September 30, 2009 (Day 30)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0012 (32°45’N / 136°55’E)
Recovered seven cores. We continue to make good progress on coring at C0012A. Core quality is a more serious issue than the length of core recovery. We hope to have intact cores, even if it is short, rather than biscuitted, fragmental long cores. Logging Staff Scientist Yoshinori Sanada was back to the ship after a short visit to shore, together with logging engineers.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 29, 2009 (Day 29)
Weather: Fine
Location: Site C0012 (32°45’N / 136°55’E)
We continue to make good progress on coring at C0012A. We have past halfway to the Target Depth and still keep a pace of core recovery at every 2.5 hours. But core recovery and quality were still not favorable. We manage to find intact pieces to obtain Whole Round samples.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 28, 2009 (Day 28)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0012 (32°45’N / 136°55’E)
RCB coring continued at a good pace; recovered 10 cores in the last 24 hours. But core recovery and quality was still not good. Scientists had a site summary meeting and are working hard on their site reports for C0011B.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 27, 2009 (Day 27)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0012 (32°45’N / 136°55’E)
Recovered 10 cores in the last 24 hours. Recovery was poor at first, got better with depth, and went back lower below 150 meters below seafloor. Lab is back to business, and full set of measurements is going on for cores from Site C0012A. After cancellation of wireline logging operation at Site C0011B, Logging Staff Scientist Yoshinori Sanada made a short visit to shore, but will be back soon for possible wireline logging operation at Site C0012.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 26, 2009 (Day 26)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0012 (32°45’N / 136°55’E)
Started running coring assembly in the hole at 09:15, and spud-in Hole C0012A at 21:00. Jet down to 60 meters below seafloor. The 1st core from this hole was retrieved when reaching 60 meters, and was on deck at 00:20 on 26 September. Regular RCB coring started from 60 meters then. Core quality of soft sediment was not good, as expected. Cutting the 4th core as of 06:00.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 25, 2009 (Day 25)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0012 (32°45’N / 136°55’E)
Contined to pull the coring assembly out of the hole. Five transponders were recovered before sunset, and the ship moved to proposed site NT1-01. Five transponders were deployed around the drill site. The ship is moving to the drill site as of 06:00. In Lab, finishing all measurements for Site C0011, except for XRF-CL and discrete samplemeasurements. C0011A core-log integration is ongoing. While transponders are set and calibrated, scientists have worked on site reports on C0011. Some scientists visited drill floor to see the worn drill bit.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 24, 2009 (Day 24)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
All cores through 61st were processed in Lab. Only discrete sample measurements, XRFCL, and thin-section preparation are ongoing. We reached 881 meters below seafloor but slow penetration did not allow us further deepening of the hole. Considering the reducing rate of penetration, quality/recovery of cores, and remaining time, we have decided to abandon the hole, and move to next site. Wireline-logging was also cancelled because the interval through 881 meters was already covered by LWD at C0011A. We will move to contingency site NT1-01A once pull the coring assembly our of the hole and transponder retrieval is completed.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 23, 2009 (Day 23)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Coring operation continued. Coring 61st core as of 06:00. All cores through 60th were split. 59th and 60th cores are on the description table as of 06:00. Although drillers are still struggling to improve ROP (Rate of Penetration) and core quality, scientists were excited with the recovery of 58th core. The good and continuous core allowed us to take several whole round samples. A Japanese student trainee, Tomohiro Yamamoto, from Doshisya University (fill missing Japanese slot for urgent cancellation) joined onboard member, since 21st September, and has been quickly learning lab work.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 22, 2009 (Day 22)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Coring 57th core as of 06:00. Processing 51st to 56th core in Lab. Considering core quality, the pace of ROP (Rate of Penetration), and remaining time, we decided to wash down approximately 60 m after 55th core. The one positive highlight was recovery of sand beds within the Lower Shikoku Basin turbidite facies, providing enough material for basic analysis. Science Party had a short party for a birthday of the youngest member Yohei Hamada, for a mid-point of the expedition, and for farewell
to rotating-off lab staffs, including Lab Officer Toshikatsu Kuramoto. We thank all of them for their hard work.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 21, 2009 (Day 21)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Coring operation resumed in the morning after wait on weather. Coring C0011B-55R as of 06:00. Processing of the core resumed in Lab. 51st to 53rd cores were split and are now processed as of 06:00. Continuing XRF-CL of 32nd and 33rd core and discrete sample analysis of left over from before the break. Coring resumed in the morning, but the quality of the last two core was still not good enough containing drilling debris to fulfill scientific requirement. Science Party had a meeting to summarize their results from Unit II.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 20, 2009 (Day 20)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
After wiper trip and wait on weather, running in to the hole. XRF-CL of 32th and 33rd cores and discrete sample analysis only. Each specialty group is summarizing their results so far, and preparing for presentation in a meeting scheduled tomorrow.
