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Teachers
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Expedition 301
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Journal
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4 July 2004
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AMERICAN 4th OF JULY CELEBRATION, SAMPLE CLASS, and DRILLING
We had a tasty surprise at lunch today; the Catermar staff put together a terrific buffet. You definitely need to see the meat selection. After having a great meal and enjoying unbelievable weather, we were introduced to the sampling procedures for core samples. As the scientists continue to prepare their labs for the coming samples, the drilling is steadily continuing. I would like to thank Image Specialist Bill Crawford, (USA) for letting me use photos 1, 2, 4, and 5 today.
Here is a partial update for today given by Expedition Project Manager/IODP-USIO Staff Scientist Adam Klaus (USA):
“We are drilling away.... currently ~97 m below the first hard basement encountered. At first, penetration rates were ~3 m/hr which is fairly good for hard rock (similar to that in the upper part of basaltic crust at Site 896 - near the famous Hole 504B). But the penetration rate has been rather variable this afternoon.... around cookie break, there was even a thin zone of ~8 m/hr (quite a bit faster than expected for basement rocks). Since then the drillers have said the formation is quite variable. What would be nice is a zone about 10-15 m thick with a slow and steady penetration rate. This might indicate a relatively massive horizon that we can cement the bottom of the 10-3/4-inch casing in. I expect we might be assembling 10-3/4-inch casing sometime tomorrow.”
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 CELEBRATION!!! Our galley was transformed for the United States’ Independence Day celebration. Our Catermar cooks created a masterpiece.
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 ARTISTIC CHEFS. Alegria De Almeida (Portugal), Carvalheira Da Luz (Portugal), and Mario Fernandes (Portugal) show off their creations. Thanks Catermar!
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 IN A PIG’S EYE!!! The food was great, but it was a bit weird having this fellow look you in the eye when sampling the pork.
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 RELAXING IN THE SUN… The weather finally broke. We had a sunny day for the first time in several days. Organic Geochemist Verena Heuer (Germany) listens to tunes as Image Specialist Bill Crawford (USA), Igneous and Metamorphic Petrologist Masumi Sakaguchi (Japan), Expedition Co-Chief Scientist Tetsuro Urabe (Japan), and Logging Scientist Takeshi Tsuji (Japan) survey the beautiful day.
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 TEACHER AT SEA… I am taking a few minutes to enjoy the day and some stimulating discussion about geology and drilling with Expedition Co-Chief Scientist Tetsuro Urabe (Japan). Igneous and Metamorphic Petrologist Masumi Sakaguchi (Japan) is also enjoying the day.
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 SAMPLING CLASS. We are expecting cores in a couple of days. This hectic time will be easier because of the expert instruction by Marine Laboratory Specialist and Core Curator Paula Weiss (USA). We are on the catwalk where the cores will first be placed after coming up from the well. The cores will be in a core liner similar to the one that Paula is holding. Once the core is labeled, the core will be tested for methane gases and then taken inside to begin the curation and sampling process. Others in the picture from left to right are Image Specialist Bill Crawford (USA), Microbiologist Mark Lever (USA), Inorganic Geochemist Takuroh Noguchi (Japan), Microbiologist Bert Engelen (Germany), Microbiologist Bjoern Steinsbu (Norway), Organic Geochemist Verena Heuer (Germany), Microbiologist Satoshi Nakagawa (Japan), and Organic Geochemist Marion Dumont (Sweden).
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 CORE SPLITTER. Microbiologist Bert Engelen (Germany) , Physical Properties Scientist Mark Neilson (USA), Expedition Co-Chief Scientist Andy Fisher (USA), and Organic Geochemist Verena Heuer (Germany) look on as Marine Laboratory Specialist and Core Curator Paula Weiss (USA) demonstrates how the core samples will be handled in the core splitting room. Whenever possible, samples within a basement (basalt) core are lined up with each other using matching structures within the samples. Once the marine laboratory specialists have completed this task, an igneous and metamorphic petrologist from the science party will come in and mark the samples indicating where the samples will be cut on the rock saw.
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 CORE PARTY. Marine Laboratory Specialist and Core Curator Paula Weiss (USA) is standing in front of the “sampling table.” Once the cores are split and described, the “working half” is brought to this table so that sampling can take place. The marine laboratory specialists will collect any samples that the scientists have requested. Once this is complete all the scientists will have a chance to come to a “core party” and label the core for any additional samples that they want. If there is a dispute over a particularly interesting specimen, the co-chief scientists will have the final say. Inorganic Geochemist Sam Hulme (USA), CORK Geochemist Geoff Wheat (USA), and Microbiologist Fumio Inagaki (Japan) look on as Paula demonstrates her sampling procedures.
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 HOW DO I GET MY SAMPLES? Marine Laboratory Specialist and Core Curator Paula Weiss (USA) demonstrates how to enter into the shipboard database the location and type of samples taken from the core. It looks like a few scientists in this picture are already strategizing how to get the choice samples.
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 DRILLING AWAY. We are in basement rock and drilling steadily away. There is cautious optimism because the drilling is going much faster than was expected. We are getting ahead of schedule; this may mean more opportunities to collect samples at the other sites on the expedition. One concern about the fast drilling rates is that when it is time to put the next casing string in, the hole will not be stable; typically in basement rocks, fast drilling suggests a possible rubble zone—a zone with a lot of fractures. A rubble zone may not be very stable and could close in, hindering future operations.
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