2050 SCIENCE
FRAMEWORK

What is Scientific Ocean Drilling?
Scientific ocean drilling addresses fundamental questions about the inter­
connected processes that characterize the complex Earth system and shape
our planet’s future. It uses sophisticated technologies to collect sediment, rock,microbial, and fluid samples from beneath the seafloor and deploys state-ofthe-art measurement devices and long-term observatories within subseafloor
boreholes. These activities supply critical details about geologic processes aswell as natural hazards that pose risks to society. Analyses of samples recovered by scientific ocean drilling establish the geologic context for interpreting
human impact on climate and the environment, providing the data needed toimprove the accuracy of computer models that predict the pace of rising sea
levels and the melting of polar and glacial ice. Sampling and analyses also offer
glimpses of the types of microbial life that might exist elsewhere in our solar
system and beyond.

About the 2050 Science Framework
The 2050 Science Framework guides scientists on important research frontiers
that scientific ocean drilling should pursue. It focuses on the many ways inwhich scientific ocean drilling will increase understanding of the fundamental
connections among Earth system components while addressing a range ofnatural and human-caused environmental challenges facing society.

Countries Involved in the Development of the 2050 Science Framework
Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea,Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America

ExploringEarthBY SCIENTIFICOCEANDRILLING

Who We Are
We are an international scientific community
pioneering global-scale interdisciplinary
research below the seafloor of the world ocean.
WE RESEARCH
the processes that connect the solid Earth,ocean, life, climate, and society.
WE EXPLORE
the interconnected Earth in places
that can only be accessed and understood
through scientific ocean drilling.
WE TRAVERSE TIME
to reveal the many interactions that shaped
Earth’s geologic past to illuminate our future.
WE COMMUNICATE
knowledge gained through scientific ocean
drilling to the global community.

Full Report
Koppers, A.A.P., and R. Coggon, eds. 2020.
Exploring Earth by Scientific Ocean Drilling:
2050 Science Framework. 124 pp.,https://doi.org/10.6075/J0W66J9H.

The 2050 Science

STRATEGICOBJECTIVESThe Strategic Objectives comprise broad Earth science
research areas that form the foundation of scientific ocean
drilling through 2050. Each objective focuses on understanding the interconnections within the Earth system.
Habitability and Life on Earth. Defining the conditions
for, and the role of, life in the marine realm.
The Oceanic Life Cycle of Tectonic Plates. Investigating the genesis, aging, motion, and destruction ofoceanic plates.
Earth’s Climate System. Unraveling ice sheet history,
sea level changes, and ocean-atmosphere interactions.
Feedbacks in the Earth System. Constraining the processes that regulate or destabilize the Earth system.
Tipping Points in Earth’s History. Using Earth’s geological past to illuminate future environmental change.
Global Cycles of Energy and Matter. Determining therole, mechanisms, and magnitude of Earth system cycles.
Natural Hazards Impacting Society. Understanding
natural hazards in the marine environment.

ENABLING
ELEMENTS
Enabling Elements advance the aims of scientific ocean
drilling through numerous and varied broader impacts
and outreach initiatives, partnerships and collaborations
with organizations that have complementary goals,
technology development, and big data analytics.

Framework Structure

FLAGSHIP
INITIATIVESThe Flagship Initiatives comprise long-term, multidisciplinary
research endeavors that aim to test scientific paradigms andhypotheses that inform issues of particular relevance or interest
to society. They typically combine research goals from multiple
Strategic Objectives. Their implementation will be shaped by proposals from the scientific community that develop coordinatedstrategies that include long-term planning, technology development, and innovative applications of existing and new scientificocean drilling data products.
Ground Truthing Future Climate Change. By collecting therobust data required for reconstructing global climate evolution
over extended geologic time periods, scientific ocean drilling
will provide information that is critical for improving climate
model performance.
Probing the Deep Earth. By penetrating deep within oceanic
crust, scientific ocean drilling will lead to a better understandingof Earth’s formation and evolution and the connections between
tectonics, earthquake and volcanic hazards, climate, and ourplanet’s habitability.
Assessing Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards. By acquiring
samples and deploying instruments in offshore and nearshore
fault zones, scientific ocean drilling will enable more reliable
assessments of the risks posed by major earthquakes and tsunamis
and will facilitate improved hazard preparedness and response.
Diagnosing Ocean Health. By retrieving sedimentary records
that preserve key information about past responses of biological activity to natural cycles and catastrophic events, scientific ocean drilling will enable a more informed assessment of
the expected rates, duration, and magnitudes of future ocean
health deterioration.
Exploring Life and Its Origins. Scientific ocean drilling andmonitoring in borehole observatories will advance research into
the distribution and limits of deep microbial life, novel microbes
and their biotechnological applications, the emergence and evolution of life on Earth, and the possibility of life on other worlds.