Exp393 Physical Properties Technical Report

Technicians: ZENON MATEO, DORIS PINERO LAJAS,

Scientists: CHIARA AMADORI, GILLES M. GUERIN, WANYI LU, SARAH WIDLANSKY

Summary

Approximately 775 m of core (sediment and hard rock) were recovered in four sites (U1558, U1559, U1560 and U1583).

This expedition was the last one of a set of four expeditions (X390C, X395E, X390 and X393). Some of the cores were recovered in previous expeditions and split or remeasured in this one. Comments have been added to the data base to provide more clarity in future research.

For further information about the expedition, please visit the X393 Physical Properties Lab Notebook, ETs Report and Imaging Specialist Report.

Physical Properties Laboratory

• Whole round core flow for sediments was: STMSL, Oxigen, NGRL, room temperature, WRMSL, Rizoms. Measurement interval on WRMSL and SHMSL was 2.5 cm. NGR was set to measure in two positions during 300 sec each.

• Whole round core flow for hard rock wass: DMT, NGR, XMSL (when done), room temperature, WRMSL.

• XRAY images were taken in section halves in sediments and in whole rounds in hard rock in U1559, U1558, also in hard rock section halves at the interest intervals on site U1583.

• Pwave measurements on the WRMSL were taken only in APC and half APC cores.

• PMAG and MAD shared samples. The flow was: Initial weigh, PMAG measurements, weigh wet, bath during 12 hours, P Wave measurements, oven at 105oC during 24 h, desiccator 3 h, weigh dry and volume measurements.

During this period inventory updates and instruments information were added to Confluence. 

PP instruments are ready for testing after X397P computers change.

Software Summary

• TRANSFER folder was created in the Desktop of each station to easiest the process of changing stations during X397P.

• On three occasions the work station used by the PP technician tried to reboot itself while in use. (13 July 11:30, 16 July 11:45 and August 2 at 00:00). Technician aborted the reboot. Each time, the windows were the technician was working got closed what implies a loose of time for the technician until everything was ready for work again. This issue has also happen more times but the technician was not present in the station.
  
  

• All the computers in the PP Lab that have LabVIEW installed presented an error window (Date: 22 June 2022, 23:50). The error was related to a Crowdstrike update. The only instrument that was measuring in that moment was the WRMSL, the error stopped the track while measuring the core. After talking with the MCs we agree that they should contact the PP technician in charge before doing the update to avoid future issues.

Open

• Windows updates performed:

  • 17/18 June: No issues

  • More Windows updates have been done at the end of July, PP technitian or ALOs were not notified that the updates were going to be made.

Logistics

Received onboard

• 4 TeKa Half Space Pucks (TCON) - sn 11080, 11083, 11089, 11090

• Syringe pump sn P307225

• Desiccant bags (TCON pucks).

• TYGON tubing 8 mm arrived.
  
  

• Box of silicone tubing size 16.

Requisitions

• Box of silicone tubing size 14 (P-wave pump).

• 1 TeKa mini Half Space Puck (TCON)

Individual Measurement Systems

Whole Round Multisensor Logger (WRMSL - AFT track)

Software Issues 

• When INSTRUMENT SETUP of MS is changed to STMSL or to WRMSL it doesn't change when you click ACCEPT, in order to change it the user should open MS SETUP a second time and click ACCEPT again.

• On June 21, the GRA started to measured with life time = 20 sec, instead of the usual 3 sec.  On Measurement Editor the GRA was set to measure 3 sec. Also, after the 1st scan the label length didn't parse and LIMS tag had connection problems. After clicking Check Connection, label length started to parse. After restarting IMS, the GRA started to measure properly again.

• On core 393 U1560B 9R1, last measurement (offset= 100 cm) of MS data was duplicated. Reason unknown. The test ID of the complete measurement was different from that of the single measurement (126224621). The measurement was canceled in LIME.

Special Tasks Multisensor Logger (STMSL - FWD track)

• Runned on holes U1558, U1559 and U1560. Measurement interval = 10 cm.

• Trevor Williams noticed an offset difference between the MS data in WRMSL and STMSL. Zenon Mateo rewied it. It was due to the correction factor applied to the MS loop in the STMSL, it was set to 1.0 but it should be 1.174, this problem affects STMSL measurements in previous expeditions. Correction factor was not corrected until the end of X393, in order to allow the comparison between X390 and X393 data.

