Priority: 2
Position: 47°44.68´N; 127°45.97´W
Water Depth: 2683 m
Sediment Thickness: 275 m
Total Penetration: 275 mbsf (stop at first basement recovery)
Seismic Coverage: Line 95-32, SP 285 (Appendix 1B)
Objectives: At the Permeable Penetrators site relatively rugged relief of the igneous crust is buried by sediment everywhere, except at three small volcanic edifices where fluids vent through the seafloor. Holes spanning the primary basement relief will allow the buoyancy forces that drive fluid flow to be determined; holes into one of the permeable basement outcrops will allow the rate and history of discharge to be determined. The holes will extend the overall drilling transect to 3.5 Ma. This hole is located above the buried basement ridge along strike from Sites PP-3A and PP-5A. Sediment and pore-fluid sampling at these sites will allow the relationship of sediment thickness to vertical fluid seepage rate to be established.
Drilling Program: APC/XCB
Logging and Downhole: APC temperature measurements at up to every core, approximately six temperature probe trips
Nature of Rock Anticipated: Turbidite sediments, altered basalt