Ocean World Analog Field Site Assessment Workshop

October 13-15, 2022
Denver, CO

Workshop Location and Dates

We are happy to announce the Ocean World Analog Field Site Assessment Workshop scheduled for October 13–15, 2022, at the Denver Marriott Tech Center.

The workshop is sponsored by the Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW) and the Network for Life Detection (NfoLD) and is planned as an in-person workshop. The organizers are monitoring the current COVID situation, and the workshop format will be adjusted as necessary.

Purpose and Scope
Our understanding of Ocean and Icy Worlds in our solar system is built on the scaffolding of oceanographic and cryospheric work conducted in the field by Earth Scientists, combined with the observational and modeling work of Planetary Scientists. As opportunities to conduct in situ analyses on Ocean Worlds are few and far between, fieldwork at terrestrial sites is crucial for advancing our knowledge and understanding of processes on Ocean and Icy worlds. While Planetary Scientists and Earth Scientists have different priorities when selecting field sites, there is significant overlap in their scientific goals. Collaboration between these two groups is vital for selecting the best field sites to support their unique and shared goals.

This workshop will bring together planetary and Earth scientists to discuss and negotiate which important qualities of a terrestrial analog claim biological, chemical, and physical fidelity to Ocean Worlds. We will design a framework for rigorous evaluation and justification of intriguing remote sites as well as lower-fidelity but more accessible sites.

Objectives:

• A community-developed set of standards for evaluating Ocean Worlds Analog sites that assesses the fidelity of each site on a continuum of objectives with respect to the science questions posed
• An assessment of the effectiveness of this framework using specific field site examples
• A (hopefully) consensus document with “best practices” guidelines to gauge the fidelity of analogy sites

Code of Conduct

USRA/LPI is committed to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, religion, or other protected status. We do not tolerate harassment of meeting participants in any form. USRA/LPI expects that all participants will abide by this Code of Conduct, creating an environment free from harassment, discrimination, disruption, incivility, or violence of any kind. We expect participants to exercise consideration and respect in their speech and actions and refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior. Report issues, concerns, or violations of this Code of Conduct directly to USRA/LPI management at USRA-LPI Meetings Code of Conduct. The full USRA/LPI Code of Conduct can be found here.