One wash core was recovered from Hole 1162A (Core 187-1162A-1W; 0.0-333.2 mbsf). Drilling-induced pellets of predominantly gray with minor brown siliceous clay are in Section 187-1162A-1W-1, 0-85 cm. The pellets range in size from submillimeter to ~1 cm and are poorly sorted but normally graded over this interval as a result of agitation in the core barrel. The ratio of dark gray to medium brown pellets is ~20:1. Embedded in the lowermost 20 cm of this interval are several tube casts up to 10 cm long and a centimeter in diameter with elliptical cross sections. Also in this interval are a couple of centimeter-sized clasts of black chert. Interbedded dark gray and dark brown densely packed siliceous clay is in Section 187-1162A-1W-1, 85-134 cm. Intervals are a few centimeters thick with sharp but irregular contacts. A smear slide from the lowermost layer contains abundant gray clay and ~2%, 4- to 10-µm carbonate rhombs. From 135 to 136.5 cm in Section 187-1162A-1W-1 is a distinct change to reddish gray siliceous clay with sharp but irregular contacts. Below Section 187-1162A-1W-1, 135 cm, and continuing through Section 1W-2, 44 cm, is light brownish red clay with rare lenses (<2 cm across) of deep-red clay. At Section 187-1162A-1W-2, 44 cm, is a sharp drilling-disturbed contact and a change to densely packed, very stiff, red siliceous clay. A smear slide from the lower part of this section looks identical to the smear slide from the gray clay above except in the color of the clay. The pieces in the core catcher from this core are predominantly red clay with a few discontinuous lenses of light brown clay. These lenses also contain disseminated submillimeter-sized Mn oxide clasts.
This core contains predominantly greenish gray clay and a breccia with abundant altered basaltic clasts. From the top of Section 187-1162B-1W-1 to Section 1W-2, 24 cm, is a slurry of greenish gray siliceous clay. In Section 187-1162B-1W-1 several intervals (30-45, 64-76, 100-105, 111-116, and 135-147 cm) are thick biscuits of more densely packed, less drilling-disturbed clay. Intervals between these biscuits are soupy. Except for the interval between 30 and 45 cm, the upper 56 cm of Section 187-1162B-1W-1 is a normally graded, poorly sorted slurry of drilling-induced gray and light brown clay pellets (ratio of gray to brown >20:1). The interval from 30 to 45 cm in Section 187-1162B-1W-1 is brownish green. From 24 to 75 cm in Section 187-1162B-1W-2 is densely packed, stiff, greenish gray siliceous clay with thin (<1 cm) layers and lenses of dark green clay. From 0 to 52 cm in Section 187-1162B-1W-3 is severely drilling-disturbed greenish gray clay with a few pieces of dark green chert and a couple of silicified tube casts near the bottom of the interval. From 52 to 60 cm is dark brown siliceous clay; from 60 to 78 cm is layered dark gray and medium gray densely packed clay. The contacts in this interval are sharp but irregular. Below Section 187-1162B-1W-3, 78 cm, and throughout Section 1W-CC is a clay- and carbonate-cemented altered basaltic breccia. A smear slide from Section 187-1162B-1W-2, 60 cm, contains abundant siliceous microfossil fragments (unlike the sediment from Core 187-1162A-1W) but none of the carbonate rhombs present in the wash core from Hole 1162A.