Notes The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP)

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Research Priorities and Drilling Goals of Ocean Drilling Program

The research priorities and drilling goals of Ocean Drilling Program are introduced from two scientific themes. The scientific theme of dynamics of earth’s environment try to understand earth’s changing climate, causes and effects of sea—level change, and other problems such as global carbon cycle, formation of gas hydrates and submarine

Acidolysis hydrocarbon characteristics and significance of sediment samples from the ODP drilling legs of gas hydrate

To study on the significance and basis of acidolysis index to China marine gas hydrate exploring, since 2006, 111 samples derived from Leg 164 and 204 of the Ocean Drilling Program （ODP） were analyzed in the experiment center of China Petroleum Exploration Research Institute to obtain data on acidolysis hydrocarbon index and methane carbon isotopes by the gas chromatography （GC） of PE AutoSystem XL and isotope mass spectrometer （IRMS） of Finnigan MAT25 I. Through these, we study the reliability of the acidolysis method and characterize the gas hydrate potential. The results show that the acidolysis hydrocarbon index has a stable correspondence with the Gas Hydrate Stability Zone （GHSZ） in the ODE and that there are clear abnormal signs in shallow samples that might reliably reflect the existence of authigenic carbonate caused by hydrocarbon migration from bottom hydrate. We therefore propose that the ability to characterize the acidolysis hydrocarbon is crucial to submarine gas hydrate exploration in China.

Geochemical and Mineral Characteristics of Jurassic Volcanic Rocks from ODP Sites 304, 1149, and 801:Implications for Magmatic Evolution in the Northwest Pacific

The regular variations in magmatic activities along the Northwest Pacific plate have been little studied in spite of their importance. In this contribution, systematic analyses were conducted on tholeiitic basalts from three Ocean Drilling Program sites(Sites 304, 1149, and 801), including the petrographic features, major and trace elements, Nd isotopic compositions, and mineral structure and compositions of whole rocks. Volcanic rocks from Sites 304, 1149, and 801 belong to tholeiites and exhibit depleted light rare earth elements(LREE), large ion lithophile elemental contents(LILE), and relatively depleted Nd isotopic ratios(143Nd/144Nd=0.513139-0.513211), similar to those of normal mid-ocean ridge basalts(NMORB). Comprehensive data on mineral compositions, whole-rock geochemistry, and geochronology demonstrate that a regular variation trend exists in the north-south direction along the Northwest Pacific plate. The 143 Nd/144 Nd values(0.513139-0.513211) and trace-element ratios for whole rocks(Sm/Th=15.35-30.00; Zr/Hf=28.53-35.76; Zr/Y=2.58-3.67; Th/La=0.04-0.06; Th/Y=0.33-0.70), as well as the trace-element ratios(Zr/Hf, La/Yb, Ti/Zr) of clinopyroxenes from Sites 1149 and 801 tholeiites show larger variations compared to those from Site 304 tholeiites(143Nd/144Nd=0.513185-0.513195; Sm/Th=18.19-20.58; Zr/Hf=31.07-33.26; Zr/Y=2.62-3.03; Th/La=0.05-0.06; Th/Y=0.48-0.57). Mineral zoning textures were obvious in tholeiites from Sites 1149 and 801 but were rarely observed in Site 304.These regular features were likely attributed to the differences in the heterogeneity of the magma source,the process of magmatic evolution, the plate-spreading rate, and the effective and ineffective mixing.

