Priority: 1 (Alternate to BT-3)
Position: 24°32.60'N; 79°45.70'W
Water depth: 845 m
Sediment thickness: >8000 m
Total penetration: 1491 mbsf (approved to a depth of 1700 mbsf)
Seismic coverage: High-resolution MCS survey
Objectives: The objectives of BT-31 are to:
1. define age of regional reflectors;
2. obtain material to produce a high-resolution isotope stratigraphy of the Neogene to Holocene;
3. determine the timing of the onset of the Florida current.
4. acquire a low-latitude record of the Paleogene
5. potentially sample the K/T boundary; and
6. assess the cause of the platform demise in the middle Cretaceous.
Drilling program:
Hole A: APC/XCB to refusal.
Hole B: APC to refusal.
Hole C: Wash to XCB depth and RCB to a depth of 1491 m, if time permits.
Logging and downhole: ADARA heatflow 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 using four logging strings (Quad-Combination, GLT, FMS, GHMT) and a VSP experiment will be performed.
Nature of rock anticipated: Periplatform ooze occasionally mixed with coarser grained units.