PRESENT ACTIVITY: Update as of 1000 hr 16 March 2009 After recovering the XCB core barrel, we pumped down a clean out plug (“pig”) and dropped and recovered another XCB core barrel to scrape and clean the drill string. The first core on deck occurred at 0825 hr containing 5.19 m of firm red clay. Estimate sea floor depth from the recovery at 5116.2 mbsl (5127.3 mbrf). U1331A-2H on deck at 1000 hr with 9.5 m reddish clay.

Challenge: If each drill pipe lowered from the ship is 9.65 meters long, how many drill pipes were required to reach the seafloor? If the drill pipe is actually strung together in “triples” of three pipes joined together, how many triples were required?

WEATHER: Heading: 070°; Wind: 15 kt gusting 18 kt @ 070°; Seas: 4-6 ft @ 8 sec from 050°-075°; Swell: 4 ft @ 6 sec from 045-050°; Sea Water Temp: 25.8°C; Barometer: 1011 mb steady; Air Temp: 28°C; Heave: 3 ft; Max Pitch: 1° @ 6 sec; Max Roll: 3° @ 8 sec.

OPERATION PLAN (next 24-48 hours): There are three holes planned. Each of the holes will be APC/XCB (advanced piston coring/extended core barrel) cored through the sediment cover (187 mbsf). The first hole will attempt to sample basement with the XCB and a hard cutting shoe to verify basalt at the bottom of the hole. We will attempt to obtain four good heat flow measurements in Hole 1331B and/or 1331C. Hole 1331A will be logged as per program.

CURRENT TIME ZONE: GMT -10 (Hawaii Time)

Photos and video to follow!