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doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.327.109.2011

Conclusions

The methodology of fluid sampling from CORKs has evolved and expanded during the past two decades. This growth and evolution has been conducted at a measured pace because of operational and monetary constraints, which are touched upon by Becker and Davis (2005). It would require a separate paper to fully develop the intricacies of politics and funding. Nevertheless, experience and extensive planning have allowed the advancement from simple sampling systems of the initial CORKs to multilevel borehole and seafloor sampling systems used in the recent L-CORK design. These expanding capabilities have led to sample collection and sensor efforts that have progressed our understanding of subseafloor hydrogeology, crustal evolution, and the subsurface biosphere (references herein) and are poised to aid directed research projects for the next decade.

We intended this comprehensive paper to encompass all of the efforts to date and the ideas, decisions, and steps taken so that future researchers do not repeat our “mistakes.” Mechanical drawings are included as supplementary material so that everyone can gain access to borehole fluids and to spur future efforts (see CORK in “Supplementary material”). Unlike most drilling operations and oceanographic expeditions, planning for a CORK takes years of effort with input from scientists, engineers, shore-based drilling engineers, ship-based operational engineers, tool pushers, drillers, and submersible operators. Such planning cannot be overlooked given the few opportunities to deploy CORKs and the lack of money to finance repeat visits to service samplers and systems. Yet, at the end of the day, all of the planning provides a unique data set that is the only means available to address significant subseafloor problems.