Asia-Africa Science Platform Program at Misasa
Misasa, 4 October, 2005
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to inform you that Asia-Africa Science Platform Program (AASPP) isbeing undertaken at the Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior (ISEI), Okayama
University at Misasa. The Program, sponsored by Japan Society for the Promotion ofScience, has started in September 2005 and will continue until March 2008. The following
is the overview of the Program and Subject Objectives.

1. Objective of the ProgramThis program is designed to create high potential research hubs in selected fields within theAfrican region in our case, while fostering the next generation of leading researchers. It
does this by establishing sustainable collaborative relations among core universities andresearch institutes in Japan and some African countries. Under the program, these "coreinstitutions" will collaborate in research fields of special importance or significance toAfrica and that is deemed to be of high priority within Japan.

2. Core institutions
Japan: Institute for Study of the earth’s Interior, Okayama University, Misasa
Cameroon: The Institute for Geological and Mining Research, MINRESI, Yaounde
Ethiopia: Mekelle University, Mekelle
Tanzania: University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam

3. Title of the Subject
Geochemistry of the Lake Nyos gas disaster, Cameroon Volcanic Line-Rift Valley
volcanoes and the underlying mantle

4. Objectives of the subject
In West and East Africa there exist a few volcanic crater lakes that contain a tremendous
amount of dissolved carbon dioxide and other gases. At Lakes Nyos and Monoun(Cameroon) the catastrophic release of such gases resulted in gas disasters in mid-80s thatclaimed the lives of approximately 1800 people. These lakes are located along theCameroon Volcanic Line (CVL). Lake Kivu along the Great Rift Valley at the border
between Rwanda and D.R. Congo is also enriched in dissolved gases, and a gas explosion
similar to that in Cameroon is feared. Carbon dioxide dissolved in these lakes is ofmagmatic origin. Mt. Cameroon, located in the middle of CVL, is an active volcano withseveral eruptions in the last 100 years. Magmatism in the Great Rift Valley is said to havecommon features with that of CVL from the geophysical/geochemical point of view.
Magmas for these volcanoes are derived from partial melting of underlying mantle. Duringthe program we try to deepen the geochemical understanding how magmatic gases reachthe surface of the Earth and to understand magma genesis from the mantle through detailed
chemical and isotopic analyses of selected samples, and to characterize the underlying
mantle. These studies will be undertaken as the collaborative work between the institutions
participating in the program.

5. Coordinators of the ProgramJapan
Chief coordinator: Minoru Kusakabe, Professor of Geochemistry, Institute for Study of theEarth’s Interior, Okayama University
Sub-Coordinators: Eizo Nakamura, Professor of Geochemistry, Institute for Study of theEarth’s Interior, Okayama University
Hiroshi Satake, Professor of Geochemistry, Department of Environmental Sciences,Toyama University
Takeshi Ohba, Associate Professor of Geochemistry, Volcanic Fluid Research Center,Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Cameroon
Coordinator: Joseph V. Hell, Director, The Institute for Geological and Mining Research
Sub-Coordinators:Vincent Ngako, Head of Research, The Institute for Geological andMining Research
Ethiopia
Coordinator: Tarekegn Tadesse, Program Manager of Institutional University Cooperation
Makelle University
Sub-Coordinators: Dessie Nedaw, Professor, Department of Applied Geology, MelelleUniversity
Tanzania
Coordinator: Makenya Abraham Honoratus Maboko, Professor of Geology, University ofDar es Salaam
Sub-Coordinators: Dr. Crispin Kinabo, Professor of Geology, University of Dar es Salaam.

6. Exchange Plan
6-1 Coordinators’ Meeting
The coordinators and sub-coordinators will meet at the Institute for Study of theEarth’s Interior, Okayama University, Misasa, on 6-7 October 2006. The meeting isintended for all the participants to reach the common understanding of AASPP. Researchplans for the Program and guidelines for exchanging young scientists will be discussed.
Discussion will be extended how to sustain the collaboration after the support from theJapan Society of Promotion of Science has terminated.
6-2 Collaboration
1. Geochemistry of gassy lakes in Cameroon.
Minoru Kusakabe and his associates have been working on this issue for long. Artificial
degassing of Lakes Nyos and Monoun is going on, resulting in the rapid changes in thelakes’ chemical and physical structures. It is very important to keep monitoring the lakes,
especially by Cameroonian scientists. To this end, participation of young and motivated
Cameroonian scientists in this work is essential. They will attend the field survey

scheduled in January 2006 and cooperate with the Japanese team. Sample collection,
chemical and isotopic analyses, and interpretation of the data including the past ones will
be done. This collaboration aims at the goal that the young Cameroonian scientists cancontinue the monitoring by themselves and investigate the lakes independent of the help byforeigners.
2. Geochemistry of volcanic rocks from CVL volcanoes
It is essential to understand why and how gases of magmatic origin can reach the surface of
the Earth to produce highly gas-rich lakes as mentioned above. To this end, detailedgeochemical study of magmatism along the Cameroon Volcanic Line is indispensable.
Young Cameroonian geochemists/volcanologists will be invited to the Institute for Studyof the Earth’s Interior, Okayama University to perform such studies. Collaboration withyoung Japanese scientists is also planned. This is extremely important for the field survey.
The timing of initiation and selection of young scientists of this subject are decided during
the Coordinators’ meeting.
3. Geochemistry of volcanic rocks from the Great Rift Valley volcanoes
Magmas in this region are believed to be genetically related to those for the Cameroon
Volcanic Line volcanoes. In this sense the subject is intimately related to subject 2 above.
Detailed geochemical study of magmatism along the Great Rift Valley will be undertaken
in collaboration with young Ethiopian and Tanzanian geochemists/volcanologists. They
will be invited to the Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior, Okayama University forchemical and isotopic analyses of the samples using high-quality facilities installed at ISEI.
The timing of initiation and selection of young scientists of this subject will be decided
during the Coordinators’ meeting.
6-3 Scientific SeminarThe scientific seminar devoted for this Program is currently scheduled on 27-28 February
2006 at Misasa, Japan. The subjects to be discussed will be naturally related to thoseplanned in the collaboration scheme. Some young scientists from Cameroon, Ethiopia andTanzania will attend the seminar. A student from Ghana may also attend. All geochemists
working for the Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior, Okayama University will
actively participate in the seminar, and some of them will present their achievement. SomeJapanese geochemists in the related fields are also invited to the seminar. To deepen theunderstanding of the proposed research subjects, some experts from US and Europe
working in the field of geochemistry close to the planned research subjects will be invited.
See “First Cicular” for detailed information of the seminar.
Sponsors
Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University (ISEI)Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Contact Address
Professor Minoru Kusakabe
Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University
Misasa, Tottori-ken 682-0193, Japan
Tel: +81-858-43-3737 (MK’s office), 1215 (institute)
Fax: +81-858-43-3737, 3450
e-mail: kusakabe@misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp