Expedition 372A summary

Abstract

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 372 combined two research topics: actively deforming gas hydrate– bearing landslides (IODP Proposal 841-APL) and slow slip events on subduction faults (IODP Proposal 781A-Full). This expedition included a coring and logging-while-drilling (LWD) program for Proposal 841-APL and a LWD program for Proposal 781A-Full. The coring and observatory placement for Proposal 781A-Full were completed during Expedition 375. The Expedition 372A Proceedings volume focuses only on the results related to Proposal 841APL. The results of the Hikurangi margin drilling are found in the Expedition 372B/375 Proceedings volume. Gas hydrates have long been suspected of being involved in seafloor failure. Not much evidence, however, has been found to date for gas hydrate–related submarine landslides. Solid, ice-like gas hydrate in sediment pores is generally thought to increase seafloor strength, which is confirmed by a number of laboratory measurements. Dissociation of gas hydrate to water and overpressured gas, on the other hand, may weaken and destabilize sediments, potentially causing submarine landslides. The Tuaheni Landslide Complex (TLC) on the Hikurangi margin shows evidence for active, creeping deformation. Intriguingly, the landward edge of creeping coincides with the pinch-out of the base of gas hydrate stability on the seafloor. We therefore proposed that gas hydrate may be involved in creep-like deformation and presented several hypotheses that may link gas hydrates to slow deformation. Alternatively, creeping may not be related to gas hydrates but instead be caused by repeated pressure pulses or linked to earthquake-related liquefaction. Plans for Expedition 372A included a coring and LWD program to test our landslide hypotheses. Because of weather-related downtime, the gas hydrate–related program was reduced and we focused on a set of experiments at Site U1517 in the creeping part of the TLC. We conducted a LWD and coring program to 205 m below the seafloor through the TLC and the gas hydrate stability zone, followed by temperature and pressure tool deployments.