Automatic Data Reduction and Quantification of X-Ray Computed Tomography Images of Sedimentary Cores: Method and Illustration

This paper presents a procedure from which information contained in 3-Dimensional single energy X-ray computed tomography (XR-CT) images of sedimentary rocks is converted into sub-mm scale resolution core scalar and core image logs. This new data provide a quantitative and compact (data volume reduction of ~90%) description of the XR-CT images. Density-related outputs are calibrated through automatic integration with continuous digital visual core description (VCD) and discrete moisture and density (MAD) property index measurements of selected samples. After lithology-based calibration of the X-ray attenuation coefficients into density values, quantitative displays include: 1) histogram of the distribution of density values and its related statistical parameters, 2) radial and angular distributions of core density values, 3) volume, average density and mass contributions of three core fractions defined by density thresholds corresponding to voids or vugs (VV, density ≤ ~1 g•cm−3), and a break in the histogram of distribution of the density values showing the limit between the damaged (DM) and non-damaged (ND) fractions of the core material, and so, 4) providing a sub-mm scale bulk density core log free of any drilling disturbance. The procedure is illustrated on data from the 365 m deep Hole C9001C drilled off-shore Shimokita (northeast coast of Honshu, Japan). Usage of the outputs include: 1) derivation of sub-mm scale porosity core log, 2) correction of volume sensitive measurements in case of poor core quality and partially filled core liner, and 3) seismic modeling and well ties.

Magnesium isotopes of chlorite-rich hydrothermal sediments in the Okinawa Trough and indications for Mg cycle

Seafloor hydrothermal systems play a significant role in the oceanic Mg cycle due to ubiquitous deposits of secondary Mg-rich clays during the strong fluid-rock reactions.However,the magnitude of net Mg enrichment and Mg isotopic fractionation,particularly within the medium-high temperature hydrothermal systems in felsic-hosted settings,are not well studied yet.Here we report elemental and isotopic compositions of Mg in hydrothermal chlorite-rich sediments,volcanic materials,and terrigenous sediments collected during the IODP Expedition 331 drilled to the thick sediment-covered and felsic-hosted middle Okinawa Trough(Iheya North Knoll) in the West Pacific.We investigate the sources of Mg in chlorite and Mg isotopic behavior at medium-high temperature hydrothermal alteration.After 1 mol/L HCl leaching,Mg isotopic compositions of chlorite-rich sediments present overall similar values in the residual fractions and bulk samples albeit with slightly higher values in the leachates.Mineralogical differentiation primarily determines the Mg isotopic compositions,showing that siliciclastic residues have slightly higher δ^(26) Mg values than the leachates dominated by carbonates and oxides/hydroxides.Significant Mg isotopic fractionation happened in the medium-high temperature(~150°C to 260°C) felsic-hosted hydrothermal system,with Δ^(26)MgChl-SW ranging from 0.15‰ to 0.71‰ and yielding a negative correlation with temperature.This observation suggests the preferential incorporation of heavy Mg isotopes by the secondary chlorite precipitation.We infer that the medium-high temperature hydrothermal systems can take up about 8–14% of riverine input of Mg in the arc and back-arc regions.Incomplete removal of aqueous Mg in porewater and vent fluids by the medium-high temperature hydrothermal alterations in the arc and back-arc basins provides constraints on the Mg budget and isotopic composition of seawater.

Provenance of a prominent sediment drift on the northern slope of the South China Sea

The sedimentation rate of the sediment drift in the southeast of Dongsha Islands is as high as 49 cm/ka in the last 1.05 Ma. Although the sedimentation rate changes with time, the con tents of rare elements of the sediments remain almost the same, indicating that the source area of the sediments has been constant with time. On the triangular diagrams of La-Th-Sc and Th-Sc-Zr/10, the samples from the southeast of Dongsha Islands fall within the continental island arc field, overlapping the samples from Taiwan, while the samples from the Pearl River, those from the west of the Philippines that contain volcanic material, are separated from them. This indicates that the sediments from the southeast of Dongsha Islands have a close relationship to those from Taiwan in terms of provenance. In fact, the sediments on the northern slope of the South China Sea were derived from northeast direction, as well as from Taiwan, most probably transported from Taiwan through Penghu channel into the South China Sea. The terrigenous part of the deep-sea sediments in the north of the South China Sea was provided by different sources.