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doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.346.110.2015

Site U1430¹

R. Tada, R.W. Murray, C.A. Alvarez Zarikian, W.T. Anderson Jr., M.-A. Bassetti, B.J. Brace, S.C. Clemens, M.H. da Costa Gurgel, G.R. Dickens, A.G. Dunlea, S.J. Gallagher, L. Giosan, A.C.G. Henderson, A.E. Holbourn, K. Ikehara, T. Irino, T. Itaki, A. Karasuda, C.W. Kinsley, Y. Kubota, G.S. Lee, K.E. Lee, J. Lofi, C.I.C.D. Lopes, L.C. Peterson, M. Saavedra-Pellitero, T. Sagawa, R.K. Singh, S. Sugisaki, S. Toucanne, S. Wan, C. Xuan, H. Zheng, and M. Ziegler²

Background and objectives

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1430 is ~300 km southwest of IODP Site U1425 in the southwestern part of the marginal sea at 37°54.16′N, 131°32.25′E and 1072 meters below sea level (mbsl) (Fig. F1). The site is on the southern upper slope of the eastern South Korean Plateau, which bounds the northern margin of the Ulleung Basin. Studies of a piston core from a nearby location suggest sedimentation rates of ~40 m/m.y. (Lee et al., 2008), which are as slow as those observed at Site U1425. Seismic studies suggest a sediment thickness of 285 m and a basal age of ~10 Ma. If this is correct, the cores recovered at Site U1430 will provide a continuous slow-sedimentation record that is ideal to study the long-term history of dust provenance and flux changes since 10 Ma.

Because of its strategic location and proximity to the Asian continent, the sedimentary record at Site U1430 may contain a relatively pristine record of continental input. In addition, by combining the results from this site with those from IODP Sites U1423, U1425, and U1426 it will be possible to reconstruct changes in the position of the atmospheric Westerly Jet axis, dryness of the Gobi Desert, and the position and intensity of the early spring storm track in midlatitude Asia during the last ~5 m.y.

Site U1430 is under the influence of the second branch of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) but is only slightly south of the third branch, which forms the Subpolar Front (Hase et al., 1999). Therefore, the site may provide a good opportunity to monitor the behavior of the Subpolar Front and changes in intensity of the TWC (Isoda, 2011). The site is also useful to reconstruct changes in deepwater oxygenation and calcium carbonate compensation depth during the last 4 m.y. by combining results from deeper sites such as Sites U1424 and U1425 and shallower sites such as Sites U1426 and U1427.

¹ Tada, R., Murray, R.W., Alvarez Zarikian, C.A., Anderson, W.T., Jr., Bassetti, M.-A., Brace, B.J., Clemens, S.C., da Costa Gurgel, M.H., Dickens, G.R., Dunlea, A.G., Gallagher, S.J., Giosan, L., Henderson, A.C.G., Holbourn, A.E., Ikehara, K., Irino, T., Itaki, T., Karasuda, A., Kinsley, C.W., Kubota, Y., Lee, G.S., Lee, K.E., Lofi, J., Lopes, C.I.C.D., Peterson, L.C., Saavedra-Pellitero, M., Sagawa, T., Singh, R.K., Sugisaki, S., Toucanne, S., Wan, S., Xuan, C., Zheng, H., and Ziegler, M., 2015. Site U1430. In Tada, R., Murray, R.W., Alvarez Zarikian, C.A., and the Expedition 346 Scientists, Proc. IODP, 346: College Station, TX (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program). doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.346.110.2015

² Expedition 346 Scientists’ addresses.

Publication: 28 March 2015
MS 346-110

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