Leg 191: West Pacific Seismic Network
The International Ocean Network (ION) was founded to meet a critical need for long-term
geophysical observatories in the deep ocean to fulfill two major scientific goals (1) uniform
coverage of global terrestrial processes, and (2) long-term monitoring of active processes. The
Western Pacific is the best-suited region on Earth to investigate the surface manifestations of
subducting plates, from formation and evolution of island arcs and marginal seas to earthquake
phenomena, and their relation to mantle convection. Leg 191 will drill one of the high-priority
areas identified by ION in the Western Pacific (WP-2). A downhole seismometer will be installed
at this site located seaward of the Japan trench to expand the observatory network. The objectives
of the long-term observatory at Site WP-2 are to provide: (1) seismic tomography of the
lithosphere, (2) constrains on the structure of the Pacific oceanic plate and underlying mantle, and
(3) MORB chemistry to constrain the cooling and subsidence history of the old oceanic
lithosphere. This observatory will also provide unique seismic observations on the seawater side of
the Japan Trench.
Staff Scientist: Carlota Escutia
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