Introduction

R/V Pelagia Cruise GLOW

INTRODUCTION
Introductory statement to GLOW: Tropical temperature history during Paleogene GLObal Warming (GLOW) events GLOW aims at providing offshore sequence stratigraphy based on seismic lines to understand the basic geological structures and basin infill offshore Tanzania. In addition, a number of box cores and piston cores will be taken to document the basic constituents of the sediments and ages along the slope. This should provide sufficient seismic and basic stratigraphy information to support an International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) full proposal for drilling in the area several years after the seismic survey cruise (GLOW). The basic strategy to carry out this project includes: (1) a seismic survey and coring campaign by hiring the Dutch research vessel the Pelagia (Royal NIOZ) (2) interpreting seismic results (3) analysis of outcropping sediments on the sea floor (4) writing a full proposal to IODP using the cruise results. The current cruise aims at carrying out step 1, the first stepping stone towards a full IODP proposal to drill the Tanzanian margin for scientific reasons.� The current cruise track for sailing crossing seismic lines (requirement by IODP) has been designed to yield the maximum amount of structural and sequence stratigraphic information for the smallest, and therefore most economical, area surveyed. The seismic survey network should contain the thickest Late Cretaceous-Paleogene sequences in the area, and document the main geological structures. The box- and piston coring will take place along transects to show variability of the main sediment constituents along the slope. This project brings a group of European scientists together to eventually work on evidence of extreme climates in the past. This group will deliver an excellent set of high resolution seismic lines offshore Tanzania. This would ultimately lead to a full individual IODP drilling proposal within a wide international context to drill and recover Paleogene sediments. The current GLOW cruise is funded by the EUROCORES program designed by the European Science Foundation. In addition to our long term goal of drilling the Tanzanian margin sediments, we will deliver a set of box- and piston cores during GLOW to document variability in sedimentation patterns along the margin, structural highs and associated slopes. These cores will be used also for late Pleistocene paleoceanography. As a side step, we shall net calcareous planktonic foraminifers from the upper water column for DNA purposes. Our long term vision statement is that empirical, geological records that document rapid climate change give a significant framework to help resolving temperature, biogeochemical and other climate feedbacks in response to greenhouse warming. Past rapid warming events can thus be used to improve predictions on, for instance, the biogeochemical state of the ocean. The Paleogene represents a climatically dynamic period in Earth's history with prominent warming events analogues for the current warming event. After transiting for several days from the Seychelles to offshore Tanzania, we are set to get started with delivering the seismic network, box- and piston cores, CTD experiments, and plankton hauls. We shall report on our progress. � The shipboard scientific party