IODP Deep Stratigraphic Drilling Data from Lord Howe Rise

Deep riser drilling plans target a 2500-meter core through Cretaceous sediments and basement rocks on the Lord Howe Rise continental ribbon. Geoscience Australia and JAMSTEC lead this international effort, with drilling proposed for 2019 or 2020 to recover a >100-million-year geological record. Preparations included 2D seismic surveys in 2016 and 2017 to map crustal structure and acquire geotechnical data.

Use Cases

• Model crustal segmentation and tectonic evolution using 2D seismic reflection and refraction data from the 2016 survey.
• Analyze Cretaceous paleoclimate and ocean biogeochemistry using high-latitude biomarker and micropaleontology data from recovered sediment cores.
• Map sedimentary basin architecture and resource potential by correlating seismic stratigraphy with core lithology and physical properties.
• Study the evolution of sub-seafloor microbial life by analyzing microbial communities across a 100-million-year sediment column.

Strengths

• Drilling targets a continuous geological record spanning over 100 million years.
• Site characterization includes 2D seismic reflection and refraction data along an east-west transect.
• Proposal was rated 'excellent' by the IODP Science Evaluation Panel in January 2017.

Limitations

• Dataset primarily contains planning and survey data; actual drill core data is not yet available.
• Knowledge is based on sparse existing data from shallow (<600 m) DSDP drilling and isolated dredge samples.
• Spatial coverage is limited to specific proposed drill sites on the remote Lord Howe Rise.

Provenance

Source

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Proposal 871-CPP, led by Geoscience Australia and JAMSTEC.

Collection Method

Proposed deep riser stratigraphic drilling and coring, supplemented by marine seismic surveys.

Time Range

Cretaceous to present geological record; survey data from 2016-2017; drilling proposed for 2019-2020.

Freshness

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Geography

Lord Howe Rise in the southwest Pacific, Tasman Sea, water depths of 1000-3000 m.