Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project - Volume 8

This volume covers Leg 8 of the cruises of the Drilling Vessel Glomar Challenger. The primary objective for drilling the sites on Leg 8 of the Glomar Challenger, in the east central equatorial Pacific Ocean, was to obtain information on the sedimentary section across the Equator along the 140th Meridian West, information that would bear on the geologic history of this region and, in particular, on the Tertiary history of the equatorial current system. Six sites were chosen tentatively by the Pacific Advisory Panel between 6°30’N and 30°S. These sites were an extension of the longitudinal section already drilled to the north along longitude 140°W during Leg 5 (Sites 37-42). The Glomar Challenger departed Honolulu on 8 October and arrived at Papeete, Tahiti on 2 December, 1970. During the 55 days at sea the ship covered 4616 nautical miles, drilled 17 holes on 8 sites, and recovered a total of 1216 meters of core, of 1452 meters attempted.