This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.Contents 1 Site summary 5 Background and objectives 6 Operations 8 Lithostratigraphy 15 Igneous and metamorphic petrology 20 Structural geology 24 Biostratigraphy 27 Paleomagnetism 31 Geochemistry 33 Physical properties 36 Correlation to seismic data 40 References Site summary Background and objectives Site U1504 (alternate Site SCSII-27A) was proposed during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 367 and approved by the Environmental Protection and Safety Panel during Expedition 368 as an alternate site should there be time left following completion of the high-priority sites included in the Scientific Prospectus (Sun et al., 2016). Expedition 368 occupied Site U1504 because of the inability to continue drilling below the 990 m deep, cased Hole U1503A. Most of our remaining approved sites were in water deeper than 3400 m and/or required deep penetration. One exception was Site U1504, which is located at 2823 m below sea level (mbsl) ~45 km east of Site U1501 on the outer margin high (OMH) and has a shallow coring target (Figures F1, F2).
OperationsTwo holes were drilled at Site U1504. In Hole U1504A (18°50.9199′N, 116°14.5397′E; 2816.6 mbsl), we cored with the rotary core barrel (RCB) system from the seafloor to metamorphic basement at 134.8 m and then into basement to 165.5 m, recovering 52.77 m (32%). In Hole U1504B (~200 m southeast of Hole U1504A; 18°50.8213′N, 116°14.5978′E; 2843.0 mbsl), we drilled without recovery to 88.2 m, cored with the RCB system to metamorphic basement at 107.9 m, and then cored into basement to 200 m, recovering 21.48 m (19%).
LithostratigraphyThe succession recovered at Site U1504 includes two sedimentary units (I and II) underlain by a metamorphic unit (III). Litho-H.C. Larsen et al. Site U1504 IODP Proceedings 2 Volume 367/368 stratigraphic Unit I (early Miocene-Pleistocene) is dominated by nannofossil and foraminiferal ooze and minor nannofossil-rich clay and is divided into four subunits (IA-ID). Subunit IA (Hole U1504A = 17.50−46.59 m) is composed of nannofossil-rich clay, nannofossil ooze, nannofossil ooze with biogenic silica, and clay-rich nannofossil ooze. The color of the ooze gradually changes downhole from dark greenish gray to greenish gray and gray. Distinct intervals contain more silt. Thin silt laminations are often disrupted by bioturbation. Layering is contorted at the base of the subunit. Subunit IB (Hole U1504A = 46.59-59.73 m) is composed of light brown foraminifer-rich nannofossil ooze and pale brown nannofossil ooze with foraminifers. Subunit IC (Hole U1504A = 65.80-104.99 m) is composed of light greenish gray, greenish gray, light brownish gray, pale brown, and light gray nannofossil ooze with clay and greenish gray clay-rich nannofossil ooze intercalated with light gray nannofossilrich foraminiferal ooze with clay, light brownish gray foraminiferrich nannofossil ooze, and foraminifer-rich nannofossil ooze with clay. Subunit ID (Hole U1504A ...