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doi:10.2204/iodp.sp.325.2009

Science operations

A Sampling and Measurements Plan for Expedition 325 (see the "Appendix") was prepared to meet the scientific objectives of IODP Proposal 519 following the recommendations of the Science Advisory Structure (SAS).

Offshore science operations at the Great Barrier Reef

After due consideration, it has been decided that there will be no splitting of the cores at sea, as it will be more efficient to carry out most of the scientific analysis during the OSP at Bremen. Therefore, there would be only limited scientific analysis carried out onboard and only a limited number of scientists would be required to sail. It is currently planned that core will be cut (unless there is a continuous section of a massive coral colony) on board into 1.5 m lengths and curated (www.marum.de/en/
Offshore_core_curation_and_measurements.html). The core catcher sample will be split and a visual description recorded. Samples for microbiology and geochemistry on pore water will be taken and suitably stored for analysis. Some ephemeral geochemical and microbiology measurements will be conducted offshore (see "Inorganic geochemistry" and "Microbiology" in the "Appendix"). All core will be run through the GEOTEK multisensor core logger (MSCL) offshore, which measures gamma density, P-wave velocity, electrical resistivity, and magnetic susceptibility. P-wave velocity measurements will only be attempted where cores are naturally saturated with water (possibly at the fore-reef slope). Refilling of nonsaturated core to enable P-wave velocity measurements will not take place because of the detrimental impact on fines and microbiology.

Staffing

Scientific staffing has been decided on the basis of task requirements and nominations from the ECORD Science Support Advisory Committee (ESSAC), the United States Science Advisory Committee (USSAC), the Japan Drilling Earth Science Consortium (JDESC), and the Ministry of Science and Technology (People's Republic of China) (MOST). ESO staffing is based on the need to carry out drilling and scientific operations efficiently and safely.

The following breakdown of ESO and science staffing includes 23 participants:

ESO:

  • 1 Operations Superintendent

  • 1 Staff Scientist

  • 1 Trainee Staff Scientist

  • 1 Petrophysics Staff Scientist

  • 2 Curators

  • 2 Drilling Coordinators

  • 1 Database Manager

  • 1 Electronics Engineer

  • 1 ESO Petrophysicist

  • 1 ESO Geochemist

  • 2 Logging Contractors

Offshore science team:

  • 2 Co-Chief Scientists

  • 2 Carbonate Sedimentologists

  • 2 Coral Specialists

  • 1 Microbiologist

  • 1 Geochemist (with microbiological experience)

  • 1 Core Petrophysicist

  • 1 GBR Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) observer

Platform science activities

Science activities on the drillship are likely to be confined to those essential for early sampling and logging and for safety and curation (please see the "Appendix" for more details). Scientific activities will be (please also refer to the online tutorial at www.marum.de/en/
Offshore_core_curation_and_measurements.html):

  • Basic curation and labeling of core.

  • Shoe sample (core catcher) for lithologic and macropaleontologic analysis, including taking a core catcher image.

  • Core storage.

  • All cores will be run on the MSCL (gamma density, P-wave velocity, electrical resistivity, and magnetic susceptibility; please see the "Appendix" for more detail). Pore water sampling for fluid chemistry/circulation studies.

  • Microbiology samples will be collected and stored under appropriate conditions (both specific samples, if required by members of the Science Party, as well as routine IODP microbiology samples, if IODP Scientific Technology Panel [STP] Recommendation 0807-12, "Microbiology Routine Sampling for Frozen Preservation," is implemented by IODP Management International, Inc. [IODP-MI]).

  • Associated data management of all activities (see below).

The coral reefs require rotary coring, and the hard rock cores will be collected in plastic liners or metal "spoon" liners (before being transferred to plastic liners on the drill floor). The cores will be split during the OSP in Bremen.

In order to carry out the science requirements on the drillship with a small crew, a staffing plan has been devised. The plan requires flexibility of approach from all participants, with priority to safety, core recovery, curation, and procedures for the measurement of ephemeral properties.

Report preparation will take place onboard as required by IODP-MI; the reports to be compiled include:

  • Daily and weekly operations and science reports to IODP-MI, Science Party members, and relevant parties. Scientific reports are provided by the Co-Chief Scientists.

  • Site summary reports to IODP-MI.

  • Technical Operations Report (submission to IODP-MI due 60 days postcruise).

  • Completion of the offshore sections of the Expedition Reports section of the Proceedings (primarily the "Methods" chapter).

  • Operational Review Report (submission to IODP-MI due 2 months postcruise).

  • Press releases in line with IODP-MI outreach policy.

  • Information for posting on the ESO expedition website.

A detailed cruise report will be broken down into the following sections:

  • Coring operations,

  • Operations cost (which will be monitored daily),

  • Preliminary scientific results, and

  • Databasing.

Great Barrier Reef logging operations

Considering the anticipated shallow depth of many holes, short tool strings are highly recommended. Because of environmental concerns (shallow-water reef environment) the use of chemical sources is prohibited, thereby preventing the use of logging tools such as density and porosity that require these sources.

Five depth transects are planned, and the logging plan will be optimized through further discussions with the Co-Chief Scientists. It is envisaged that two holes per transect will be fully logged, with a reduced logging plan in some of the other holes (subject to hole conditions). The number of holes to be logged will remain flexible throughout the expedition.

