We drilled 6 holes at APT Site, Agluhas Plateau, and at last left the site.
The weather was fine for the first couple of days but tuned bad later. The weather affected the quality of sediment cores, because ship movements sometimes destroy cores that is ready to be drilled.
Unfortunately, we could not obtain the complete splice core at this site, but could obtain plenty of sediment that is well-preserved.
Foraminifers' shells, of which I have the greatest interest, are abundant in the sediment. Moreover, I enjoyed seeing a lot of diatoms, radiolaria, and variety of minerals in smear slides.
Agulhas Plateau is a sensitive region to past environmental changes, because degree of Agulhas Leakage changed periodically in glacial - interglacial climate changes.
After the expedition I will pick up the forams and measure trace element and isotopes of them. The other day I gave a help to micro-paleontological group, and realized washing, sieving, and picking processes are so hard!
Today is a leap day as well as a half way of the expedition! Thus we call the day as "lump day (leap + hump)". A midnight dance party are now being held. Everyone is dancing in the loud music.
The next coring site has not been decided yet (hopefully, ZAM site), but we are heading north.
