Dr. Yildirim Dilek Department of Earth Sciences

Miami University, USA

40 years of successful, field-based,

inter-disciplinary exploration of the

Earth processes and training of the

future generations of geoscientists!

Where does the IGCP fit

into the big picture of the

global, technology-driven,

societal science that

explores the feedbacks in

both natural and social

systems in the Earth?

IGCP is a major corner-stone in the larger foundation of the UNESCO to serve the nations of the world.

Venus

Earth

Earth

The study of the Planet

Earth requires an inter-

disciplinary approach to

understand the interplay

among its Lithosphere,

Hydrosphere,

Atmosphere and

Biosphere.

The Earth is a giant heat engine, and

70% of its heat transfer by plate tectonics (convection through the mantle)

25% by conduction through continents

5% by mantle plumes

Mantle

IGCP-430: Mantle Dynamics & Natural Hazards

The upper ~100 km

of the Earth in the

oceans is created by

plate tectonic events,

driven by deep

mantle dynamics and

processes, and gets

recycled entirely in

every ~150 to 200

million years.

IGCP-256: Ophiolite genesis and

evolution of oceanic lithosphere;

IGCP-283: Evolution of the Paleo-

Asian Ocean;

IGCP-433: Caribbean plate tectonics;

IGCP-440: Rodinia assembly &

breakup

IGCP-480: Tectonics of Central Asia

Plate tectonics alters:

Ocean currents and therefore heat transport;

Global atmospheric circulation.

And, generates more volcanic activity!

more volcanic eruptions >> emit more CO2

into atmosphere;

this would cause global temperatures to rise.

Hence, plate tectonics causes significant

global changes.

IGCP-428: Climate and boreholes;

IGCP-430: Mantle dynamics and

natural hazards;

IGCP-455: Basement volcanoes

interplay and human activities.

IGCP-476: Monsoon evolution and

tectonic-climate linkage in Asia.

Appalachian-

Caledonian

Mountain Belt

Colliding plates and continents create large

mountain belts, which are rich in ore deposits

and natural resources:

IGCP-23: The Caledonide Orogen;

IGCP-540: Gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids of

orogenic deposits.

~330 Ma

Mountain root

Continental collision leads to mountain buildup with deep roots (like

icebergs). The landscapes of high mountains are ever-changing &

controlled by the balance between uplift, precipitation (climate) and

erosion.

IGCP-559: Crustal architecture and landscape evolution.

Pangea

Absolute motions of plates and continental blocks with respect to fixed Asia in

present time: active deformation, seismicity & the history of human civilizations

IGCP-567: Earthquake archeology–archeoseismology along the Alpine-Himalayan seismic zone.

Distribution of earthquake occurrences, seismic hazard & landslides in the

Mediterranean region and Eurasia

IGCP-382: Seismotectonics and seismic hazard assessment of the Mediterranean basin;

IGCP-414: Seismic ground motion in large urban areas;

IGCP-425: Landslide hazard assessment and cultural heritage.

Mount Pinatubo plume from NW on June 12, 1991

VOLCANISM & GLOBAL CHANGE

Eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 ejected roughly 10 billion

metric tons of magma, and 20 million tons of SO2.

Over the following months, the aerosols formed a global layer of

sulfuric acid haze. Global temperatures dropped by about 0.5 °C

(0.9 °F), and the ozone depletion temporarily increased

substantially.

IGCP-383: Paleostress, neotectonics, geodynamics & natural

hazards in West Pacific/Asia.

Global air temperature before and after Mt. Pinatubo eruption average hemispheric temperatures dropped by 0.2-0.5°C for a period of 1-3 years.

The Aerosol Plume produced by Mt. Pinatubo Mt. Pinatubo injected 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere; The sulfur dioxide was observed around the globe in the equatorial regions

2010 Eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland They caused enormous disruption to air travel

across Europe during six days in April 2010.

The eruption may have affected atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by fertilizing oceans with iron > increased CO2 absorption following the eruption. The total loss for the airline industry was around US$1.7 billion. Just over 200 years ago an Icelandic volcano (Laki) erupted with catastrophic consequences across the northern hemisphere > triggered the French revolution.

The Rheic Ocean opened between Gondwana and a number of continental blocks that rifted from the Amazonian-West African margin of Gondwana about 470 Ma. Closure of the Rheic Ocean produced the vast Ouachita-Alleghanian mountain belt in North America and the Variscan orogenic belt in Central & Eastern Europe. It was one of the principal events in the assembly of the supercontinent Pangaea, and caused significant global changes and mass extinctions.

Frankfurt 2008

IGCP PROJECT 497: RHEIC OCEAN (2004-08)

400 Ma

Evolution of the northern margin of the Rheic Ocean;Field excursion, 5 July 2005, Portsmouth (UK)

Remnants of the Rheic Ocean, Portsmouth, U.K.

IGCP Project 559 - Crustal Architecture and Images –

Structural controls on landscapes, resources and hazards

IGCP Project 559 - Crustal Architecture and Images –

Structural controls on landscapes, resources and hazards

Caribbean Region with locations of IGCP 546 activities

Where does the IGCP go from here in the next 10 years?

Increasingly more interdisciplinary studies of the Earth not only within the broad field of

geosciences, but also with physics, chemistry, biology, astrobiology & archeology:

IGCP should collaborate closely with other entities in the UNESCO.

Field-based studies in geosciences constitute the most fundamental boundary conditions

and the reality-check in our research: IGCP should continue to support and encourage

field-oriented, observational work by interdisciplinary teams.

More funds are needed to support the increasing number of excellent, multi-disciplinary

projects by truly global research teams, particularly those made of young scientists:

IGCP, UNESCO and the National Committees can be more creative and pro-active in

seeking & securing external funds.

The IGCP Science Board and staff can afford to play an active role by engaging the

international scientific community in submitting proposals based on some current trends

in frontier science and hot-topics, w/o overcompensating the “bottom-up” nature of its

historically successful program.

Hierapolis ancient city &

fault-controlled geothermal

waters, Western Turkey

Thank you

for your

attention!