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 On the 14th of December 2011, Professor Jerzy Nawrocki, director of the Polish Geological Institute has signed a membership agreement with the European Consortium for Ocean Drilling Research (ECORD). This allows the Institute to participate in research expeditions IODP, submit proposals for projects and research drilling as well as it provides an access to data, core samples and scientific results.
Following the invitation by the PGI’s director - Mr Jerzy Nawrocki, Mrs Catherine Mével, director of the ECORD Managing Agency (EMA) stayed at the Institute on the 13th and 14th of December 2011. The purpose of the visit was to present ECORD organisation, its research programme and structure of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) as well as to discuss the Institute’s membership in ECORD.
Presentation by Mrs. Catherine Mével titled: International framework for scientific ocean drilling
On the 14th of December 2011, Professor Jerzy Nawrocki, director of the Polish Geological Institute has signed the membership agreement with ECORD - the European Consortium for Ocean Drilling Research. The Institute became the 18th member of ECORD and the 25th member of IODP – the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, a worldwide organisation in which the ECORD consortium participates in. Presentation by dr Szymon Uścinowicz has outlined PGI’s projects and works carried out in a field of marine geology.
The agreement has been signed. PGI is a member of ECORD. Handshake between the PGI’s director, Mr Jerzy Nawrocki and the director of the ECORD Managing Agency – Mrs. Catherine Mével
ECORD associates governmental and national organisations, agencies and institutions working in research. ECORD membership is opened also to institutions from outside Europe, who can be invited by the ECORD’s managing board. The consortium was established in 2002 by representatives of France, Germany and the Great Britain. A year later, in December 2003, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between 11 member countries and the ECORD Managing Agency (EMA), acting as a managing agency for the consortium, based in the Center Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris. At present, after signing the agreement with the PGI, ECORD consists of participants from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Holland, Spain, Island, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain and Italy. Among ECORD’s members is the Geological Survey of Ireland, with whom we cooperate under the EuroGeoSurveys – European organisation gathering geological surveys. The consortium is coordinated by the British Geological Survey, who manages both operations and scientific research carried out on vessels and drilling rigs, i.e. Mission Specific Platforms on behalf of ECORD.
ECORD participates in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and it sends some 16,8 mln US $ a year towards the IODP as a membership fee. The money originates from subscription fees donated by ECORD’s members. The IODP program, which concentrates on marine research, is financed by Japan, the USA, consortium of European countries constituting ECORD, India, Australia, New Zealand, China and South Korea. Funds are used for managing projects, supporting oceanic expeditions of deep sea drilling vessels of „Chikyu" and „Joides Resolution" as well as „Mission Specific Platforms", which are drilling rigs and smaller sea drilling vessels working on shelfs.
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme IODP and its European organisation of ECORD is a unique research programme integrating scientists from around the world to provide complete data for studies on the Earth’s past, defining natural resources, geodynamics, extreme phenomena and natural hazards due to geological factors (earthquake, tsunami) and climate change. This interdisciplinary, multinational research enterprise gathers representatives of many various research areas in a field of Earth science.
Membership in ECORD gives an opportunity to participate in IODP research expeditions (number of expeditions depends on membership fee); provides an access to unique research infrastructure; participation in workshops, scientific panel discussions and in a management board who coordinates research programs; allows submitting project proposals in a field of marine geology as well as provides an access to data, samples and scientific and technical results. Core repository containing cores from the area of Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean, managed by ECORD, is located in Bremen (Germany). Samples are made available after a year long moratorium.
In 2013, a paleoenvironmental research project regarding Baltic Sea and quaternary deposits titled „Paleoenvironmental evolution of the Balic Sea Basin through the last glacial cycle" will be carried out. This new drilling and research expedition in the area of Baltic Sea promises to be an interesting research initiative.
text Ilona Śmietańska
photos Marek Krzyżanowski, Ilona Śmietańska
translation Anna Kuczyńska
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