avisitorfromanotherplanetseekingtounderstandvia（avisitorfromanotherplanetseekingtounderstandvia）（18页）.docVIP

A synopsis of the SIPHA Town Meeting – 7th July 2006 Outlined below is a summary of views expressed and resulting discussion which took place at the SIPHA Town meeting held in Durham on the 7th July 2006. In this document we outline the conclusions drawn as to the scientific focus of a proposal for a new integrated and interdisciplinary directed programme, the target location for study and the approach to be taken to the budgeting and management of the resulting programme. As such, this document is being circulated to all parties who have expressed an interest in such a programme to illicit further suggestions for scientific scope and specific themes and topics to underpin the full proposal, together with suggestions for approach to adopt to drafting of the full proposal and, in addition, provide a means by which areas of the academic community, under-represented at the Town Meeting for whatever reason, can provide input. Please send by the 13th November at the latest any comments, views and suggestions to: gl-subduction-interested@durham.ac.uk Professor Jon Davidson Dr Colin Macpherson Dr Christine Peirce On behalf of the Subduction Working Group Introduction - Why are subduction zones important? A visitor from another planet seeking to understand through focused study how the Earth works, would most likely be directed to a subduction zone. It is here that the most dynamic interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere are found. Driven by the sinking of lithospheric plates back into the interior of the Earth, there is a continual - but not constant - cycling of material among these reservoirs. Stresses associated with plate motion cause deformation and seismicity while melts and fluids, generated by changing pressures and temperatures within the sinking plate, cause magmatism and hydrothermal activity. The consequences for society are reflected in both short term hazards – e.g. earthquakes, volcanism, tsunamis, mass wasting etc