Continental Margins Research (MARGINS) Description The MARGINS Program seeks to understand the complex interplay of processes that govern continental margin evolution. The objective is to develop a self-consistent understanding of the processes that are fundamental to margin formation and evolution. The MARGINS approach involves concentration on several study areas targeted for intense, multidisciplinary programs of research in which an ongoing dialogue among field experiment, numerical simulation and laboratory analysis researchers is axiomatic. The plan is to investigate active systems as a whole, viewing a margin not so much as a "geological" entity of divergent, translational or convergent type, but more in terms of a complex physical, chemical and biological system, subject to a variety of influences. The processes that fundamentally govern the evolution of margins include lithospheric deformation, magmatism and mass fluxes, sedimentation, and fluid flow. The goal of the MARGINS Program is to provide a focus for the coordinated, interdisciplinary investigation of these processes. Target Dates and Deadlines November 1, 2002; November 3, 2003
Program Contact(s) |
Division of Ocean Sciences,
NSF |