the Normal Oceanic Mantle Project
presents a symposium on

"Structure and Dynamics of
the Oceanic Lithosphere/Asthenosphere System"

H. UTADA & H. KAWAKATSU; Conveners
March 3-6, 2015
Hotel Matsushima Taikanso, Miyagi, Japan

Scope:
  Plate tectonics was developed nearly 50 years ago, yet the detail of the mechanism how it works is still poorly known. In recent years, the elucidation of the oceanic lithosphere/asthenosphere system has become one of the hot topics in solid earth science, and a great variety of views are proposed and discussed. To advance our science beyond, new data from the ocean floor appear essential, as plate tectonics first started as a "theory of ocean". We have been carrying out a research project "Normal Oceanic Mantle" (NOMan project) http://www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/yesman/what_is_it.html) to conduct innovative observations in the "normal" ocean floor toward elucidating the lithosphere/asthenosphere system in the ocean and understanding of the mantle dynamics therein. The typical ocean floor should be the best window to reveal the fundamental features of our planet, and high-quality geophysical data are now being accumulated. Considering that many other fascinating ocean floor observations were conducted, we held the first workshop in March, 2013 where we exchanged and discussed the up-to-date results about the structure and dynamics in the oceanic regions. In this final symposium of the NOMan project, we will not only discuss these issues, but also hope to compare results for synthesis which may lead us to new directions and collaborations. We welcome papers on the observation technologies, views of the oceanic lithosphere/asthenosphere system, the strategies for interpretation of the observations (including seismic and/or electrical conductivity anisotropy), constraints/ideas on the role and abundance of water/melt in the mantle (including the transition zone), and other related topics for elucidating this enigmatic system.

Invited participants:
T. Becker (USC), G. Ekstrom (LDEO), R. Evans (WHOI), D. Forsyth (Brown University),
J. Gaherty (LDEO), F. Gailard (CNRS), M. Hirschman (University of Minnesota), B. Holtzman (LDEO),
S. Karato (Yale University), T. Katsura (University of Bayreuth), S. Kodaira (JAMSTEC),
J.P. Montagner (IPGP), K. Rychert (University of Southermpton), N. Schmmer (University of Maryland),
S. Singh (IPGP), T.A. Song (UCL), T. Stern (VUW), P. Tarits (UBO), A. Tommasi (Univ of Montpellier)

Project participants:
K. Baba, T. Hiraga, T. Isse, H. Kawakatsu, A. Shito, H. Shiobara, Y. Takei, A. Takeo, H. Utada

Program committee:
H. Kawakatsu (chair), K. Baba, T. Becker, D. Forsyth, T. Hiraga, J.P. Montagner, P. Tarits

Organizing committee:
H. Utada (chair), D. Suetsugu (co-chair), H. Shiobara, N. Takeuchi, H. Shimizu, T. Isse, K. Baba;
J. Odawara, H. Umeda (Secretariat)


Contact: