Research Overview
Research Projects
Research Projects (2015～)
Research Highlights
Research Overview
At the CMCR, we aim to understand the Earth system through multidisciplinary approaches using geological and biological samples such as marine sediments. We promote scientific projects such as IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program) expedition proposals, investigations on formation mechanisms of marine mineral resources, and interdisciplinary research on marine life and derived natural compounds.
Research Projects
Big Data Project
Our Big Data project, which aims to understand climate and biological mechanisms in relation to global warming, by analyzing paleoceanographic cores and biological samples, consists of three main components: data correlation by chronostratigraphic big-data assimilation to characterize late Cenozoic warming episodes, paleo-proxy data mapping in the Northwest Pacific, and survival strategy of microplankton under global warming. To this end, we have created an academically oriented core repository in the CMCR, which will be open soon to the scientific community.
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Earth Exploration
This three-part project, which aims to establish a framework for promotion of the Earth sciences, is a follow-up of two previous Kochi University projects: “Integrated research on Earth environment, Earth dynamics, and deep subseafloor biosphere by using drill cores” (2004-2009) and “Earth environmental system” (2010-2015).
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4D Kuroshio Project
The Kuroshio current is the western-boundary current of the North Pacific Gyre. Our goal of for the so-called “4D Kuroshio project” is to innovate and reinvigorate marine resources science to accomplish sustainable development of underutilized natural resources within the Kuroshio region, while also establishing educational means of promoting sustainability. We aim to understand spatial and temporal variations of potential marine resources, (such as marine mineral, microbial, and deep-water) along with environmental change in the Kuroshio region. These variations we see as having four dimensions: changes in coastal -to -offshore area crossing the Kuroshio current (1st dimension), variations in the Kuroshio pathway (2nd dimension), evolving vertical water profiles (3rd dimension), and temporal changes from past to present (4th dimension).
Of the 12 major policies in the Marine Basic Plan of Japan, Kochi University has chosen to specialize in promoting development and use of marine resources, marine environment conservation, comprehensive management of coastal areas, and promotion of research and education, focusing on the four dimensions above to reach a better understanding while also promoting resource development.
Past Projects
●Kochi University research project on “Earth environmental system” (2010-2015)
●Paleoceanographic changes in the Kuroshio current in the NW Pacific
●Kochi University research project on “Integrated research on Earth environment, Earth dynamics and deep subseafloor biosphere by using drill cores” (until 2009)
Research Projects (2015～)
●JSPS Scientific Research Grants (PI）
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative areas
(Research in a proposed research area)
Paleoclimate dynamics of the Southern Ocean
Years of funding：2017-2022
Principal Investigator：Minoru Ikehara
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Estimation of historical record of Nankai Earthquake from the tradition of the submerged village "Kuroda-gori"
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Hidekazu Tokuyama
Co-investigator in CMCR：Yuhji Yamamoto、Masafumi Murayama
Investigating long-term variation in intensity of the paleomagnetic field during a period of low reversal frequency - new constraint on the outer core process
Years of funding：2016-2020
Principal Investigator：Yuhji Yamamoto
Molecular mechanisms of foraminiferal biomineralization –Open a black box of calcification–
Years of funding：2017-2020
Principal Investigator：Yurika Ujiie
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Understanding magnetic mineral diagenesis in the methane-rich sediments from Nankai Trough
Years of funding：2017-2021
Principal Investigator：Myriam Kars
Geoscientific consideration of marine manganese crusts and nodules on global to nano-scales
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Akira Usui
Variation of Mg/Ca ration in pentaliths of B. bigelowii
Years of funding：2017-2020
Principal Investigator：Kyoko Hagino
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Investigation of new samples for paleomagnetic field strength research: volcanic glass in marine sediments
Years of funding：2015-2019
Principal Investigator：Yuhji Yamamoto
Co-investigator in CMCR：Masafumi Murayama
Challenging Research (Exploratory)
Natural remanent magnetization carried by magnetotactic bacteria - assessing reliability of paleomagnetic record from analog experiments and analyses of natural samples
Years of funding：2018-2021
Principal Investigator：Yuhji Yamamoto
Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (B))
Paleomagnetic study on the lava sequences of Iceland to examine the relation between geomagnetic reversal frequency and strength of the geomagnetic field
Years of funding：2019-2025
Principal Investigator：Yuhji Yamamoto
●JSPS Scientific Research Grants (collaboration)
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
