Frontispiece 1. Tentative correlation of color reflectance records at Sites 1091, 1093, and 1094 with a benthic oxygen isotopic record from Site 846 for marine isotope Stages (MISs) 8 through 12 (Mix et al., 19951). High reflectance values represent peak interglacial stages when sediments contain a high proportion of CaCO3. The high sedimentation rates at these Leg 177 sites, located on a north-south transect across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, permit paleoceanographic studies at millennial scale or better resolution. In most sites, MIS 11 stands out as the brightest, most carbonate-rich sediments of the Pleistocene. At Site 1093, Termination V (MIS 12–11 transition) is represented by an 8-m expanded section (from ~133 to 125 meters composite depth [mcd]) that contains a thick laminated interval of Thalassiothrix diatom mats (see corresponding core photograph of the section enclosed by the box in the reflectance record of Site 1093).

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1Mix, A.C., Le, J., and Shackleton, N.J., 1995. Benthic foraminiferal stable isotope stratigraphy of Site 846: 0–1.8 Ma. In Pisias, N.G., Mayer, L.A., Janecek, T.R., Palmer-Julson, A., and van Andel, T.H. (Eds.), Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 138: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 839–854.


Frontispiece 2. Core 177-1093A-13H contains sediments that represent the transition from MIS 12 to 11 (Termination V). The dark sediment in Sections 177-1093A-13H-6, 13H-7, and 13H-CC corresponds to glacial MIS 12. Sections 177-1093A-13H-2 (partim), 13H-3, 13H-4, and 13H-5 represent a thick laminated interval of Thalassiothrix diatom mats that accumulated at high sedimentation rates, offering an unprecedented opportunity to study paleoceanographic changes in the Southern Ocean associated with Termination V at high temporal resolution. The white sediment in Section 177-1093A-13H-1 represents MIS 11.

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Proceedings of the
Ocean Drilling Program

Volume 177
Initial Reports

Southern Ocean Paleoceanography

Covering Leg 177 of the cruises of the Drilling Vessel JOIDES Resolution
Cape Town, South Africa, to Punta Arenas, Chile
Sites 1088–1094
9 December 1997–5 February 1998

SHIPBOARD SCIENTISTS
Rainer Gersonde, David A. Hodell, Peter Blum,
Carin Andersson, William E.N. Austin, Katharina Billups, James E.T. Channell, Christopher D. Charles, Bernhard Diekmann, Gabriel M. Filippelli, José-Abel Flores, Antony T. Hewitt, William R. Howard, Minoru Ikehara, Thomas R. Janecek, Sharon L. Kanfoush, Alan E.S. Kemp, Stagg L. King, Helga F. Kleiven, Gerhard Kuhn, Maria Marino, Ulysses S. Ninnemann, Suzanne O’Connell, Joseph D. Ortiz, Joseph S. Stoner, Kazuhiro Sugiyama, Detlef A. Warnke, Ulrich Zielinski

SHIPBOARD STAFF SCIENTIST
Peter Blum

VOLUME EDITORS
Katerina E. Petronotis and Ginny Lowe


Citation

Reference to the whole or to part of this volume should be made as follows:

WWW volume citation:
Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., Blum, P., et al., 1999. Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 177 [Online]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/177_IR/177TOC.HTM>. [Cited YYYY-MM-DD]

WWW chapter citation (PDF):
Shipboard Scientific Party, 1999. Site 1088. In Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., Blum, P., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 177, 1-66 [Online]. Available from World Wide Web:
<http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/177_IR/VOLUME/CHAPTERS/CHAP_03.PDF>. [Cited YYYY-MM-DD]

WWW chapter citation (HTML):
Shipboard Scientific Party, 1999. Site 1088. In Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., Blum, P., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 177 [Online]. Available from World Wide Web:
<http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/177_IR/CHAP_01/Output/chap_01.htm>. [Cited YYYY-MM-DD]

Printed booklet citation for Chapter 1:
Shipboard Scientific Party, 1999. Leg 177 summary: Southern Ocean paleoceanography. In Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., Blum, P., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 177: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 1–67.

CD-ROM volume citation:
Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., Blum, P., et al., 1999. Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 177 [CD-ROM]. Available from: Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845-9547, U.S.A.

