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doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.301.103.2005

Prospects for future experiments

The beginning of IODP marks a new phase in scientific exploration and discovery below the seafloor, including use of sophisticated long-term monitoring systems. Expedition 301 deployed three CORK systems, two in new basement holes and one in an existing hole. The new CORKs share features with older systems but also introduce several novel approaches and technologies for improving resolution (temporal and spatial) of subseafloor monitoring and sampling. The new CORKs are currently monitoring pressure and temperature, collecting fluid samples, and injecting tracers and providing growth surfaces for microbiological ecosystems within distinct depth intervals in the upper oceanic crust. These systems will be visited periodically for data and sample retrieval using submersibles and ROVs and will have an ~5 y life span before downhole instrumentation will be recovered. Although these systems are providing useful information on their own, they are part of a crustal-scale network of borehole observatories that will be used during future drilling and nondrilling expeditions to conduct multidisciplinary crosshole experiments. Planning is now under way to return to the Expedition 301 field area with a drilling vessel, hopefully in 2007 or 2008, to install additional observatory systems and initiate the crosshole work. Proponents are also exploring options for making several modifications to CORK and instrument string design and deployment strategies before the next drilling expedition to improve ease of handling and reliability.

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