A workflow for sampling hard rock cores for microbiological research was developed and optimized during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 399. These procedures and protocols were adapted from previous expeditions and further optimized for handling large numbers of hard rock samples. The workflow is also intended to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations so as to maximize the scientific value of each sample for the whole scientific team.

We studied how heat is distributed underground in the western Himalaya to understand its potential for geothermal energy. Using computer models, we show that heat from radioactive rocks, uplift of mountains, and the shape of the land all influence temperatures in the crust. Deep valleys such as the Indus and Hunza may host accessible hot zones, meaning they could be good places to explore for geothermal energy.

Rocks in mountain belts have been deformed during continental collision causing a certain alignment of the minerals referred to as crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO). Minerals have anisotropic properties: the velocity of seismic waves travelling through them is direction dependent. This leads to anisotropy of the rocks. We measured the CPO of common rocks within the Alps. With this data and known anisotropic properties of the minerals we calculated the seismic anisotropy of the rocks.