Dear Leg 177 Investigators, After our productive and pleasant postcruise meeting in Flores, Guatemala, last month, we would like to summarize the present status of Leg 177-related scientific investigations, and request from you some information related to the completion and publication of our research results. Please use Peter's ODP web site to access leg-related information: At present, the following items are available at the web site: - Leg 177 investigator contact list - Link to IR volume - Proposed research titles (end of leg) - Proposed research titles (Flores postcruise meeting) - Minutes of the Flores postcruise meeting (8/30-9/1/99) - August 1999 status of stratigraphic investigations (Excel) - Password-protected stratigraphy data files: Peter will distribute the password once data is available Please check your contact information, research titles (Flores list), and other information, and let us know if you have any updates. 1. SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS PRESENTED IN FLORES Site 1088 Little has yet been done on the Pleistocene-Miocene sections of Site 1088. No magnetostratigraphic data will be available. Paco Sierro from Univ. Salamanca, Spain will be contacted if he is interested to establish a planktic foraminiferal stratigraphy for the Miocene. Katharina Billups will establish a low-resolution isotope record (Miocene). While calcareous nannofossils are well preserved in the Plio/Pleistocene, their occurrence in the Miocene is characterized by only scattered occurrences of biostratigraphic marker species. The diatom biostratigraphy (only scattered occurrences) is completed; no radiolarian biostratigraphic work is yet planned. Site 1089 The isotope measurements in Stage 1-16 are completed and show a unique high-resolution record that allows a well-established correlation with the Vostok and Greenland ice cores. This will help synchronize ice and marine sediment data. The correlation between the isotope and the color reflectance data shows that the shipboard stratigraphic assignments based on color reflectance are systematically wrong (offset by one half climatic cycle). The offset is due to the fact that 1089 shows a Pacific-type carbonate curve. Site 1090 A paleotemperature record based on foraminifer transfer functions has been completed for the past 1 m.y. We had comprehensive discussion on the stratigraphy and completeness of the early Miocene to mid-Eocene of 1090. Planktic foraminifers indicate a basal age around 44 Ma; isotope stratigraphy places the top of the section (below the hiatus at 70 mcd) at 15.9 Ma. There was no conflict between the magnetostratigraphic interpretation and the biostratigraphic results for the section below ca. 280 mcd (early late Eocene - middle Eocene). While the magnetostratigraphic data can be interpreted to show a continuous record above 280 mcd into the early Miocene, biostratigraphic investigations (nannofossils, radiolarians, diatoms) suggest one or multiple hiatuses between 220 and 225 mcd (early Oligocene). The occurrence of such a hiatus spanning ca. 3-4 m.y. in the lowermost Oligocene is also supported by multi-channel seismic data obtained from the Petr Kotzov expedition. Unfortunately benthic and planktic foraminifers occur only scattered in the late Eocene and lower Oligocene and thus do not allow the establishment of an isotope record in this critical interval. However, Dave is willing to produce bulk carbonate isotope data from this section. We also discussed the occurrence of planktic foraminifers that might indicate a latest Miocene/earliest Pliocene age for the topmost interval below the hiatus at 70 mcd (above ca. 85 mcd). Diatoms and radiolarians are poorly preserved in this section, but do not support this interpretation. New Strontium isotope data indicate an early Miocene age as it was originally interpreted. Additional nannofossil investigations will help to unravel this conflict. Site 1091 No isotope measurements are available from Site 1091 yet. Dave and Chris do not have samples from 1091 and the progress of work by Helga and Will is not known. The magnetostratigraphic data obtained will allow a well- established magnetostratigraphy. Site 1092 Little has been done on 1092. Isotope investigations on the Pliocene interval are in progress (Carin). It is unclear at this time if Carin will be funded to expand this work into the Miocene as originally planned. The nannofossil situation is similar to that in 1088 (good record in the Plio/Pleistocene, moderate/poor record in the Miocene). No radiolarian work is yet planned for the Miocene. D. Spiegler, Kiel, will be approached if she is interested to study the Bolboforma of 1092. The diatom stratigraphy is completed and allows a correlation with the Leg 113 Maud Rise sites. Site 1093 Despite the low occurrence of carbonate, Dave and Chris successfully establish a high-resolution isotope stratigraphy for MIS 1-16 (MIS 1-5 is completed). No information is available on the progress of the work done by Helga. Site 1094 Isotope measurements will provide a high-resolution stratigraphy; MIS 1- 8 and MIS 11 are completed. Especially the interval representing MIS 2 and 3 contains a number of gaps in the shipboard splice. Helga is processing samples below MIS 16 for isotope measurements. High- resolution diatom paleotemperature and sea ice records have been obtained from MIS 12-10. The current status of stratigraphic work is summarized in an Excel table at Peter's ODP web site. This includes also the expected time for the completion of the different studies. This table should be updated and we would like to ask for information especially from those investigators who could not attend the Flores meeting. In case you feel that your work is not presented accurately in this table please inform us as soon as possible. Please send information to Dave, Peter and Rainer. 