In September the Japanese drilling vessel Chikyu left port in order to revisit the JFAST study area, collecting core samples, Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) and installing a Long-Term Borehole Measurement System (LTBMS).

The research team is led by six Co-chief scientists. In addition, a total of 56 science party members (from ten countries) will participate, including 50 researchers selected from IODP participating countries.

To mark the international collaboration a team of Onboard Outreach Officers are documenting the expedition JTRACK in various forms of art and media.

All material that the international outreach officers have produced and will produce can be found here, including behind the scene-pieces:

https://www.jamstec.go.jp/chikyu/e/exp405/gallery.html

The expeditions website provides an overview of the expedition and blog articles, introduces the participating researchers and will be updated with the progress of the expedition:

https://www.jamstec.go.jp/chikyu/e/exp405/index.html

After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and an IODP Expedition 343: Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (JFAST), there are still questions fault that caused the earthquake. An multinational expedition aims to clarify open questions. IODP Expedition 405: Tracking Tsunamigenic Slip Across the Japan Trench (JTRACK) aims to bring more light into these unsolved issues:

(1) The current state of stress accumulation around the fault zone after more than10 years after the earthquake.

(2) The structure of the fault that caused the earthquake, its physical characteristics, and the factors that control the slip behavior.

(3) The effects of fluids on the stress state around the fault zone.