After much travel and preparation, the first core for Exp 354 has been recovered! For the uppermost sediment at each site we will be using the Advanced Piston Corer or APC, which tends to have the best recovery, least disturbance, and uses IODP’s new Icefield orientation tool (critical for paleomagnetic interpretation near the equator). As the sediment becomes more consolidated and more difficult to core, we will switch the Extended Core Barrel or XCB. Generally each APC core will recover about 9.5 meters of sediment. However, because the goal of this first ‘mud-line’ core is to recover the sediment-water interface, it is fired while still in the water column and generally only recovers about 5 meters of sediment. The paleomagnetic lab is ready and looking forward to our first measurements.
For our first site, U1449, 5 meters down, 295 more to go!
Drillers on the JR lowering the drill string for the first site.
First core of Expedition 354!
Co-Chief Christian France-Lanord checking out the core.