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26-488: The Federal Ministry of Research funded the project with 528 million DM (270 million euros). The (Lower Saxony) LBEG mining office (State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology) took the project lead. After the drilling project ended, the German Research Centre for Geosciences used the borehole to install a seismic deep observatory ( Tiefenobservatorium ) which was active from 1996 to 2001. The derrick used at

52-399: A better understanding of evolution and extent of life on Earth. Other proponents of deep-life that coincide with ICDP goals include addressing metabolic rates, carbon cycling , and energy sources of subsurface microbial activity, how microbial life has adapted to the more extreme conditions of subsurface habitats, and the role of the deep biosphere on the geosphere and atmosphere . There

78-538: A large part of educational policy in Germany is decided at the state level, strongly limiting the influence of the ministry in educational matters. The Federal Ministry for Atomic Issues was established in 1955, concentrating on research in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ministry was renamed in 1962 to Federal Ministry of Scientific Research , with a broader scope; it was renamed again, to Federal Ministry of Education and Science , in 1969. A separate ministry,

104-531: A pre-proposal letter by the Principal Investigators followed by the development of Workshop Proposal and Full Proposal if the pre-proposal is recommended. Currently, Australia , Austria , Belgium , Canada , China , the Czech Republic , Finland , France , Germany , Iceland , India , Israel , Italy , Japan , New Zealand , Norway , Poland , South Korea , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland ,

130-517: A proven need for continental-based drilling. The proposed projects help to answer societal challenges related to dynamics of planet Earth, contributing to major advances in understanding Earth's environment and life, sustainable geo- and energy resources , as well as safeguarding from natural disasters . ICDP proposals seek to help understand how both the climate and the environment have changed on global and regional scales. Areas of research within this theme include paleoclimate studies investigating

156-661: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . International Continental Scientific Drilling Program The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program is a multinational program to further and fund geosciences in the field of continental scientific drilling. Scientific drilling is a critical tool in understanding of Earth processes and structure. It provides direct insight into Earth processes and critically tests geological models. Results obtained from drilling projects at critical sites can be applied to other areas worldwide. It is, therefore, believed that international cooperation in continental scientific drilling

182-436: Is a rise in demand for renewable and clean energy resources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels . Knowing the composition, structure and evolution of Earth's crust can help to understand how best to manage and use Earth's resources and environment. Research is needed in this area to determine sustainable practices in exploring and exploiting natural resources . ICDP undertakes a variety of scientific drilling projects to study

208-570: Is also the reason why the Upper Palatinate site was chosen. The Black Forest site had been considered suitable from a scientific view, but it was expected to have a higher temperature gradient. At the Upper Palatinate location, however, it was hoped to reach the Erbendorfkörper – a deep-lying mass that is believed to be on the boundary of a former continental plate and is identified by its characteristic reflection of seismic waves. Even though

234-730: Is an essential component for a responsible management strategy for the Earth's natural resources and environment. The ICDP was founded in February 1996 in the German Embassy in Tokyo as a result of the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB; 1987-1995). The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences serves as the headquarters for both the current ICDP and the former KTB project. ICDP supports international science teams with

260-704: Is responsible for administrative tasks: Each directorate-general consists of one or two subdivisions and 10 to 15 units. The greater part of the subdivisions is located in Bonn, the smaller part in Berlin. The BMBF has around 1000 employees. The head of the BMBF is formed by two parliamentary secretaries and two permanent state secretaries in addition to the minister. Political Party:     CDU     SPD     FDP This article about government in Germany

286-485: The Erbendorfkörper was not reached, the KTB drilling was widely considered a success. For one thing, the temperature rose much more quickly than expected. This caused discussion and a reformulation of theories about the temperature gradient of very deep drill holes. Other theory changes were also required – it had been expected that the large tectonic pressures and high temperatures would create metamorphic rock . Unexpectedly

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312-467: The Federal Ministry of Research and Technology , was established in 1972. The two Ministries merged in 1994 to form the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology ; this title was shortened to Federal Ministry for Education and Research in 1998. The BMBF currently has eight directorates-general (as at November 2020). These are in addition to the central directorate-general that

338-594: The Federal Republic of Germany (KTB) would be drilled in the Upper Palatinate area of Northern Bavaria. This site was selected against an alternative proposed site in the Black Forest area based on recommendations made by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). These were based on evaluations of the technical and financial risks by the project management team. The site recommendation and selection

364-528: The Oberpfalz site. In presenting their decision, the DFG Senate Commission emphasized that while the Upper Palatinate site was favoured in the vote, both locations offered a number of positive research objectives and that both locations were potentially suitable sites for research drilling. The project drilled 2 different holes, first a pilot hole then the main hole. The pilot hole (KTB Vorbohrung, KTB-VB)

