InterRidge Working Group
InterRidge (IR) works to create and support working groups for around a period lasting 3 to 5 years. During this time, InterRidge wants to support these groups as they work accomplish their research goals and growing a community of scientists. The steering committee assesses and admits/rejects working group proposals and nominates the working group leaders. Once a working group has been established, the steering committee evaluates working group progress and support them to reach their research goal.
A working group comprises a working group chair or co-chairs who drive the progress of the group and report back to the steering committee, and the working group members. The scientists come from various universities and research institutes around the world, and their expertise is diverse but pertinent to the project the Working Group is tackling. This ensures that ridge- related research projects are addressed from different perspectives.
Current Active Working Group
Theme
A Macroecological Database for Species Distribution across Chemosynthesis-Based Ecosystems More
Chair
Lissette Victorero (Portugal)
Period
2020-Present
Theme
Seafloor Massive Sulfides Resource along Mid-Ocean Ridges More
Chair
Chunhui Tao (China), Georgy Cherkashov (Russia), Maurice Tivey (USA)
Period
-Present
Theme
Ocean Transform Faults More
Chair
Marcia Maia (France), Barry Hanan (USA), Daniele Brunelli (Italy)
Period
2017-Present
Theme
Mid-Ocean Ridge islands and seamounts More
Chair
Neil Mitchell (UK), Rui Quatau (Portugal), Christoph Beier (Finland)
Period
2018-Present
Theme
Integrating Multidisciplinary Observation in Vent Environments More
Chair
Thibaut Barreyre (Norway)
Period
2018-Present
Theme
Circum-Antarctic Ridges More
Chair
Anne Briais (France), Jian Lin (USA), Sung-Hyun Park (Korea)
Period
2011-Present
Past Working Group
Theme
Back-Arc Basins
Chair
Sang-Mook Lee (Korea)
Period
1997-2006
Objective
To summarize past work on Back-Arc Basins and coordinate future studies
Theme
Hotspot-Ridge Interactions
Chair
Jian Lin (USA), Jerome Dyment (France)
Period
2000-
Objective
To promote and facilitate global research to better understand the physical and chemical interactions between mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridges and their effects on seafloor geological, hydrothermal, and biological processes
Theme
Southernwest Indian Ridge
Chair
Catherine Mével (USA)
Period
1997-2004 (fused with the working group “Arctic Ridge” to form working group “Ultraslow Spreading Ridge”)
Objective
To coordinate reconnaissance mapping and sampling of the Southernwest Indian Ridge
Theme
Arctic Ridge
Chair
Colin Devey (Germany)
Period
1994-2004 (fused with the working group “Southernwest Indian Ridge” to form working group “Ultraslow Spreading Ridge”)
Objective
To coordinate planning efforts for mapping and sampling the Arctic Ridges
Theme
Global Digital Database
Chair
Philippe Blondel (UK)
Period
1995-2000
Objective
To establish a database of multibeam bathymetry and other data for the mid-ocean ridge and back-arc basins
Theme
Global Distibution of Hydrothermal Activity
Chair
Chris German (USA)
Period
1995-2001
Objective
To target areas of the global MOR which are unexplored for hydrothermal activity and coordinate international collaboration to explore them
Theme
4-D Architecture of the Ocean Lithosphere
Chair
Jian Lin (USA)
Period
1996-2004
Objective
To promote international efforts to constrain the composition and structure of the oceanic lithosphere, and their along-and across-axis variability
Theme
Event Detection and Response and Observatories
Chair
Chris Fox (USA)
Period
1995-2001
Objective
To develop detection methods of transient ridge-crest seismic, volcanic and hydrothermal events, and the logistical responses to them through a strategy of international collaboration, and establish a long-term observatory in the Atlantic