the application for funding of the proposed SEAMONS 2001 workshop in China should not be supported. A funding application from SEAMONS for 2002 was encouraged.
3.3 Ice-Ocean Interaction
EJ outlined a proposal for this new WG (to be co-chaired by John Andrews) with projected duration of three years. A small group of six people would initially meet in the first year. A larger meeting would follow in the second year. A summary meeting would be held in the last year to produce a review paper. LL proposed that PAGES be involved in the organization of the larger workshop. NMC suggested that a proposal for funding be submitted to SCOR October meeting. EJ requested 6 000 US$ from IMAGES to support first workshop.
3.4 Southern Ocean
MS reported that Andreas Mackensen was willing to co-chair the new WG and to organize a first meeting at Bremerhaven in Spring 2001. It was agreed that Rob Dunbar and Andreas Mackensen would be co-chairs. Suggested WG members were: Miquel Canals (Spain), Peter Harris (Australia), Gary Wilson (UK), Carol Pudsey (UK), Hideki Miura (Japan), Angelo Camerlenghi (Italy), Chris Charles (USA), Bill Curry (USA), Julia Lee-Thorp (South Africa), Nolan Koc (Norway), Jean-Louis Turon (France), Xavier Crosta (France) and Elizabeth Michel (France).
UPDATE: Invitations to first meeting (May or June) were sent by A. Mackensen.
3.5 River Fans
RS proposed following objectives and targets for this new WG:
RS outlined a preliminary schedule:
No funding was requested from IMAGES for 2001.
3.6 Image Analysis (proposals by FR and Juergen Thurow)
FR reported that the outcome of funding applications submitted to NSF was not yet known. New meeting plans and schedule would be communicated once reply was received from NSF.
NMC proposed that Juergen Thurow and Alan Kemp remain involved. FB also stated interest.
AH reported that subscriptions to "Paleoceanography" and "Nature" had been secured to be distributed as prizes to the most outstanding posters submitted by students. LL asked that "Science" be also approached for subscriptions. The ICPVII Organizing Committee had agreed to advertize IMAGES travel awards and poster prizes on its webpage. TO suggested that selection of students for poster prizes be made by the ICPVII Scientific Committee. It was agreed that poster prizes would be open to all students and that recipients would be selected by the ICPVII Scientific Committee. Travel awards would be open to students and young scientists (within 3 years of their Ph.D.), who did not receive any travel support. Selection of recipients for travel awards would be made by the IMAGES Excom. List of selected young scientists would be then passed on to the ICPVII Organizing Committee to avoid duplication of awards.
Summary decision:
AH presented the current state of IMAGES finances in Kiel on 12/12/00:
AH presented a preliminary budget for 2001:
It was agreed to postpone all decisions regarding further 2001 funding applications (except for ICPVII travel awards) until a new financial assessment had been made at end of March.
Summary decision:
New brochure would be compiled by Excom and Scientific Experts. NP suggested a writing session of 3 days, possibly at Corvallis. LL suggested that a funding application should be made to PAGES (US$ 5.000) to help set up writing meeting.
A PAGES Newsletter would be produced summarizing latest IMAGES scientific results and activities.
FG was proposed as Excom member to replace EJ. Luc Beaufort will become the new French representative for Scicom (alternate to Frank Bassinot).
Summary decision:
Formal proposal will be put to next Scicom meeting for FG to replace EJ as Excom member.
YB presented MD cruise plans for 2001 (preliminary dates):
YB announced that the time slot for the American program was now July-August 2002 (no overlap with ODP cruise would occur). LL stated that Vivianne Bout would be French Coordinator for Mississipi sites and Luc Beaufort for east Pacific sites. Short proposals for coring or sampling were welcome during the transect from New Zealand to Vancouver. A Southern Ocean cruise was planned for 2003.
FG stressed that all new coring proposals including seismic data had to be received by 15th January for subsequent reviewing by IFRTP Scientific Committee. FG emphasized that top scientific papers were essential to convince IFRTP of making MD available.
YB described possible improvements to the Calypso coring system (Calypso 3 capable of retrieving 60-100 m core length). YB stated that the PROD did not provide a satisfactory coring system and that results would be poor with long cores.
LL announced that IFRTP would be applying for large scale facility status from the EU for MD.
It was agreed that the IMAGES Office would remain in Kiel until end 2003.
Summary decision:
Formal proposal will be put to next Scicom meeting for IMAGES Office to remain in Kiel until 2003.
The following funding application was approved:
The following funding applications will be reassessed at end of March 2001:
Next Scicom meeting scheduled for 15th September 2001, prior to ICP VII in Sapporo, Japan.
19/01/2001
Ann Holbourn Michael Sarnthein