CD-ROM chapter citation:
Shipboard Scientific Party, 1999. Site 1088. In Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., Blum, P., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 177, 1–66 [CD-ROM]. Available from: Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845-9547, U.S.A.

ISSN
Printed booklet: 0884-5883; CD-ROM volume: 1096-2522; WWW volume: 1096-2158
Library of Congress 87-642-462


Effective publication dates of ODP Proceedings

According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the date of publication of a work and of a contained name or statement affecting nomenclature is the date on which the publication was mailed to subscribers, placed on sale, or when the whole edition is distributed free of charge, mailed to institutions and individuals to whom free copies are distributed. The mailing date, not the printing date, is the correct one.

The printing date of the printed volume: April 1999
The publication date of the web version of the volume: May 1999

The mailing dates of recent Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program:
Volume 173 (Initial Reports): July 1998
Volumes 174A/174AX/174B (Initial Reports): November 1998
Volume 175 (Initial Reports): November 1998
Volumes 159/159T (Scientific Results): October 1998
Volume 160 (Scientific Results): September 1998
Volume 161 (Scientific Results): February 1999

Copies of this publication may be obtained from Publications Distribution Center, Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, 1000 Discovery Drive, College Station, TX 77845-9547, U.S.A. See the ODP publication list at www-odp.tamu.edu/publications or contact ODP for prices and ordering information. Orders for copies require advance payment.


Publisher’s Notes

This publication was prepared by the Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, as an account of work performed under the international Ocean Drilling Program, which is managed by Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation. Funding for the program was provided by the following agencies at the time of this cruise:

Australia/Canada/Chinese Taipei/Korea Consortium for Ocean Drilling: Department of Primary Industries and Energy (Australia), Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (Canada), National Taiwan University in Taipei, and Korean Institute for Geology, Mining and Minerals

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Federal Republic of Germany)

European Science Foundation Consortium for Ocean Drilling (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey)

Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (France)

National Science Foundation (United States)

Natural Environment Research Council (United Kingdom)

University of Tokyo, Ocean Research Institute (Japan)

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, the participating agencies, Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc., Texas A&M University, or Texas A&M Research Foundation.

Abbreviations for names of organizations and publications in ODP reference lists follow the style given in Chemical Abstracts Service Source Index (published by American Chemical Society).

The bulk of the shipboard-collected data from this leg is available on the World Wide Web and is accessible at www-odp.tamu.edu/database. If you cannot access this site or need additional data, please contact the ODP Data Librarian, Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845-9547, U.S.A. (e-mail: database@odpemail.tamu.edu).

Supplemental data on the volume CD-ROM were provided by the authors and may not conform to ODP publication formats.

A site map showing the drilling locations for this leg and maps showing the drilling locations of all Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) drilling sites are available on the volume CD in PDF format.

Beginning with Initial Reports Volume 176 and Scientific Results Volume 169, all Proceedings volumes will be published on CD-ROM and the World Wide Web at www-odp.tamu.edu/publications.

Initial Reports Scientific Results
Booklet format: ISSN 0884-5883 Book: ISSN 0884-5891
CD-ROM format: ISSN 1096-2522 CD-ROM format: ISSN 1096-2514
WWW format: ISSN 1096-2158 WWW format: ISSN 1096-7451

Cover photograph of the JOIDES Resolution by ODP staff photographers.


Foreword

By Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc.

This volume presents scientific and engineering results from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). These results address the scientific and technical goals of the program, which are focused on the study of the dynamics of Earth’s interior and environment.

ODP, an international partnership of scientists and research institutions from 22 countries, operates the drillship JOIDES Resolution. This state-of-the-art research vessel contains seven levels of laboratories and other scientific facilities required for carrying out the program’s objectives.

The management of ODP involves a partnership of scientists and governments. International oversight and coordination are provided by the ODP Council, which is made up of representatives from the member countries. Overall scientific and management guidance is provided by representatives from the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES).

Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc. (JOI), a nonprofit consortium of eleven U.S. oceanographic institutions, serves as the National Science Foundation’s prime contractor for ODP. JOI implements scientific objectives, plans, and recommendations of the JOIDES committees through major subcontracts to Texas A&M University (TAMU) for science operations and to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University for logging services.

JOI, TAMU, and LDEO have worked together successfully for many years to manage the Ocean Drilling Program. We look forward to many exciting discoveries and continued international collaboration as we further our scientific mission, especially the planning for the future of ocean drilling beyond 2003.

