14:45 〜 15:00
[MZZ41-05] International collaboration on scientific ocean drilling, from the 1960s to the present: perspectives from oral history
キーワード：marine geosciences , scientific ocean drilling, international relations, transnational collaboration
Scientific ocean drilling has transformed our understanding of the Earth and its deep past, from plate tectonics to climate change and earthquake generation. While sediments, rocks, and geophysical data recovered from the sub-seafloor provide invaluable insights, the lived experiences of the scientists, managers, technicians, and crew members involved in these expeditions remain largely undocumented in historical narratives. This presentation draws on an ongoing oral history project examining the human dimensions of international marine geosciences, with a focus on the evolution of collaboration in scientific drilling initiatives and Japan’s role.
From the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP), which began in 1967, to the International Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP3), inaugurated this year, scientific ocean drilling has been conducted without interruption on various exclusive platforms, which have served as dynamic sites of knowledge collaboration and technological innovation. These platforms have brought together an international community of geoscientists from multiple fields to pool expertise, mentor early career scientists, refine methodologies, and advance research on the Earth’s deep processes. Japan’s drillship Chikyu, in operation for nearly two decades, exemplifies this collaborative model, particularly in studies of earthquake generation in subduction zones.
Using firsthand accounts from key figures involved in scientific ocean drilling programs from Japan, the US, European countries, and Australia, this study explores how personal narratives enrich our historical understanding of geoscientific research, decision-making in science diplomacy contexts, and the evolution of seafloor technologies. It also considers how oral histories capture the tacit knowledge that rarely enters scientific publications – lessons from field operations, cultural exchanges aboard scientific drilling platforms, and the human dimension of international decision-making. By focusing on these voices, this paper highlights the broader significance of oral history methodologies in reconstructing the history of geosciences and the exploration of the deep Earth.
From the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP), which began in 1967, to the International Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP3), inaugurated this year, scientific ocean drilling has been conducted without interruption on various exclusive platforms, which have served as dynamic sites of knowledge collaboration and technological innovation. These platforms have brought together an international community of geoscientists from multiple fields to pool expertise, mentor early career scientists, refine methodologies, and advance research on the Earth’s deep processes. Japan’s drillship Chikyu, in operation for nearly two decades, exemplifies this collaborative model, particularly in studies of earthquake generation in subduction zones.
Using firsthand accounts from key figures involved in scientific ocean drilling programs from Japan, the US, European countries, and Australia, this study explores how personal narratives enrich our historical understanding of geoscientific research, decision-making in science diplomacy contexts, and the evolution of seafloor technologies. It also considers how oral histories capture the tacit knowledge that rarely enters scientific publications – lessons from field operations, cultural exchanges aboard scientific drilling platforms, and the human dimension of international decision-making. By focusing on these voices, this paper highlights the broader significance of oral history methodologies in reconstructing the history of geosciences and the exploration of the deep Earth.