Other than that, Science Party enjoyed a short break before the midpoint of the expedition. Co-chief Sanny Saito demonstrated Japanese tea ceremony to science party members.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 19, 2009 (Day 19)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
RCB coring continued. The 50th core was on deck at 17:45. Core quality was not good and we decided to clean the bit and the hole, and wait on weather before next coring. Core quality was not good enough for WR (Whole Round) sampling. Core processing through 50R was completed as of 06:00 except for cores 32R and 33R undergoing XRF-CL. Discrete sample analysis is going on. After jamming in inner barrel and another poor quality core, it was likely that debris had accumulated around shoe of core catcher sub inside the bit. Also wiper trip was necessary anyhow before completion of this hole. We decided to clean the bit and the hole during the bad weather. Science Party is focusing on summarizing their first results. The results from each group will be presented in a meeting on Sunday.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 18, 2009 (Day 18)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Retrieving 48th core as of 06:00. Cores from #1 through #23 were carried to core container and locked up. LWD data interpretation at the Site C0011A is completed, core-log integration is ongoing. Rough sea conditions resulted in slower ROP (Rate of Penetration) and lower than average core quality. However, core quality remains good enough to sample everything we need and to describe rhythmic turbidites in the split core. Yesterday, we thought 43rd core contained sandy layers, but it turned out to be sand-sized cuttings rather than terrigenous sand. It is not entirely clear how cuttings got sandwiched between two intervals of mudstone.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 17, 2009 (Day 17)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Retrieving 44th core as of 06:00. Every one seemed to be ready to start SET-P runs. However, we have been unable to find a target sand layer. Core-log integration did not work this time. Geochemists have had a difficult time, due to little amount of pore water. Although we had to abort SET-P run, science party is grateful to onboard drill crew for trying a difficult operation. Lab work is going on smoothly, and most of core sections in the storage are ready to be sent to core container.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 16, 2009 (Day 16)
Weather: Rain
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Retrieving 38th core sample as of 06:00. Re-measurement of MSCL-W proved the repeatability of the measurement. XRF-CL has been started up and is measuring core which showed relatively good condition for continuous measurement. Geochemists have had little amount of interstitial water, and are wondering about possible options. Core storage in the lab is becoming full, and second look and additional sampling of core is going on before the sections are locked in the storage container. Steady and good recovery kept the lab busy. Sedimentologists have defined Unit boundaries for the Upper Shikoku Basin facies and scientists are summarizing the results from the defined Units for further data integration. Co-chiefs and Brandon Dugan are setting the target layer for in-situ pressure measurement with SET-P, together with Core-Log-Seismic Integration scientists. Integration of data from Site C0011A-LWD and from Site C0011B-core enabled us to set an exact depth of the target layer.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 15, 2009 (Day 15)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
RCB coring continued without major problem, but sticky formation has been slowing down the operation. Core flow in Lab is still keeping pace with the core recovery. 29th cores were split and processed as of 06:00. Re-measurement of MSCL-W for some sections was attempted to double check interesting results. Test measurements of XRF-CL were attempted successfully, and sedimentologists are looking for a suitable interval for measurements. Lab work continues without much change. The procedures are all in place and working well, and scientists are becoming comfortable with the routine. Co-chiefs and EPM discussed with OSI and OIM about the protocol of in situ pressure measurement with SET-P tool. The measurement is scheduled to take place in a day or two.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 14, 2009 (Day 14)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
RCB coring continued without major problem. Cutting 26th core as of 06:00. Core flow is still keeping pace with the core recovery. Core-Log-Seismic Integration scientists have finished preliminary interpretation of LWD data, and now started helping lab work. Having penetrated a difficult sandy formation, we are now entering Lower Shikoku Basin hemipelagic mud facies. We've seen some interesting changes in lithology, and are looking forward to seeing all the outcome of all measurements.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 13, 2009 (Day 13)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
The 15th core was finally retrieved at 12:04. Repair on core winch was completed. The 19th core was on deck at 5:45 this morning with 100% recovery. We have been drilling through a difficult sandy formation. This was expected from LWD data and not surprising. Fortunately we have core from this interval, and science party is analyzing the recovered material. Geochemists obtained unexpectedly sample amount of interstitial water from the sandy layer. Core-Log-Seismic Integration group presented their preliminary interpretation of LWD data from Hole C0011A. Now that we have data from core, they have already started integrating core and log data.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 12, 2009 (Day 12)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Coring continued and cut 15th core sample. After changing the winch and repair on the kink of core winch cable, retrieval is ongoing as of 06:00. With only two cores recovered yesterday, most of core processing has been completed. We have reviewed the core processing flow of the last few days, and made some adjustments to improve the lab work. Although it is challenging for lab staffs and scientists to keep up with the core recovery of 80 m/day like yesterday, we are all ready and looking forward to the challenge.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 11, 2009 (Day 11)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Coring by the Rotary Core Barrel continued. Good cores, in terms of both recovery and quality, have been delivered to the lab and the science party is busy measuring and sampling. Through the first series of core processing since yesterday, bottleneck of the core flow turned out to be splitting and sampling. During the short break due to the winch problem, science party and lab staffs are trying to figure out how to speed-up the flow through close collaboration.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 10, 2009 (Day 10)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