James D. Watkins
Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)
President, Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc., Washington, D.C.


Ocean Drilling Program*

*At time of publication. See Publisher’s Notes, for list of funding agencies at time of cruise. For an up-to-date list of current member organizations and office contact information, see the ODP Web site: www.oceandrilling.org.

National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230, U.S.A.
Tel: (703) 306-1581; Fax: (703) 306-0390
Web site: www.nsf.gov

Member Organizations of the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES)

University of California at San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Columbia University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

University of Hawaii, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

Oregon State University, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences

Texas A&M University, College of Geosciences

University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Geophysics

University of Washington, College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Australia/Canada/Chinese Taipei/Korea Consortium for Ocean Drilling: Department of Primary Industries and Energy (Australia), Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (Canada), National Taiwan University in Taipei, and Korean Institute for Geology, Mining and Minerals

European Science Foundation Consortium for Ocean Drilling (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey)

Federal Republic of Germany, Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe

France, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer

Japan, University of Tokyo, Ocean Research Institute

People’s Republic of China, Marine High-Technology Bureau of the State Science and Technology Commission of the People’s Republic of China

United Kingdom, Natural Environment Research Council


Ocean Drilling Program (ODP)
Web site: www.oceandrilling.org

ODP Science Advisory Structure
(JOIDES) JOIDES Office
GEOMAR Research Center
Wischhofstrasse 1-3, Building 4
D-24148 Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany
Tel: 49 (431) 600-2821; Fax: 49 (431) 600-2847
E-mail: joides@geomar.de
Web site: www.joides.geomar.de
ODP Program Manager
Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Inc.
1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036-2102, U.S.A.
Tel: (202) 232-3900; Fax: (202) 462-8754
E-mail: joi@brook.edu
Web site: www.joi-odp.org
ODP Science Operator
Ocean Drilling Program
Texas A&M University
1000 Discovery Drive
College Station, TX 77845-9547, U.S.A.
Tel: (409) 845-2673; Fax: (409) 845-4857
E-mail: odp@odpemail.tamu.edu
Web site: www-odp.tamu.edu
ODP Logging Services
Borehole Research Group
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University
P.O. Box 1000, Rt. 9W
Palisades, NY 10964, U.S.A.
Tel: (914) 365-8672; Fax: (914) 365-3182
E-mail: borehole@ldeo.columbia.edu
Web site: www.ldeo.columbia.edu/BRG/ODP
ODP Site Survey Data Bank
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University
P.O. Box 1000, Rt. 9W
Palisades, NY 10964, U.S.A.
Tel: (914) 365-8542; Fax: (914) 365-3159
E-mail: odp@ldeo.columbia.edu
Web site: www.ldeo.columbia.edu/databank

Leg 177 Participants*

*Mailing addresses at time of cruise. Addresses may be updated. Send requests to pub_production@odpemail.tamu.edu.

