Evaluation of cored carbonates (COREF): a transect in the tropical to subtropical realm in the Ryukyu Islands (Japan)

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Objective of the ICDP Project COREF is to recover Quaternary reef-complex deposits in different settings across a transect from the tropical to subtropical realm in the Ryukyu Islands. Two major objectives are to (1) track the northern and southern limits of coral reef formation and associated carbonate systems, supposed to have migrated to higher and lower latitudes, respectively, responding to Quaternary glacial and interglacial cycles; (2) to examine how carbonate systems and coral communities have responded to previous high stands of sea-level and associated warm intervals of the mid-Pleistocene. Examining different carbonate settings across a latitudinal spectrum will provide information on how these responded to warmer episodes in the past, enabling to predict which future changes which may occur as a consequence of the ongoing global warming. To achieve these goals, 5 Sites have been choosen.Starting in November 2013, the Japanese PIs have started the coring program and have so far cored 11 Holes on three of the proposed five Sites (2, 4 and 5). At present, approximately 500 meters of cores are stored unprocessed at the repositories in Kochi (Japan). During a COREF project status workshop at the OSG Office in Potsdam, in July 2016, it was decided that the cores must be assessed scientifically before making a decision on to how to proceed with further drilling. Following the discussions in Potsdam, the Japanese PIs have requested our help to process the cores. We are very happy to do so, as it provides us with an opportunity to strengthen the cooperation between Japanese and international PIs and to better coordinate future work within the international community. Therefore, with this short 1-year project, we request funds to prepare and describe the cores, integrating the data in the DIS system of ICDP, to carry out a lithological and sedimentological study and to test the applicability of 3D visualization to the goals of the project. This short study will also provide insights on how to plan the final steps of the drilling.