Comprehensive, spatiotemporal study and applied research of carboxydotrophs
Years of funding：2016-2021
Principal Investigator：Yoshihiko Sako (Kyoto University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Naoto Yasuda
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative areas (Research in a proposed research area)
Giant reservoirs of heat/water/material : Global environmental changes driven by Southern Ocean and Antarctic Ice Sheet
Years of funding：2017-2022
Principal Investigator：Kenji Kawamura (National Institute of Polar Research)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Minoru Ikehara
Seismic and geo-electromagnetic observations of core and mantle
Years of funding：2015-2020
Principal Investigator：Satoru Tanaka (JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Yuhji Yamamoto
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
Reconstruction of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation during the last 8000 years by the analysis of Beppu Bay sediment cores
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Masanobu Yamamoto (Hokkaido University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Minoru Ikehara
Study on long-term geomagnetic field variations during the last 10 million years
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Toshitsugu Yamazaki (The University of Tokyo)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Yuhji Yamamoto
新指標による遺跡の年代測定：考古地磁気方位・強度永年変化標準曲線の確立
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Masao Ohno (Kyushu University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Yuhji Yamamoto
Centennial to millennial-scale variability of East Asian Monsoon: Onset timing, temporal changes, and their controlling factors
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Ryuji Tada (The University of Tokyo)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Masafumi Murayama
最終間氷期の突然かつ急激な南極氷床崩壊イベントの検証とメカニズムの解明
Years of funding：2017-2021
Principal Investigator：Osamu Seki (Hokkaido University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Minoru Ikehara
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Pacific meridional overturning circulation since the last glaciation
Years of funding：2016-2019
Principal Investigator：Yusuke Okazaki (Kyushu University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Minoru Ikehara
Evolution process of microbes in subseafloor
Years of funding：2017-2020
Principal Investigator：Tatsuhiko Hoshino (JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Go-ichiro Uramoto
Reactivity of organic carbon on earth surface: an examination of common mechnisms between soils and sediments(Fostering Joint International Research)
Years of funding：2016-2018
Principal Investigator：Rota Wagai (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Go-ichiro Uramoto
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Molecular clock estimation based on big gene-data –Unveiling the origin and early evolution of eukaryote–
Years of funding：2018-2021
Principal Investigator：ISHITANI, Yoshiyuki (Center for Computational Sciences, Tsukuba University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Yurika Ujiie
第四紀堆積物の精密年代決定を目的とした超高精度Sr同位体層序の確立
Years of funding：2018-2021
Principal Investigator：Shigeyuki Wakaki (JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Hitomi Wakaki
Reconstruction of the past ocean circulation using ferromanganese crust samples collected from a seamount
Years of funding：2018-2021
Principal Investigator：Hiroshi Amakawa (JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Akira Usui
インドネシア海峡の閉鎖が及ぼすスーパーエルニーニョ型海洋環境の消失
Years of funding：2018-2021
Principal Investigator：Shinichi Kamikuri (Ibaraki University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Masao Iwai
ジオパークを利用した国際的な防災科学研究と社会教育実践
Years of funding：2019-2022
Principal Investigator：Yugo Nakamura (Kochi University)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Masao Iwai
Challenging Research (Exploratory)
微小炭酸塩鉱物の局所高精度同位体比分析による地球惑星氷床環境変動研究への挑戦
Years of funding：2017-2018年度
Principal Investigator：Takayuki Ushikubo (Kochi Institute for Core Sampe Research, JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Minoru Ikehara
Investigation of birth and evolutional history of photosynthetic organism by biomarker imaging of Achaean rocks
Years of funding：2018-2020
Principal Investigator：Akira Ijiri (JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Tomoyo Okumura
Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (B))
地球最古の地下水圏環境における微生物生態系の存続と進化プロセスの解明
Years of funding：2019-2020
Principal Investigator：Fumio Inagaki (JAMSTEC)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Go-ichiro Uramoto
Understanding of causal relationship between extreme climate and animal evolution in the Ediacaran ocean
Years of funding：2018-2022
Principal Investigator：Akihiro Kano (The University of Tokyo)
Co-investigator in CMCR：Tomoyo Okumura
Research Highlights
Research paper by a group of 10 scientists including CMCR members Prof. Minoru Ikehara and Dr. Hiroki Matsui. Paper published in “Newsletters on Stratigraphy” on 20 September 2019.
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Research paper by Dr. Go-ichiro Uramoto published in “Nature Communications” in 2019
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International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 379 “Amundsen Sea West Antarctic Ice Sheet History” (18 January – 20 March 2019)
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