Shipboard Scientific Party

Rainer Gersonde
Co-Chief Scientist
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Columbusstrasse
P.O. Box 120161
D-27515 Bremerhaven
Federal Republic of Germany
rgersonde@awi-bremerhaven.de
David A. Hodell
Co-Chief Scientist
Department of Geology
University of Florida
1112 Turlington Hall
P.O. Box 117340
Gainesville, FL 32611-7340
U.S.A.
hodell@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu
Peter Blum
Staff Scientist
Ocean Drilling Program
Texas A&M University
1000 Discovery Drive
College Station, TX 77845-9547
U.S.A.
Present address (25 November 2003):
Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
Texas A&M University
1000 Discovery Drive
College Station TX 77845-9547
USA
blum@iodp.tamu.edu
Carin Andersson
Paleontologist (foraminifers)
Institute of Geology
Allégaten 41
University of Bergen
N-5007 Bergen
Norway
carin.andersson@geol.uib.no
William E.N. Austin
Paleontologist (foraminifers)
Environmental Research Centre
Department of Geography
University of Durham
South Road
Durham
DH1 3LE, England
United Kingdom
bill.austin@durham.ac.uk
Katharina Billups
Stratigraphic Correlator
Earth Sciences Department
University of California at Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
U.S.A.
billups@fas.harvard.edu
James E.T. Channell
Paleomagnetist
Department of Geology
University of Florida
1112 Turlington Hall
P.O. Box 117340
Gainesville, FLA 32611-7340
U.S.A.
jetc@geology.ufl.edu
Christopher D. Charles
Inorganic Geochemist
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California at San Diego
3119 Sverdrup Hall
La Jolla, CA 92093-0220
U.S.A.
ccharles@ucsd.edu
Bernhard Diekmann
Sedimentologist
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Columbusstrasse
P.O. Box 120161
D-27515 Bremerhaven
Federal Republic of Germany
bdiekmann@awi-bremerhaven.de
Gabriel M. Filippelli
Sedimentologist
Department of Geology
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
723 W. Michigan St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5132
U.S.A.
gfilippe@iupui.edu
José-Abel Flores
Paleontologist (nannofossils)
Universidad de Salamanca
Facultad de Ciencias
Departamento de Geologia
37008 Salamanca
Spain
flores@gugu.usal.es
Antony T. Hewitt
Physical Properties Specialist
Ocean Mapping Group
Department of Geology and Geomatics Engineering
University of New Brunswick
Box 4400
Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3
Canada
ahewitt@omg.unb.ca
William R. Howard
Sedimentologist
Antarctic CRC
University of Tasmania
Churchill Ave.
P.O. Box 252-80
Hobart, Tasmania 7001
Australia
will.howard@utas.edu.au
Minoru Ikehara
Organic Geochemist
Institute of Low Temperature Science
Hokkaido University
W8, N19, Kita-ku
Sapporo 060-0819
Japan
ikehara@lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp
Thomas R. Janecek
Stratigraphic Correlator
Antarctic Research Facility
108 Carraway Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-3026
U.S.A.
janecek@gly.fsu.edu
Sharon L. Kanfoush
Sedimentologist
Department of Geology
University of Florida
1112 Turlington Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-7340
U.S.A.
skanfou@nervm.nerdc.utl.edu
Alan E.S. Kemp
Sedimentologist
Department of Oceanography
University of Southampton
Southampton Oceanography Centre
Waterfront Campus, European Way
Southampton SO14 3ZH
United Kingdom
aesk@soc.soton.ac.uk
Stagg L. King
Inorganic Geochemist
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology
221 Bobby Dodd Way
Atlanta, GA 30332-0340
U.S.A.
king@eas.gatech.edu
Helga F. Kleiven
Norwegian Observer
Institute of Geology
University of Bergen
Allégaten 41
N-5007 Bergen
Norway
kikki@eik.ii.uib.no
Gerhard Kuhn
Physical Properties Specialist
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Columbusstrasse
P.O. Box 120161
D-27515 Bremerhaven
Federal Republic of Germany
gkuhn@awi-bremerhaven.de
Maria Marino
Paleontologist (nannofossils)
Dipartimento di Geologia e Geofisica
Università degli Studi di Bari
Via E. Orabona, 4
70125 Bari
Italy
emonopoli@iol.it
Ulysses S. Ninnemann
Logging Scientist
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California at San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0208
U.S.A.
Uninnema@ucsd.edu
Suzanne O’Connell
Sedimentologist
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT 06459
U.S.A.
soconnell@wesleyan.edu
Joseph D. Ortiz
Sedimentologist
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Columbia University
Route 9 W
Palisades, NY 10964-8000
U.S.A.
jortiz@ldeo.columbia.edu
Joseph S. Stoner
Physical Properties Specialist/Stratigraphic Correlator
Department of Geology
One Shields Avenue
University of California at Davis
Davis, CA 95616
U.S.A
stoner@geology.ucdavis.edu
Kazuhiro Sugiyama
Paleontologist (radiolarians)
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Nagoya University
Chikusa
Nagoya 464-01
Japan
k46243a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Detlef A. Warnke
Sedimentologist
Department of Geological Sciences
California State University, Hayward
25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94542-3088
U.S.A.
dwarnke@csuhayward.edu
Ulrich Zielinski
Paleontologist (diatoms)
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Columbusstrasse
P.O. Box 120161
D-27515 Bremerhaven
Federal Republic of Germany
uzielinski@awi-bremerhaven.de
SEDCO Officials
Captain Anthony Ribbens
Master of the Drilling Vessel
Overseas Drilling Ltd.
707 Texas Avenue South, Suite 213D
College Station, TX 77840-1917
U.S.A.
Robert Caldow
Drilling Superintendent
Overseas Drilling Ltd.
707 Texas Avenue South, Suite 213D
College Station, TX 77840-1917
U.S.A.
ODP Shipboard Personnel
Pattie Baucom
Marine Laboratory Specialist
Jerry Bode
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Assistant Curator)
Johannes Calitz
Marine Electronics Specialist
Roy Davis
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Photographer)
Sandy Dillard
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Storekeeper)
John Eastlund
Marine Computer Specialist
Glenn Foss
Operations Manager
Burney Hamlin
Laboratory Officer
Jim Ippoliti
Marine Electronics Specialist
Steve Kittredge
Schlumberger Logging Engineer
Kuro Kuroki
Assistant Laboratory Specialist
Jaque Ledbetter
Marine Laboratory Specialist (X-ray)
Prentiss Lund
Marine Laboratory Specialist
Erinn McCarty
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Curator)
Erik Moortgat
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Chemistry)
David Morley
Marine Computer Specialist
Matt O’Regan
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Paleomagnetism)
Anne Pimmel
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Chemistry)
Mads Rasted
Marine Laboratory Specialist
Jo Ribbens
Marine Laboratory Specialist (Yeoperson)