390-470: The manner in which Earth's past climate has changed, the reasons for such changes, as well as the role of environmental forcing in human evolution, for example in the Eastern Rift Valley of Africa. Other ICDP proposals focus on the effects of volcanism and major impacts on climate and mass extinctions . Deep biosphere research has also become an important component of drilling projects to help get

416-409: The origin of mineral resources and to discover new unconventional resources such as gas hydrates and geothermal energy . Research areas within sustainable georesources include the nature of the deep biosphere and its relation to geologic processes such as hydrocarbon maturation, ore deposition and energy resources, the origin and evolution of sedimentary basins and hydrocarbon resources, and

442-411: The rock layers were not solid at the depths reached. Instead large amounts of fluid and gas poured into the drill hole. Due to the heat and fluids, the rock was of a dynamic nature which changed how the next super-deep drilling needed to be planned. The experiments at the KTB produced interesting results. The initial seismic tests showed very different recordings compared to those near the surface so that

468-644: The rock which proved it to be generally porous. These experiences were the foundation of the follow-up project, the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) founded in 1996. The German scientists of the KTB cooperated closely with the team of scientists and engineers responsible for the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth drill hole. This project, carried out in California from 2002 to 2007,

494-1272: The role of various geologic settings, including volcanoes and plate boundaries , in ore deposit formation. Other georesource studies include understanding the stresses, such as urbanization and sea-level-rise , on freshwater resources and heat and mass transfer. The transfer of heat and mass, i.e. magma , hot fluids, groundwater and sediment, controls the concentration of metals and hydrocarbons as well as providing renewable geothermal energy resources. ICDP has accepted many proposals related to formation, potential hazard, and mitigation associated with fault boundaries, volcanoes, impact structures and plate margins. Topics include, but are not limited to, earthquakes generated on fault boundaries like San Andreas Fault and North Anatolian Fault Zone , geophysical and geochemical properties of different volcanic sources, impact basin evolution and effect on Earth's environment and ecology, and tsunamis generation. The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program accepts proposals each year by January 15 from individual or groups of scientists from member countries (See Members ). Proposals are selected based primarily on scientific merits and expected impacts. The steps from project to proposal include submission of

520-569: The site, one of the largest in the world, remains in place and has become a tourist attraction. The two boreholes were kept open for further scientific research and for in-situ testing of equipment and devices. In October 1986 the German Minister for Research and Technology (Bundesminister für Forschung und Technologie), H. Riesenhuber, officially announced that the super-deep borehole of the Continental Deep Drilling Program of

546-439: The theories on the source of seismic reflections needed to change. Using the data, the reflections from depth could be interpreted better even when initiated from the surface. The first experiment, the "Dipole-Dipole Experiment" measured the electric conductibility around the drill hole. This showed lines of graphite spanning through the rocks that allowed the rocks to slide when under sufficient pressure. The second experiment

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572-432: Was increased by the vertical instability when drilling to such depths. German scientists designed a new drill head which would maintain direction with a minimal lateral difference. The drill head was also designed to withstand temperatures between 250 and 300 °C (482 and 572 °F). The original expectations had been that this temperature would be reached at a depth of about 10 to 14 km (33,000 to 46,000 feet). This

598-701: Was of similar scale as the KTB. Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany) The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (German: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung , pronounced [ˈbʊndəsminɪsˌteːʁiʊm fyːɐ̯ ˈbɪldʊŋ ʊnt ˈfɔʁʃʊŋ] ), abbreviated BMBF , is a cabinet-level ministry of Germany. It is headquartered in Bonn , with an office in Berlin . The Ministry provides funding for research projects and institutions (aiming for "research excellence" ) and sets general educational policy. It also provides student loans in Germany. However,

624-460: Was preceded by a conference held September 19–21, 1986 in Seeheim/Odenwald. Results of the site studies in the Upper Palatinate and the Black Forest were presented and discussed there. Immediately following the conference and evaluation of scientific and technical models and targets, members of the DFG Senate Commission for Geoscientific Interdisciplinary Research voted almost unanimously for

650-448: Was spudded on September 22, 1987, and was finished on April 4, 1989, having reached 4,000 m (13,000 feet). The main hole (KTB Hauptbohrung, KTB-HB) was spudded on October 6, 1990, about 200 m (660 feet) away from the pilot hole. It reached a total depth of 9,101 m (29,859 feet) on October 21, 1994. The KTB project utilized several innovations to drill design. The Kola drilling experiment had problems with high friction that

676-459: Was to exert high pressure in the drill hole such that the rock would start cracking, the "Integriertes Hydrafrac/Seismik Experiment" . The resulting seismic activity was measured at multiple stations in the area. The conclusion was that the overall pressure came from the south, the African tectonic plate at work. The third experiment, the "Fluid/Hydraulik-Test ," pumped large amounts of fluid into

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