2. REVISIONS OF SPLICE High-resolution isotope measurements revealed a few gaps in the shipboard splice. Chris and Dave will provide the relevant information for sites 1089, 1093 and 1094 (for MIS 1-16) as soon as they have all data in hand. A revised meters composite depth (rmcd) will be made available on the web and a notice will be distributed when it is ready. For other high-resolution studies the changes might implicate additional sampling of gaps in the shipboard splice. 3. STRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK AND COORDINATION Everyone felt that a common stratigraphic framework for all results would greatly enhance the overall effectiveness of our postcruise research. We therefore plan to make age-depth data for all sites available on the web. Dave will coordinate the stable isotopic data, Rainer will coordinate the combined magneto-biostratigraphic data, and Peter will make the data available on the web. We will protect this web page with a password, which will be available to all Leg 177 investigators. This stratigraphic information will contain age-depth control points, rather than entire raw data sets, to protect the stratigraphers' research until publication. Please contact Dave and Rainer in case you got new stratigraphic data. 4. TIME SCALES Biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic studies will follow the Berggren et al. 1995 time scale. We have not decided yet what common Plio/Pleistocene high resolution time scale should be used (?14C, Martinson, Imbrie, Shackleton, Mix, Thiedemann etc.). Dave and Chris will propose a time scale that should be used by all high-res. studies to avoid artificial leads and lags between the different records, and to allow combination of records from different groups. 5. PUBLICATION OPTIONS AND DEADLNES We have three publication options: A) Scientific Results (SR) volume Distributed on CD-ROM with a printed leg synthesis prepared by the co- chiefs (similar to IR volume). Also posted on the web. Manuscripts are published on the web as they are received and processed by ODP, i.e., they may be on the web as early as 2 years postcruise (instead of 4 years postcruise for CD-ROM distribution). B) Springer volume Rainer presented the option of a Springer volume for Leg 177. This book could be in the style of the book by Wefer et al., The South Atlantic, Present and Past circulation, 1996. Besides Leg 177 it should also include some Leg 177 related studies, such as from sediment cores, ODP Leg 178, Cape Roberts Program, Antarctic ice core drilling (e.g. on the discrepancy of Antarctic ice core records). Tentative title: SOUTHERN OCEAN PALEOCEANOGRAPHY Volume: 550-600 pages Estimated costs: ca. 250.- DM= 130.-US$ Publication date: April/May 2001 Positive points considering such a book: - Leg 177 science could be published together and directly related with other studies on southern high-latitude paleoclimate and -oceanography. - Publication of data needed for different studies (e.g. stratigraphy, paleoceanography) with fewer problems. - Synthesis papers are placed in a better context. Negative Points: - High production costs. - Papers must be submitted camera-ready. - Much work for editors (secretary support could be financed through AWI). - Grey-literature problem. Needs: - The book must contain high quality and attractive papers. - Deadlines must be followed strictly. - Full peer review system. A board of high-quality reviewers that accept to review within the time frame must be set up (neutralization of gray- literature problem). - Length of manuscripts is limited. - Data sheets, description of methods, color figures must be presented on the ODP-web side (with reference in text). - Pure data reports must go to SR-Volume. Your decision to submit a manuscript to the Springer volume is required by 15 November 1999. We will then decide if it will be worthwhile to produce such a book. C) Internationally recognized journal. Note that the ODP Editorial Review Board is obligated to review a copy of your initial submission to a journal for proper citations, etc., so you must send five copies to ODP. Submission deadlines for the SR: 12 June 2000: Initial submission of articles and data 4 December 2000: Revised submissions 8 January 2001: Initial submission of leg synthesis 11 June 2001: Revised submission of leg synthesis Submission deadlines for Springer volume: 12 June 2000: Initial submission. Dec. 2000: Revised submission, camera ready Publication date: April/May 2001 Submission deadlines for Springer volume: 12 June 2000: Initial submission. Send copies to ODP! 6. MANUSCRIPT DESCRIPTION FORM(S) If you did not attend the postcruise meeting, you need to send the "Pink Form" you received by mail to Peter so ODP can update the preliminary research title list we produced on the ship. On that form, please indicate the desired publication option (write "Springer" at the top for option B). Reviewer information is only required for SR submissions. 7. ODP POLICY Please read the new ODP "Sample Distribution, Data Distribution, and Publications Policy". A number of rules related to publications in journals may be new even for seasoned ODP scientists. Regards, Rainer, Dave, Peter