Scientific goals
Passive continental margins are the product of complex interaction between processes in the Earth’s asthenosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere: an interaction that evolves in both space and time. Passive margins, which are one of the most distinctive morphological features of the world’s ocean basins, mark the transition between continental and oceanic crust. They are also the sites of some of the world’s largest accumulations of sediments and are one of the few remaining frontiers for natural resources. The nations of Europe share one of the longest margin systems in the world. As they are associated with unstable slopes, passive continental margins represent a major source of natural hazards, especially to the coastal communities of Europe.
The understanding of the processes that have shaped the passive continental margin system will require broadly based inter-disciplinary studies, yet no one country within Europe currently has access to all the human resources and large-scale facilities that will be needed to pursue this objective. The new EUROCORES programme, EUROMARGINS, will provide the framework for promoting innovative studies that are focused on the imaging, monitoring, reconstruction and modelling of the physical and chemical processes that occur in the passive margin system. In particular, EUROMARGINS will seek to encourage the development of both new technologies and conceptual models for passive margin evolution with the expressed aim of advancing, in a major way, integrated research into the mechanisms that are responsible for continental break-up and the formation of the world’s ocean basins and their margins. The pooling of human resources, the training of a new generation of geoscientists, and the optimal sharing of national observational platforms (e.g. ships), analytical and modelling facilities as well as the development of new linkages that break down traditional discipline boundaries are considered important "value-added" ingredients of the EUROMARGINS programme.
Programme background
Research funding opportunities in the field of passive continental margins.
Following agreement with Belgium (FWO), France (CNRS), Germany (DFG), Italy (CNR), the Netherlands(NWO), Norway (Norges Forskningsråd), Portugal (FCT), Spain (CSIC) and (MCYT), Sweden Vetenskapsrådet and the United Kingdom (NERC), the European Science Foundation is launching a first Call for Proposals for research projects to be executed under the EUROCORES programme on Euromargins. The programme will run for five years and includes national research funding and a European networking component.
Review Procedure
- By the 1st March 2002 deadline 24 full proposals were received.
- All proposals were Peer Reviewed before the meeting of the EUROMARGINS Review Panel in September/October 2002. (Assessment Form)
- At this meeting the proposals were ranked, based primarily on the referees’ evaluations. (code of conduct for the Review Panel)
- The results were then given to the participating National Funding Agencies for final decisions on funding.
- 14 full proposals were granted funding.
- A full list of referees used for the Peer Review can be found here
In 2002, following a process of reviewing and evaluation, a total of 14 full proposals were recommended for funding. These covered topics ranging from the crustal “architecture” of conjugate volcanic margins, through studies of slope stability on glacier-fed and river-fed margins, to studies of carbonate mounds and deep-water coral reefs and their relationship to seafloor seepages in margins. Funding for all 14 proposals has since been secured to a level of more than 12 Mio. EURO.
