ICDPInternational Continental Scientific Drilling Program

Deep biosphere research has become an important component of international drilling projects. The majority of deep biosphere research to date has been carried out on ODP samples. However, in most cases IODP can not drill deep enough to test the temperature, pressure, salinity, and porosity limits of the Deep Biosphere, also they probe only a small range of geological environments and ages to address the geodynamics of sedimentary systems. The incorporation of deep biosphere work into ICDP drilling offers a unique opportunity not only to expand the diversity of sites from which we have deep biosphere data to continental settings, but also to make a key global organization to foster research on the Deep Biosphere.