[G-01] Outreach of Geoscience: Practice and Theory

[G01-01] The Continuous Outreach Activities of JTRACK at Miraikan

★Invited Papers

*Yoshinori Kurata¹, Natsumi Miura¹, Mayumi Sakuraba¹, Takumi Sawada¹, Nanako Shimizu¹, Yukie Sonoyama¹, Marianne Conin³, Patrick Fulton⁴, Jamie Kirkpatrick⁵, Shuichi Kodaira², Christine Regalla⁶, Kohtaro Ujiie⁷, Nobuhisa Eguchi², Lena Maeda², Natsumi Okutsu², Sean Toczko², Expedition 405 Science Party . (1.The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, 2.Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 3.University of Lorraine, 4.Cornell University, 5.University of Nevada, 6.Northern Arizona University, 7.University of Tsukuba)

Keywords:JTRACK, Scientific Deep sea Drilling Vessel CHIKYU, Outreach, Science Communication

The pop-up exhibition, “Exploring the Earth, a planet of Earthquakes – Deep-sea Scientific Drilling Vessel “CHIKYU” will drill seafloor at 7,000 m water depth off the Tohoku coast!” featured a 1:100 scale model of the Deep-sea Scientific Drilling Vessel Chikyu, a life-sized graphic (approximately 4.6 meters) of its azimuth thruster — a propeller thruster on the bottom of the vessel — and the drill bit, the tip part of a drilling tool. Alongside these exhibits, the efforts of earthquake researchers were introduced, showcasing the vast scale and passion of Earth science research. The exhibition also introduced the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 405, JTRACK, and solicited questions and messages of support from visitors addressed to the crew aboard the Chikyu to deepen them interest in seismic research and drilling activities. As a result, many questions and message cards were received, and these questions have been used as the foundation for continuous outreach activities of “JTRACK,” from before its departure to after its return to port.
Prior to the departure for JTRACK, Miraikan hosted a talk event on August 31, inviting an earthquake researcher and EPM (Expedition Project Manager) actively involved in scientific drilling operations to Miraikan. Nearly 100 people attended the event, and the archived video was widely viewed on Miraikan's YouTube channel by those who were unable to attend the talk event. In addition, Science Communicators from Miraikan served as JTRACK outreach officers aboard the Chikyu during the JTRACK operation, directly interviewing the researchers, captain, steward, nurse, and others aboard the vessel, addressing the questions asked during the “Exploring the Earth, a planet of Earthquakes” event. The content of those interviews was used in a blog by Science Communicators and in presentations given at Miraikan to conduct continuous outreach activities.
Through such outreach activities, Miraikan intends to serve as a bridge between the research field and the public, to deepen the public's understanding of the significance and challenges of earthquake research, and to make science more accessible to the public by sharing the daily lives of researchers and engineers and the reality of drilling operations.