Priority: 1
Position: 24°30.26'N; 79°19.34'W
Water depth: 660 m
Sediment thickness: >8000 m
Total Penetration: 1413 mbsf (approved to a depth of 1613 mbsf)
Seismic Coverage: High-resolution MCS survey
Objectives: The objectives of BT-3 are to:
1. retrieve a high-resolution isotope stratigraphy to potentially tie the sedimentary record to the oxygen isotope record of the Neogene to recent sea-level fluctuations;
2. obtain sedimentary record of the lower slope portions of the prograding sequences;
3. refine the age of the sequence boundaries; and
4. reveal possible fluid flow through this portion of the margin.
Additional secondary objectives:
1. To acquire a low-latitude record of the Paleogene;
2. To determine the timing of the onset of the Florida current;
3. To potentially sample the K/T boundary; and
4. To assess the cause of the platform demise in the middle-Cretaceous (MCSB).
Drilling program:
Hole A: APC/XCB to refusal.
Hole B: APC to refusal.
Hole C: Washed down to XCB depth, followed by RCB to a depth of 1000 mbsf. The hole will be deepened, if time permits, to a depth of 1413 mbsf.
Logging and downhole: ADARA heat flow measurements will be made on the first eight APC cores below Core 3, and one every third core thereafter. WSTP will be performed on every fifth XCB core. The hole will be logged in four runs (Quad-Combination, GLT, FMS, and GHMT), and a VSP experiment will be performed.
Nature of rock anticipated: Periplatform ooze occasionally mixed with coarser units.