KOREA INSTITUTE OF GEOSCIENCE AND MINERAL RESOURCES

KIGAM Researching under the East Sea:

IODP Confirmed KIGAM’s Scientific Drilling of the Ulleung Basin!

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM, President Dr. Pyeong-Koo Lee) has achieved the 20-year-long seabed marin geophysical research of the East Sea as the ‘International Joint Offshore Drilling Project in the Ulleung Basin* in the East Sea’ with IODP* on February 8th.

*Ulleung Basin was announced by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on December 7, 2005 as a place name for an undersea basin located between 36 degrees 52 minutes of the North Latitude and 37 degrees 22 minutes of the North Latitude and 130 degrees to 130 degrees 54 minutes of the East Longitude.

*IODP: International Ocean Discovery Program, participating with 26 countries

The success of inviting this drilling project is the first large-scale project in Korea after participating in the IODP program, supported by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 1997 led by KIGAM, and is evaluated as a very meaningful achievement in the history of ocean science and academically in Korea, especially considering the importance of its geopolitical location.

With this IODP drilling project, KIGAM now fully begins geo-research in solving natural disasters by confirming the characteristics of the seabed geology of the Ulleung Basin and the cause of seafloor avalanches caused by climate change and gas hydrates.

In particular, it is expected to find out scientific clues for predicting possibilities of natural disasters and submarine geological disasters caused by climate change, such as the recent Tonga submarine volcanic eruption.

In addition, the state-of-the-art 3D/4D research vessel ‘Tamhae III’, scheduled to be operated in 2024, will be used to explore the natural resources of the deep sea.

Dr. Pyeong-Koo Lee said, “The IODP drilling project in the Ulleung Basin with 26 advanced countries participating, it will be an opportunity to raise Korea’s status in the field of submarine geology research. We will spare no effort to provide supports to strengthen our research capabilities to take a preemptive response.”

The IODP drilling project in the Ulleung Basin is expected for Korea will save about 50 billion won in drilling costs. The drilling schedule will be after 2024 after the ongoing Atlantic drilling is completed.