As part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) MARGINS initiative, DTM staff member Erik Hauri and postdoctoral associate Alison Shaw left in early April of this year for the Mariana Islands where they will be working in collaboration with scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the University of New Mexico, and Washington University as part of a study of volatile fluxes along the Mariana arc. The MARGINS initiative, which "seeks to understand the complex interplay of processes that govern continental margin evolution," was begun in 2001 and has sponsored numerous field expeditions such as the one taking place at the Mariana Islands in the hope that scientists will be able to address some of the most puzzling questions related to continental margins.

On an earlier reconnaissance trip in September of last year, Shaw collected rock samples for studies of volatiles in melt inclusions. Using observations from that trip as well as observations gathered by others participating in the study along with new data that they will be gathering, the group hopes to gain a better understanding of western Pacific plate tectonics, with a particular emphasis on its subduction zones, areas where the Earth's surface material is recycled into the planet’s interior. The expedition will involve collection of volcanic rocks, fumarole and hot spring sampling, as well as land-based remote sensing techniques.

If you would like to follow the group's progress, the Scripps Institution is maintaining a website on the expedition with daily updates which you can access by clicking here.