After re-installation of guide horn, coring operation resumed at 11:00. As of 06:00, retrieving 6th core sample. Good recovery of 3rd core allowed us first whole round sampling. Geochemists are working on the first interstitial water measurements. Core-Log-Seismic Integration team continues working on analysis of LWD data of Hole C0011A. Finally, real lab work has started rolling. Scientists are highly motivated and are quickly learning measurement tasks. Group effort for good communication and cooperative attitude have been making core flow smooth so far. We are also making spontaneous adjustments and tune up of core flow, particularly sampling flow, at this early stage of expedition.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 9, 2009 (Day 9)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
After wait on weather, wind speed decreased to less than 18 m/s and operation resumed at 13:00. SET-P dummy run was carried out to attempt two measurements in water column. At 16:45, test of Under Water TV was started and it continues as of 06:00. SET-P test was carried out. Winch and circulation were stopped for 30 sec at 1000 and 2000 meters below rotary table for pressure measurements. All measurements / processing of split halves of C0011B-1R were completed. Sampling and discrete sample measurements are ongoing. Core-Log-Seismic Integration team continues working on analysis of C0011A-LWD data. P-mag measurement of C0009A sample was completed. Data quality is not best due to unstable SQUID conditions. Due to the wait on weather, we could have time to slow down and make sure the procedures and measurement method step by step. SET-P test was successful and scientists are looking forward to real measurement of the formation pressure.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 8, 2009 (Day 8)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Continued drilling a 10-5/8 inch coring hole with center bit. Reached 340 meters below the seafloor (mbsf) at 19:45. Center bit was retrieved at a second attempt at 0:30, then cut core from 340 mbsf under 1.5 m heave. Core liner was jammed inside inner barrel and removed with high pressure pump. Sweep out with Hi-vis fluid while removing core. The first core C0011B-1R was on deck at 2:58. Unable to continue sinker bar operation due to high wind speed >20m/s. Standby as of 6:00. Science party received the first core sample of the expedition, after watching 1-hour struggle of pulling off the core liner at drill floor. Although the core sample was damaged, science party is excited with having a real core sample finally.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 7, 2009 (Day 7)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Continued lowering with 10-5/8 inch RCB coring assembly from last night. Spud-in at 17:00, without Under Water TV for relatively rough sea condition. Washing down to 340 meters below the seafloor with center bit. Science party continued meeting and lab induction. Technicians instruct scientists how to operate lab equipments, and discuss measurement setting. Paleomagnetists started measurement of C0009A core from Exp 319, even though SQUID has been unstable once in a while. Logging scientists are analyzing C0011A LWD data from Exp 319, after computer environment set-up and software training.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 6, 2009 (Day 6)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Site C0011 (32°50’N / 136°53’E)
Chikyu arrived at the drilling site at 11:00. After UWTV (Under Water TV camera) free fall for torsion release and downhole measurement tool preparation and adjustments, started lowering the 10-5/8 inch RCB (Rotary Core Barrel) coring assembly. Science party continued meeting and lab induction. Technicians instruct scientists how to operate lab equipments, and discuss measurement setting.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 5, 2009 (Day 5)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Transit to Site C0011
After five days (31 Aug. to 4 Sep.) of port call, Chikyu left Yokkaichi port at 1600 on September 4 and headed to the site C0011. Science party continued meeting and lab induction. Curator demonstrated sampling method of whole round core samples and discrete samples. The sampling school was followed by breakout meetings and inductions for each specialty group. Chikyu departed Yokkaichi Port and the science party is excited with the coming offshore work.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 4, 2009 (Day 4)
Weather: Rain
Location: Port of Yokkaichi, Japan
Science party continued meeting, and each scientist presented his/her research plan. Everyone is excited to see each other's plan, and further coordination for collaborative studies and group effort for onboard measurement and sampling work is ongoing.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 3, 2009 (Day 3)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Port of Yokkaichi, Japan
Science party continued meeting of research plan. Pre-spud meeting with ship, drilling crew and onshore staff was held, and the expedition plan was confirmed.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 2, 2009 (Day 2)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Port of Yokkaichi, Japan
Science party got onboard and had a first meeting. Co-chief scientists presented overview of NanTroSEIZE and Exp 322. Drs. Gaku Kimura and Toshiya Kanamatsu participated in the meeting as Specialty Coordinators of PMT (Project Management Team of NanTroSEIZE).
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
September 1, 2009 (Day 1)
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Port of Yokkaichi, Japan
As of 0:00 today, IODP Expedition 322 has started. The Chikyu was at the port of Yokkaichi for loading materials and preparing the departure.
Co-Chief Scientists: Underwood, M. and Saito, S.
Expedition Project Manager: Kubo, Y.
