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Scientific Meeting on Tectonic Dynamics in the Indian Ocean
Scientific Meeting on Tectonic Dynamics in the Indian Ocean
20-21st October 2008, Male’, Maldives
Introduction
This two-day scientific meeting is aimed at identifying means and ways of organizing a research expedition to study the tectonic dynamics of the Indian Ocean sea-bed in collaboration with international experts and scientists.
Unusual tidal surges hit the coastal areas in Kerala (India), Sri Lanka, and the Maldives in January and in May 2007. There was no plausible explanation for this phenomenon.
However, following the Indian Plate movement that caused the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and with recent earthquake activities across the Indian Ocean in Africa, it is suspected that the mid-ocean ridge may have widened in the western Indian Ocean.
Hence, there is a need to undertake coordinated observations on seismologic and plate movement, sea-bottom temperature measurements, and tidal measurements and other phenomena in the western and eastern Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal respectively) to coordinate and organize this study. It is expected that the international experts will be able to fund their own participation.
Objectives
The main objectives of the meeting are to:
-Draw up a plan to conduct the scientific expedition.
-To identify possible research institutions to be involved in the expedition.
-Identify how institutes, outside the region can be involved in the expedition if there is a need to do so.
-Identify other technical and related matters, and organizational set up required to conduct the expedition
-Promote greater regional cooperation on issues of the ocean plate movement.
Meeting period
The meeting period will be 2 days from 20-21st October 2008 in Male’, Maldives.
Participants
This is a very Scientific Meeting involving very technical issues. The Centre therefore requests Member States to nominate suitably qualified research scientists involved in deep sea related oceanography or aquatic research institutes and geology or seismology or related research institutions in non-coastal Member States, and those who can positively contribute to the planning of the expedition. Member States may nominate upto 3 participants.