IODP3-NSF Expedition 501: New England Shelf Hydrogeology is focused on characterizing an offshore freshened groundwater offshore Massachusetts. The primary goal is to characterize the distribution of freshwater beneath the New England shelf as well as understand the timing and mechanisms of freshwater emplacement. Additional scientific goals are to understand the lithological constraints on the aquifer, reconstruct the sea level/glacial history of the margin, and characterize geochemical cycling associated with the groundwater (e.g. methane, nutrients, rare earth elements).
Location
New England continental shelf offshore Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Summary
IODP3-NSF Expedition 501 recovered cores from six boreholes at 3 sites drilling offshore Massachusetts: M0111 (40.8746°N, 70.2697°W, 42 m water depth), M0112 (40.9976°N, 70.3334°W, 41 m water depth), and M0113 (40.618333°N, 70.136972°W, 54 m water depth). At each site, cores recovered sediments to > 300 m below seafloor. This expedition was led by the ECORD science operator with minimal scientific staff offshore in the summer of 2025. No USGS scientists were offshore during this phase, but Phillips did provide remote support for core description. Phillips will participate in onshore operations at the Bremen Core Repository, Germany January 14 to February 12 to fully characterize and sample the cores as part of a larger science party.
Info derived
Full science party information: Core lithology, porewater chemistry, sediment physical properties, biostratigraphic age, and microbial communities. USGS information: USGS will generate post-expedition rock magnetic and solid-phase geochemical data.
