International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme

The International Continental Scientific Programme (ICDP), started in 1996, is an international scientific research programme designed to promote and coordinate continental scientific drilling projects. The programme’s themes include the manner in which Earth’s climate has changed in the recent past and the reasons for such changes; the nature of the deep biosphere and its relation to geologic processes such as hydrocarbon maturation and ore deposition; and the fundamental physics of plate tectonics and heat, mass and fluid transfer through Earth’s crust.  

The programme includes 13 member countries (Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Poland, South Africa and USA) and other organisations and companies as well. Researchers from the member countries or countries considering membership have the right to submit unsolicited proposals to the programme.

Finland joined in 2005 and the Academy of Finland pays the annual membership fee. Key Finnish researchers in the field have also set up a national ICDP support group.