Given the anticipated small diameter of the boreholes (HQ core bit OD is 96 mm), only slimline-type logging tools can be utilized. The following is a generic list of the logging measurements that were successfully acquired for Expedition 310 and are planned to be obtained for Expedition 325. These are minimum and additional tools, based on formation properties and not on operator-based trademark names:

  • Optical images (for millimeter-scale geological description),

  • Acoustic images (for centimeter-scale impedance and mesoscale porosity),

  • Spectral gamma logging (for U, Th, K, and red algae),

  • Acoustic velocity logging (for VP and VS at 10–20 kHz),

  • Induction resistivity logging (for pore fluid salinity and porosity), and

  • Hydrochemical borehole fluid logging (with p, T, pH, Eh, SP, and fluid electrical conductivity to identify fluid circulations).

Onshore science activities

The OSP normally takes place within 3–4 months of the end of offshore operations and will be held under the supervision of Dr. Ursula Röhl, the manager of the IODP Bremen Core Repository.

The following facilities will be available for the expedition scientists at the IODP Bremen Core Repository. (Please also refer to the online tutorial at www.marum.de/en/
Onshore_Science_Party_OSP.html and see the "Appendix" for more detail).

  • X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning (Before the OSP; on special request and on selected core sections only),

  • Core splitting,

  • Core description,

  • Core photography/imaging,

  • Core sampling,

  • Thin section and smear slide preparation,

  • Micropaleontology,

  • Inorganic geochemistry,

  • X-ray diffraction analysis,

  • Petrophysical measurements, and

  • Color measurements.

Additional facilities can be made available through continuing close cooperation with additional laboratories at the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM) and the Department of Geosciences at Bremen University, as well as the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI), all of which are situated nearby on campus.

A staffing plan will be developed with the Co-Chief Scientists, the IODP Bremen Core Repository Manager, and the Staff Scientist prior to the OSP in order to ensure that all required analyses and subsampling, both for sample requests and IODP minimum measurements, can be carried out efficiently. The measurements plan will take into account IODP specifications for quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures, which are currently being developed.

Report preparation will take place during the OSP as required by IODP-MI; the reports to be compiled are:

  • Twice weekly operations and science reports to IODP-MI and relevant parties. Scientific reports are produced by the Co-Chief Scientists.

  • Preliminary Report (submission to IODP Publication Services 1 week after the OSP).

  • Completion of the Expedition Reports portion of the Proceedings volume (submission to IODP Publication Services as soon as practically possible after the OSP).

Staffing

Scientific staffing has been decided on the basis of task requirements and nominations from ESSAC, USSAC, JDESC and MOST. ESO staffing is based on the need to carry out the scientific operations at the OSP efficiently.

The following breakdown of ESO and science staffing includes 39 participants and a laboratory team provided by the University of Bremen:

ESO:

  • 1 Superintendent (Curation and Laboratory Manager)

  • 1 Staff Scientist

  • 1 Assistant Superintendent (Assistant Curation and Laboratory Manager)

  • 1 Petrophysics Staff Scientist

  • 1 ESO Petrophysicist

  • 2 Curators

  • 2 Database Operators

  • 1 Trainee Staff Scientist

  • 1 Yeoperson

Expedition Scientists:

  • 2 Co-Chief Scientists (2 sailing)

  • 5 Carbonate Sedimentologists (2 sailing)

  • 2 Coral Specialists (1 sailing)

  • 2 Microbiologist (1 sailing)

  • 2 Core Petrophysicists (1 sailing)

  • 1 Foraminifer Paleontologist

  • 2 Coralline Algal Paleontologists (1 sailing)

  • 10 Inorganic Geochemists (SST variation, paleoclimate, and dating)
    (1 sailing)

  • 2 Paleomagnetists

Data management

A detailed specification and configuration of data management systems for Expedition 325 will be developed from the finalized science/operational data requirements and operational logistics.

The ExpeditionDIS will be configured to match the science/operational requirements of the expedition. The timing of transfer of metadata/data from the DIS to WDC-MARE/PANGAEA and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) log database will depend on the data type and operational requirements (www.marum.de/en/MSP_offshore_data_
storage_and_ computer_facilites.html).

The outline plan is:

  • A modified version of the IODP Drilling Information System (DIS)—the ExpeditionDIS—will be used to capture drilling and core-related data during the operation and postoperation "shore-party" phases.

  • The ExpeditionDIS is a relational database and will be used to capture drilling, curation, and geoscience metadata and data during the offshore and onshore phases of the expedition.

  • The ExpeditionDIS includes tools for data input, visualization, report generation, and data export.

  • The database can be accessed directly by other interpretation or decision-making tools if required.

  • A file server will be used for storage of data not captured in the database (for example, documents and image files), and the input/output of any data processing, interpretation, and visualization applications used during the expedition.

  • The EPC will manage the capture of the downhole log, MSCL, and physical properties data. Logging metadata and MSCL data will be stored in the ExpeditionDIS. Downhole logging data will be stored separately by the EPC for processing and compositing.

  • Between the end of the offshore phase and the start of the OSP, expedition scientists will have access to the data via a password-protected website.

  • On completion of the OSP, expedition scientists will continue to have access to all data through a password-protected Web site throughout the moratorium period.

  • During the moratorium period, all data will be transferred to World Data Center-Marine Environmental Sciences (WDC-MARE)/Publishing Network for Geoscientific and Environmental Data (PANGAEA) and the LDEO log database, the MSP long-term data repositories.

  • The data management plan and the petrophysics plan (developed by the EPC) will be integrated.

  • The longer term plan for data management will take into account IODP Information Services requirements once these are known.

  • Cores will be transferred to the Kochi Core Center after the moratorium year.

  • After the moratorium, all expedition data will be made accessible to the public.

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