ODP Publications Staff*

Karen Benson
Production Editor
Amy Brundeen
Production Editor
Coleena Burt
Illustrator
Jaime Cawthron
Student Assistant
Gudelia ("Gigi") Delgado
Senior Publications Coordinator
Patrick H. Edwards
Production Editor
Scott Elfstrom
Illustrator
Edward W. Flax
Student Assistant
Phyllis M. Garman
Editor
Jaime A. Gracia†
Senior Production Editor
Lea Elaine Green
Production Editor
Caressa F. Inman
Student Assistant
Shiela D. Jaksik
Student Assistant
Ann Klaus
Publication Services Manager
Ginny Lowe†
Editor
Nancy H. Luedke†
Illustrator
Angeline T. Miller
Senior Editor
Mary Elizabeth Mitchell
Production Assistant
Susan Nessler
Editor
Deborah L. Partain
Senior Illustrator
Katerina E. Petronotis
WWW Administrator
M. Kathleen Phillips
Publications Specialist
Ruth N. Riegel
Editor
Jennifer Pattison Rumford
Electronic Publications Specialist
John M. Scroggs
Editor
Karen E. Wagner
Illustrator
Eric S. Wilfong
Assistant Editor
Ann Yeager
Copier/Distribution Specialist

*At time of publication.
†Lead staff members for this volume.


Acknowledgments

Successfully planning and executing an Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) leg requires the support and effort of a community of dedicated individuals, especially when the location is in an area as remote as the Southern Ocean. The seed for Leg 177 was first sowed at a Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) workshop for future drilling in the Southern Ocean organized by Jim Kennett and John Barron in Santa Barbara in 1991. The proposal that ultimately became Leg 177 originated from the merger of two proposals submitted by German and American scientists with encouragement from the Ocean History Panel. We thank the Alfred Wegener Institute and JOI for supporting several workshops where plans for Leg 177 took shape. Extensive geophysical and coring surveys for Leg 177 were conducted by research cruises of the Polarstern and Thomas G. Thompson, with support provided by the Alfred Wegener Institute and the "Sonderforschungsbereich 261" funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the U.S. National Science Foundation–ODP. We thank members of the Site Survey Panel and Data Repository for evaluating the survey data and making useful suggestions for improving site locations.

The Leg 177 operations were carefully executed by the skillful crew of the JOIDES Resolution under the supervision of Captain Tom Ribbens, Drilling Superintendent Bob Caldow, and ODP Operations Manager Glen Foss. Special thanks are extended to the drill crew and marine specialists whose hard work was responsible for the recovery and processing of more than 4000 m of sediment. We also acknowledge the efforts of the meteorological crew of the Polarstern for providing weather forecasts that aided in planning the drilling program and the transit to Punta Arenas. The Leg 177 scientists extend our gratitude to all individuals and institutions (academic and governmental) who supported us in making our expedition possible. Leg 177 marked the first return in over a decade of the JOIDES Resolution to the southern high latitudes, and we sincerely appreciate this opportunity to study the role of the Southern Ocean in past, present, and perhaps future changes in Earth’s climate system.