IODP Leg 340 Lesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean Sea are host to a large number of volcanoes. Although Montserrat is host to the only volcano that is erupting at the present time, there have been many eruptions over the past century, including some that have led to large numbers of fatalities in the region. Hence, an understanding of the eruptive history of the volcanoes and the geohazard implications of these eruptions is critical if we are to provide sound advice to the local population. This information cannot be readily gathered by studying the volcanic deposits on land, because the products of younger eruptions bury the evidence of past events and most of the products of the eruptions are, in any case, rapidly transported to the oceans. Hence, the best record of the volcanic history in the region comes from analysing the record of volcanic activity that is preserved in the marine sediments that surround the islands. In addition, most of the volcanoes in the region go through cycles of growth of a large dome of fresh volcanic rock that then becomes unstable and collapses into the ocean. If these collapses are large, they have the potential to generate large tsunamis that could represent a significant hazard to the local populace. Again, because these collapses transfer debris to the oceans, the best record of their size and speed of formation (which are critical to assessing their hazard potential) is to be found in the oceans. Although we have been able to obtain some information extending back over the past hundred thousand years from conventional research vessels, we know that volcanic activity on the islands has extended back several millions years and there is evidence that there were much larger eruptions and dome collapse events during this time. So, in order to study this long term record we need to drill several hundred metres deep through the marine deposits and recover the sediments for study on board the ship and in our laboratories on land. In order to accomplish this, we will be undertaking a 7 week long cruise aboard the IODP ship to recover drill cores from off the islands of Montserrat and Martinique.

Direct beneficiaries will include researchers involved in island arc volcanism and geohazards research. Data will be available to all one year after the expedition and results from the expedition will be published in a timely manner, both in the form of IODP publications and within international peer-reviewed journals. As a participating scientist, one of my roles is to ensure that results are published rapidly and are available to the broader community.

As part of IODP, data and scientific results will be formally discussed and disseminated in three main forms: firstly within the combined science party (~40-50 researchers) of Expedition 340 during the Post-Expedition Science Meeting; secondly within the Preliminary Report and Expedition Report (formerly Initial Reports and Scientific Results volumes); and thirdly through the normal scientific communication modes of peer-reviewed publication and presentation at national and international meetings.

The impact of the Expedition's results for understanding volcanism and tsnuami generation processes in the region will be of direct benefit to communities worldwide, particularly the various Caribbean nations in this case, where island arc volcanism related natural hazards have a major impact on way of life and the regional and global economy. The results will be directly made available to research orgnisations and relevant government bodies in the region via regional science organisations (e.g., University of the West Indies) participating in this Expedition.

Science communication and public outreach is a major component of IODP. As a participating scientist, my role will be to assist in coordination of the outreach programme, and to promote and to encourage promotion amongst the science party of the objectives, results and implications. As a result, the general public will learn about the volcanic processes in the region, the potential hazards, the technology being developed and applied, and how the results can be used to improve mitigation of these natural hazards.

IODP as an organisation has a proven track record of communicating its science and results and making rapidly available the data collected to both the scientific community and the wider community. Expedition 340, as part of this organisation, will therefore benefit from IODP's experience and organisation.