Workshop Report - Ridge 2000 Program

hydrothermal venting. An important new research direction is to
move from the realm of general observations to the quantification
of rates and processes in hydrothermal plumes. a goal that
can best be achieved via the cooperative. multidisciplinary
approach suggested in these proceedings.
In summary. workshop participants recognized that significant
strides in understanding any particular aspect of the midocean
ridge system will require focused efforts at integration
with related processes. Ridge subsystems commonly studied by
individual researchers are not separable from the system cjs a
whole. All working groups identified scales of inquiry that
range over several orders of magnitude in time and space.
Current technologies are relatively well developed for
establishing that spatial variations within the system. but
observations of temporal change will be challenging to obtain.
Global-scale reconnaisance surveys can set the context for more
focused regional studies in which coordinated experiments
involving a range of long-term measurements can be implemented.
A common requirement of many of the recommended studies is a
need for accurate age information on time scales between a
decade and a million years. Innovative approaches to dating of
hydrothermal fluids. rocks. and biological materials will be
necessary to meet this requirement.
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