Present : Rhett Butler, John Delaney, Adam Dziewonski, Jean-PaulMontagner, Chris Mooers, John Orcutt, Barbara Romanowicz, AdamSchultz, Kiyoshi Suyehiro, Ralph Stephen, Eleonore Stutzmann.

- Institutional and National reports :US/DEOS/Neptune ; H2O ; Monterey Bay ObservatoryUK/DEOSFrance/ Post-dorsales National Observatory plansGermanyItalyJapanEU/ 6th Framework

-Acquisition of re-use of of TAT8-11, TPC-3, HAW-4, GuamPhilippine-Taiwan cables

Budget (TO BE COMPLETED) NSF : 200 M$ in the next 5 years DEOS committee is working on putting together together small workshops and a big workshop Small workshops on specific areas : moorings, sensors (geophysical, geochemical, biological, …), … The big workshop will take place in september 2003 (WHERE ? IS IT POSSIBLE TO ATTACH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS WS TO THIS MINUTES ?). Contributions from other countries are needed. An initial Science plan has to be defined

The KECK foundation is providing funds for an initial installation and the study of microbial activity and plate boundary investigation (MORE SPECIFIC PLAN ?). White papers on science are welcomed. Candians have launched a program of 40 M$ for the British Columbia part of the Juan de Fuca plate. A plan is defined : 2003-2004 contract negociation, 2005 cable ?

H2O (Hawaii2-Observatory) was now operated for 3 years. Data are available at IRIS/DMC. Installation of sensors in the borehole is funded and scheduled for 2004.

It is proposed to assemble all scientific work related to H2O and more generally to operating ocean bottom observatories for the ION symposium at IUGG in 2003.

The Monterey bay observatory was installed last april. The quality of seismic data is good. Currenmeter and DPG was also installed for decorrelate the local seismic noise.It will connected to the shore by a cable in the next future. drilling scheduled ?

Coastal observatories/ Mooers A scientific session on coastal observatories results demonstrate that many results were already obtained.

It is proposed a session for next fall AGU on scientific results of observatories under the umbrella of ION.

B/DEOS proposal which was submitted in summer 2001, was deferred and has to be revived. In 2002, due to budget shortcuts, most of NERC funds were devoted to ODP and IODP. The B/DEOS is a 7 year program and is asking for 18 ML (30 M$). A positive answer is expected in february 2003. 3 observatory sites were selected (1 : North Atlantic close to Reykjanes ridge, 2- MOMAR, 3- in East Scotia sea). There are also some other regional initiatives for coastal observatories (TO BE DETAILED).

At the European level, the 5th framework was very bad for observatoires, the 6th framework does not not seed s ofar more favourable.

Things are evolving slowly but positively. IFREMER (French Insititute for Marine Geosciences) seems to be now very interested in developing technology related to ocean bottom observatories. The project on the installation of sensors at the NERO site has been revived. An agreement between JAMSTEC, IPG-Paris and IFREMER will be signed in the next months. A meeting to define the tasks of every institution will take place in february 2003. A proposal regarding the upgrade of installation for NERO was submitted last october and should be funded next march.

Geomagnetic observatories/Pascal Tarits 2 instruments (1 french, 1 american) will be installed in 2003 at H2O site and compared. In the future, it is planned to instrument an observatory in the Philippine sea.

Europe/6th PCRD There are radical changes between the 5th and the 6th PCRD. MOMAR (multiparameter observatory along the Mid-Atlantic ridge) disapperared in the last version of the 6th framework. A resolution asking for a European support on IODP and MOMAR was written during an emergency meeting in september 2003 in Portugal. Things at this stage look very uncertain. One alternative possibility consists in launching bilateral cooperation such as the UK/US about DEOS, which is translated into a MOU agreeing on free access and exchange of data, mutual support on facilities.

4 ION borehole observatories (WP-1, WP-2, JT-1, JT-2) have been installed (with BB sensors) and are presently operating (TO BE UPDATED). Seismic data are also available. 2 tiltmeters ( WHERE?) are now operated and data will be recovered this summer. A sea floor cabled system was just deployed in Sagami bay where occured the big Kanto earthquake. JAMSTEC is in charge of the reentry system for NERO program. Some budget cuts are forecast for next year.

Adam Schultz (TO BE COMPLETED) : Hole 203 : Equatorial- Pacific site2 holes were drilled and cemented

NERO : joint cooperation Jamstec, IPG-INSU, IFREMER. Installation of instruments in 2004 or 2005.

-Acquisition of re-use of of TAT8-11, TPC-3, HAW-4, GuamPhilippine-Taiwan cables – Rhett ButlerElectro-optical cables are now available for the scientific community. Technical anfd budget issues have to be clerly addressed.For the cable between US and Europe, some close cooperation isnecessary particularly between US and UK-France

-Discussion of future ION-ODP proposals

It seems absolutely necessary to write an IODP proposal. The deadline is April 1, 2003. Ralph Stephen will provide the previous proposal and is in charge of collecting all summaries and plans for January 15, 2003. The current map of ION sites must be updated. Rhett Butler can provide the previous maps with the present coverage and interaction circles. Issues : must we add coastal observatories, MOMAR, Japan trench observatories ? Which milestones ? Which schedule ? All issues can be discussed through e-mail as soon as possible.