Scientists from DOSECC (the international continental drilling program), Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, and UTIG tested the  the GLAD800 lake drilling system onboard the R/V Knorr. The Office of Naval Research provided funding because the New Jersey shelf (1) has long been a geographic area of interest to the Navy, and (2) is a very difficult place to recover sediments using conventional piston coring (because the shallow sediments are sandy).  The GLAD800 lake drilling rig will allow scientists to gather long, intact samples for ONR programs that UTIG investigators are and have been working on--Geoclutter and STRATAFORM-- and also provide a "mission-specific" drilling alternative for the upcoming IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program).

Jamie Austin represented UTIG onboard the Knorr and sent back several cruise reports. A poster (small-scale or full-scale) that describes the work in more detail is available.

Jamie's Cruise Reports

Tuesday, 6 November
"As of 1500 EST, Tuesday, 6 November, Knorr remains at the dock, awaiting improvement of weather. Since yesterday, winds have been out of the NW at speeds of 25-35 kts. While at the dock, the drilling system has been tested. Both hardware and software systems are functioning. Two cores have been attempted - one hydraulic piston core and one "extended bit" core. The HPC recovered 117 cm of sand with some silt. Cobbles clogged the core catcher. However, the full stroke of the HPC, ~3m, was achieved. The "X" core recovered only cobbles and coarse silt in the CC. We are scheduled to sail at 2000 hrs EST. We will test the DP and heave compensation systems south of Martha's Vineyard tonight, and proceed to the Mud Patch near the edge of the shelf to the south at first light tomorrow, weather permitting. We will not return to WHOI until Saturday morning, to allow for a robust at-sea test of the system in both muddy and sandy lithologies in water depths of 70-90 m Wednesday-Friday."