Having been frustrated at Sites 1180 and 1181 on Inutil Seamount by bad weather and an unsuitable lithology, we sought another location for HRRS tests. A suggestion from a colleague on shore led us to a volcano located in the southern Mariana Trough near the backarc spreading center axis, ~70 nmi (130 km) west-southwest of Guam. Because this volcano was close to the JOIDES Resolution's path away from Typhoon Saomai and because it was likely to be basaltic, we decided to try the hammer drill on the volcano. At the time of the cruise, we knew little about the seamount other than the fact that it is located near the backarc spreading center, had been surveyed by Hawaii MR-1 sidescan sonar, and has a summit depth of ~2880 meters below sea level (mbsl). Because of the successful hammer drill tests conducted at this seamount, we propose to name it "Martillo" Seamount, meaning "hammer" in Spanish.
Objectives at Site 1182 were similar to those at previous HRRS test sites. Originally, it was hoped that spud-in tests with several different hammer drill bits and casing emplacement tests could be run during Leg 191. However, owing to the shortness of remaining time in the leg, it was decided that there was sufficient time only for the spud-in tests at Site 1182.