Core2Core Symposium: “IODP Legacy Cores” as archives of warm periods in the geological past

By "learning from the history of our planet", this symposium contributes to "better understanding climate change in our future". This goal is a clear mission in the "2050 Science Framework" and is a core objective of core-based research in our oceans.

With the start of the next phase of global collaboration in marine core research through the International Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP³), a new era of cooperation and global research on past warm periods as future climate models has begun. Within this framework, the European Consortium for Ocean Drilling Research (ECORD) and the Japan Drilling Earth Science Consortium (J-DESC) have launched the new Core 2 Core programme. This brings together global efforts to understand climate dynamics in warm-age scenarios in the geological past, ranging from the cryosphere of the Antarctic Ocean to the tropical oceans of the Indo-Pacific.

After the kickoff workshop from 21 to 24 October 2025 in Kochi (Shikoku, Japan), a second workshop will take place from 8 to 11 March 2026 in Graz, focusing on past warm periods in the Miocene and aiming to develop global research proposals. The scientific results of previous Legacy Core Material based research campaigns in Japan (Kochi Core Centre, Kochi), Europe (Bremen Core Repository, Bremen, Germany) and the USA (Gulf Coast Repository, College Station, Texas) will be presented and discussed. The workshop will bring together national and international researchers who are already involved in research projects to decipher information from analogues of past warm climates or who are interested in participating.

The aims of the workshop are:

(1) Scientific exchange of ongoing research projects and establishment of new collaborations within the C2C programme;

(2) Development of new global research projects;

(3) Involvement of young researchers in the programme and participation in IODP³;

(4) Strengthening the collaborative commitment to the future development and direction of the programme.

The workshop also offers members of the NAWI Graz Geocenter and the Field of Excellence Climate Change Graz the opportunity to network with the global research initiative of IODP³. In particular there will be possibilities to engagement with research initiatives ranging from cryosphere to (paleo)biology and ecosystem research to climate modelling.

Expected results:

• Dissemination of scientific results and findings, including lessons learnt on implementation of five global ranging workshops based on legacy core material in the Kochi Core Repository (Repository Core Rediscovery Program Workshops REC23-01 and REC23-03), the Bremen Core Repository (MagallenPlus 21st Century Drilling Workshops 1 and 2) and the Gulf Coast Repository (21st Century Drilling Workshop).
• Information exchange and discussion on the development and implementation options of IODP³-SPARC proposals based on results of these five workshops.
• Development of practical exercises for the Kochi Core School 2026 based on the materials of REC23-01 and REC23-03.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required for organisational reasons.

Participants who wish to give a talk and/or present a poster should indicate this when registering.