DOSECC (Drilling, Observation and Sampling of the Earths Continental Crust) is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to provide leadership and technical support in subsurface sampling and monitoring technology for addressing topics of scientific and societal importance. Fifty-seven research organizations are members of DOSECC.

DOSECC’s CS4002 drilling rig aboard the liftboat L/B Kayd on site approximately 30 miles off the coast of New Jersey. IODP/ICDP Expedition 313: New Jersey Shallow Shelf drilling project, April 2009. Photo: G Tulloch©ECORD/IODP

The figure below illustrates the fundamental role that DOSECC serves for the scientific community: DOSECC provides the engineering, technology and management support to enable scientists to achieve their objectives.DOSECC does this by serving as the link between the earth sciences and drilling technologies. Our success is not only measured by the number of core samples collected, but in the cost-effective collection of high-quality samples and data. This is achieved by a group of highly experienced scientists, drillers and mechanical engineers who provide the technological expertise to plan, budget and monitor drilling programs and design and build new drilling equipment. In summary, DOSECC promotes a coordinated and integrated continental scientific drilling program for the earth science community.

OUR GOALS

• Facilitate and support cost effective scientific drilling projects.
• Link science and drilling technology.
• Design, build and operate drilling systems.
• Promote technology transfer and education.
• Represent US interests in the international scientific drilling community.

DOSECC ACTIVITIES

PLANNING AND BUDGETING

DOSECCs engineers aid scientists in designing and budgeting scientific drilling projects. We can also assist investigators in procurement of commercial drilling services.

• Strengthening the tarp on the Lake El’gygytgyn drilling platform, Russia, March 2009
  (photo: Julie Brigham-Grette)

 

DRILLING TECHNOLOGY AND INSTRUMENTATION

The requirements of the scientific drilling community are often different than those of the commercial sector. Scientific projects focus on sample quality, collection of fluids and gases, and emplacement of instrumentation and monitoring devices. This emphasis often requires specialized drilling equipment. DOSECC has several unique drilling systems that have been developed specifically for scientific projects.

DOSECC’s Hybrid Coring System installed on a host rotary rig, Hawaii.

 

COMMUNICATIONS, PROGRAM COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION

The continental scientific drilling community is diverse, but investigators face many similar problems of equipment availability, logistical support and limited budgets. DOSECCs Annual Scientific Drilling Workshop provides a forum for the discussion of drilling and scientific studies.

GLAD800 drilling barge on Lago Potrok Aike, Argentina, October 19, 2008 (Photo by Beau Marshall)

TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS

DOSECC sponsors thematic workshops that allow investigators to bring together teams to organize proposals and solve engineering problems related to scientific drilling and sampling. Our Annual workshops facilitate discussions of research drilling programs that are at different stages of progress and that span different scientific disciplines in a effort to enhance the ability of the research community to apply innovative drilling technology to important earth science questions. See the programs from our 2005 and 2006 Workshops.

Ken Miller (red hat) gestures during the field trip portion of the 2008 DOSECC Workshop held in Moab, Utah
(photo by Andy Kulpecz)

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

DOSECC offers internships to undergraduate and graduate students and primary and secondary school teachers for studies of samples and data from scientific drilling projects. We also share our love of geology and science with those around us.

Kids learn about scientific drilling (and check out our antique drilling rig) at the AAAS 2008 Exhibition, Boston (photo by David Zur) 

DOSECC is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation

Site Updated:

26 June, 2009

Website conceived, designed and maintained by David Zur; he welcomes comments, suggestions, information about dead links, love notes, and politely phrased critiques.

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©2009 DOSECC All rights reserved

Lake El’gygytgyn Drilling Project
January-April 2009

View Lake E project videos and DFG Science TV clip

Learn more about the project at ICDP’s
Lake E website

Visit NASA’s Lake E Earth Observatory page and the University of Köln’s
Lake E page

Read The Thrill to Drill in the Chilland
NSF’s project press release

Follow life at the project site with ICDP’s daily reports and PolarTREC’s
Virtual Base Camp

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0829286. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions
or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Colorado Plateau Coring Project
(CPCP) Workshop

8-11 May 2009 Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Future of Continental Scientific Drilling:
A U.S. Perspective

4-5 June 2009
Denver, Colorado

Expedition 313: New Jersey Shallow Shelf
30 April-31 June 2009

Visit IODP’s expedition website

Visit ICDP’s expedition website

View the Expedition 313 video and the Scientific American videos

View the news reports:
NBC 40 - Atlantic City
NBC 10 - Philadelphia