Kumano Basin off Kii Peninsula, approximately 58 km southeast of Japanâ€" Despite harsh weather and ocean conditions, and complex geological characteristics of its drill site, the deep-sea drilling vessel CHIKYU, for the first time in the history of scientific ocean drilling, conducted riser-drilling operations to drill successfully down to a depth of 1,603.7 meters beneath the seafloor (at water depth of 2,054 meters). Engaged in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 319, the CHIKYU is drilling deep into the upper portion of the great Nankai Trough earthquake zone to gain insights into geological formations and stress-strain characteristics. The CHIKYU is operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) a partner in the IODP. The Kumano Basin drilling and sampling operations began on May 12; the science party, which includes Co-Chief Scientist Lisa McNeill of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK), is expected to complete the first drill site on or about August 1.
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