SAMPLING PLAN
Sampling of cores will be subject to the rules described in the ODP Sample Distribution Policy (http://www-odp.tamu.edu/curation/sdp.htm). As part of this policy, any sampling to be conducted during Leg 186 or during the one year moratorium following the end of the leg must be approved by the Sampling Allocation Committee (SAC), consisting of the co-chiefs, staff scientist, and curatorial representative. At any time during the cruise, the SAC may judge that a certain interval is so unique as to be treated as a critical interval, which could result in either a sampling moratorium or solicitation of a special sampling program for the interval.
For Leg 186, we expect to recover less than 2 km of sediment and sedimentary rock. In addition, we plan to double core the upper section at one site only, with all other intervals being single cored. Given this level of recovery, it should be possible to accomplish all sampling during the cruise. Investigators may chose to sample following the leg, if such a strategy is beneficial to their research goals. Because only one working-half from single-cored sites will be available for sampling in most intervals, investigators should carefully plan their sampling strategy.
Sample requests may be submitted by shore-based investigators as well as the shipboard scientists. Based on sample requests received by 18 April 1999, the SAC will prepare a temporary sampling plan, which will be revised on the ship as needed. The SAC will also consider sample requests submitted during the leg or post-leg moratorium, but priority will generally be given to those received before 18 April 1999. In the final shipboard sampling plan, sample requests will be closely linked to proposed postcruise research, with higher priority going to research projects that fulfill the scientific goals of Leg 186 as outlined in this prospectus. The sampling plan will be subject to modification depending upon the actual material recovered and collaborations that may evolve between scientists during the leg.