Emerging through extensive consultation and collaboration with the ANZIC community are eight science priorities which address the needs, challenges and interests of our region.
ANZIC is committed to furthering these priorities with our scientific community over the coming years.
Antarctica and the Southern Ocean coordination
Strengthening international partnerships in scientific research and infrastructure, especially by increasing ANZIC’s engagement with, and support for, multi-program efforts in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
Ground-truthing future climate change
Utilising sedimentary records that preserve evidence of past climate to quantify and reduce uncertainties in future climate and sea level projections, and to improve understanding of key physical processes. Australia and New Zealand have invested in infrastructure capability to support this mission, including ocean going research vessels RV Investigator, RSV Nuyina and RV Tangaroa.
Geohazards
Progressing understanding of geohazards, in particular those associated with subduction zone earthquakes. Emerging concerns around submarine slides as a risk to populations and infrastructure also warrant more attention. Australia and New Zealand are developing pools of seafloor instruments to improve environmental and natural hazard monitoring.
Coastal zone
Focusing on coastal zones which host significant ecosystems, freshened groundwater in sub-seafloor aquifers of unknown extent, and are the source of unquantified risks to communities and critical infrastructure. Australia and New Zealand are committed to delivering nationally coordinated capabilities in coastal zone observation, modelling and prediction. Research efforts in the coastal zone will benefit from the Land-to-Sea initiative that aims to strengthen links between IODP and ICDP, an initiative that has potential to support the new NCRIS funded CoastRI program.
Deep biosphere
Advancing geomicrobiology – a discipline with significant societal relevance and the potential for generating paradigm shifts in understanding the habitability of life on Earth and the utility of living organisms in tracking Earth processes and planetary evolution.
Engagement with First Nations Peoples in Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand
Acknowledging and supporting the need for cross-cultural thinking towards a new paradigm in geoscience practice and impact globally.
Legacy Assets Projects
Implementing Legacy Assets Projects (LEAPs) and Scientific Projects using Ocean Drilling ARChives (SPARCs) to add value to existing scientific ocean drilling assets, be they cores, samples, data, drill holes that remain open, or installed borehole observatories. ANZIC recognises the importance of LEAPs and supports initiatives to invest in national core repositories to augment this new initiative.
Maximising ICDP membership
Co-ordinating the Australian research community and generating ideas to make full benefit of Australian ICDP membership and supporting the progress of projects already initiated in New Zealand.