Marine Geology and Geophysics

The Marine Geology and Geophysics Core Program supports research on all aspects of the geology and geophysics of the present ocean basins and margins, as well as those of the Great Lakes. The Program supports science that includes:

• Structure, composition, tectonics, and evolution of the oceanic lithosphere
• Paleoceanography, paleoclimate, and sea level change
• Submarine volcanology, petrology and geochemistry of the oceanic crust and upper mantle
• Marine hydrogeology, seeps and gas hydrates, water-rock interaction, and hydrothermal vent and fluid formation and geochemistry
• Geochemical indicators of life operating below the seafloor
• Marine sedimentology and coastal processes, stratigraphy, sediment transport, and diagenesis
• Mid-ocean ridge spreading, back-arc rifting, transform processes, and ocean island/seamount formation and evolution
• Submarine components of subduction zone systems and passive margins
• Marine geohazards (e.g., earthquakes, faulting, mass wasting, geological aspects of tsunamis) The Marine Geology and Geophysics Program is interested in supporting new ideas and cutting-edge research. It supports field, analytical, and laboratory experimental projects; methods development; modeling; and the re-analysis and/or synthesis of existing data. The Program interfaces with NSF programs across the Geosciences and across the Agency. For proposals that cross between Programs, proposers should contact the relevant Programs to seek guidance on submission.