Integrated Ocean Drilling Program

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) was an international marine research program, running from 2003 to 2013. The program used heavy drilling equipment mounted aboard ships to monitor and sample sub-seafloor environments. With this research, the IODP documented environmental change, Earth processes and effects, the biosphere, solid earth cycles, and geodynamics.

The program began a new 10-year phase with the International Ocean Discovery Program, from the end of 2013. Provided by Wikipedia