Complete stratigraphies were recovered by triple coring each site at a lateral offset of ~10 m. Sediments were advanced hydraulic piston cored (APC) to refusal, below which extended core barrel (XCB) coring was used in some holes to recover more compacted sediments to a maximum depth of 600 meters below seafloor (mbsf).
Sediments were classified based on their composition and texture (see "Lithostratigraphy" section, "Explanatory Notes" chapter, this volume). The principal name of the sediment is determined by the component or group of components (e.g., total biogenic carbonate) that comprise(s) at least 60% of the sediment—except for equal proportions of biogenic and nonbiogenic material (Fig. 2). If the total of a nonbiogenic component is >60%, the main name is determined by the relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay when plotted on a modified Shepard's diagram (1954). Under this classification scheme, biogenic components are not described in textural terms. Genetic terms, such as pelagic, hemipelagic, turbiditic, and debris flow, do not appear within this classification. The term "clay" is used for both clay minerals and other siliciclastic material <4 µm in size.
Lithologically similar sediments were grouped into stratigraphic units. Subunits were defined within units by grouping sediments with common accessory components. A legend of the symbols used to represent the different lithologies and contact types in stratigraphic sections is shown in Figure 3. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show the regional stratigraphic correlation (Fig. 4A, Fig. 5A) and variations in the calcium carbonate content of lithologic units (Fig. 4B, Fig. 5B) between each site.