• Greater development of the role of coastal marine laboratories and field stations as 



national resources whose centers of environmental research activities are already at the 

 land/sea interface; and 



• Expansion of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program of NSF (currently 



within the Division of Biotic Systems and Resources), to cover more representative 

 types of land/sea interface systems; and broadening of their concept to include 

 recognition and monitoring of the effects of global change on regional ecosystems through 

 the utilization of products of other Global Geosciences programs. 



The Biotic Systems and Resources Division (BSR) and Biological Oceanography Program are 

 beginning to fund some community planning activities in FY 1987. BSR plans to significantly 

 expand this function in FY 1988 ($.5M). By FY 1989, the Ocean Sciences Division 

 (principally Biological and Chemical Oceanography) require $1M, increasing to at least $10M 

 within five years. 



Initiative 2. OCEAN LITHOSPHERE STUDIES 



The Ocean Lithosphere Studies Initiative includes two components: (l)Ridge Crest Processes and 

 (2)Tectonics and Structures of Submerged Continental Margins. 



Ridge Crest Processes 



Fundamental questions about ridge crest processes remain unresolved because of a lack of 

 long-term observational data to test hypotheses and predictions. The subjects needing intensive 

 study include the driving forces of plate tectonics; thermo-mechanical properties of the oceanic 

 lithosphere; and hydrothermal, volcanic, and mineralization processes at ridge crests and their 

 geological, chemical, and biological effects. Extensive application of a newly developing suite of 

 observational systems over the next ten years will yield much new information and a deeper 

 understanding of these basic elements of earth science. 



Some of the major questions to be addressed are: 



• How does the ocean lithosphere respond mechanically to large surface loads, to 



compression, to bending, and to stretching? With an understanding of these factors, what 

 can we learn about deeper processes in the earth, such as mantle convection, by looking 

 through the "ocean lithospheric window?" 



• What are the driving mechanisms for seafloor spreading? How does crustal accretion 



vary with time? What are the local scales of accretion and tectonics in space and time? 

 How are volcanic processes coupled to hydrothermal circulation at midocean ridges? 

 What are the controlling factors on sulfide mineralization and the extent of deposits? 

 How does oceanic crust vary and how is it altered as it moves off-axis? 



• What are the chemical and thermal properties of hydrothermal fluids from vents and what 



is their role in the mineralization process? What is the contribution of vent fluxes to 

 the chemical balance of oceans? What chemical reactions occur? What is the relation 

 between fluids and biologic communities? 



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