• The GRA source has been left open to allow to do testing after the change of the computers.

X-RAY Imaging (XMSL)

• Safety survey done before the beginning of the expedition.

• X-Ray source during this expedition experimented a consistent behavior of not ramping up. There were two kinds of not ramping up:

  • The source didn't ramp up, and the mA and kV stays at 0.0. 

  • mA and kV start to ramp up but suddenly they returned to 0.0. (This is a behavior that was not seen before).

•  

  • Sometimes this problem was fixed by click ABORT on the START XRAYS window and select CONTINUE after that. It didn't work all the times.

  • Restart the source worked a couple times but after that, even doing it it didn't bring the source back to work.

  • The last solution was open the Processing Image Utility and take and image with it. While using this utility the source has never presented a no-ramp up problem. After using the utility it was possible to continue with the measurements properly.

• Some black images appeared during the expedition. Integration Time was properly set to 300 s. The sections with black images were re-scanned.

• X-Ray source (new one) sn 19 0060/04 was installed at the end of the expedition to try to troubleshoot the issues that had being happening. Source parameters were changed to follow the setup on the User Guide. Set up parameters on source sn 17 1738/05 were checked, some of them were different from the User Guide setup, maybe that is the cause of some of the issues. 

 New XRay source was tested. One time it has the ramping up issue, that was solved by clicking ABORT and CONTINUE. 

NOTE: The new X-Ray source has not been properly calibrated before the end of the expedition.

• In order to check and change the Setup parameters on the X-Ray source we had to enable the source keyboard that was disable permanently. NOTE: It was not possible to enable the keyboard neither using IMS or the vendor's software. 

•  

  • Plug the source to the computer, like it was plug for regular measurements.

  • With IMS closed. Open NI Max.

  • Go to Devices and Instruments. Check which COM belongs to the source. The alias is '120B'. In this case it was plugged in COM 7.

  • Open VISA Test Panel

  • Go to Input/Output

  • Write the order to enable the keyboard (#KEYB1\r) and click Write, to check for errors.

  • If no errors, click Read. The reply should be !KEYB1\r. 

Software Issues

• Max length is not working, even if the user add the max length of the section when there is a empty space at the bottom of the section, the section is imaged completely.

• It is not possible to close IMS Error window by clicking OK or on the X at the top of the window. In order to the error window to disappear, user has to PRINT the error and save it as a file two times. The error is printed twice. This issue could be happening in more IMS instruments.
  
  

Technical Service

• Aerial monitor (pn 54029) and detectors (pn 54030 and 54031) were changed during X390. Now area monitor pn 53675 and detectors pn 53676 and 53677 are installed. They will be send for calibration at the end of X397 (Dec 2022), to calibrate them in January. They will be swapped at the end of X397T.

• Lead vinyl was review and maintenance was given at the start and during the expedition.

• Holes for screws in the front door were fixed. 

• The Li-ion battery pack onboard has been over-discharged. After 48 hours of charging it measures 0.8 V in the pc board, but the batteries measure 30 V. This difference is due to a safety feature that the batteries have to avoid damage when they are over-discharged. Sometimes is not possible to bring the battery back to work regularly. Li-ion battery and charger are in PPTRKA 2 drawer.

Tests

• PP scientists tested several set of parameters to obtain better images for hard rocks (basalts). After several analysis these are the parameters that they used:

Natural Gamma Radiation Logger (NGRL)

• As exposed during X392, Trevor Williams also perceived the 'mustache' shape in some of the data that have been collected during this expedition. The issue could be related with the Edge Correction. We have to review the way in which this correction is applied.

Software Issues

• During several expeditions the computer of this instrument has been behaving strangely, sometimes Windows is frozen and it is not possible to access even a folder using Windows Explorer, other times the computer restarts by itself, stopping measurements if the instrument is in the middle of one test. This issues have been reported when they have been detected. The origin of this issues is unknown, they could be caused by a problem in the NGR computer or by a remote program.

• While closing IMS there was a memory problem in LabVIEW (6 July 2022).

Open

Thermal Conductivity (TCON)

• TEKA documentation has been organized (PPTRKA 1) and uploaded to Confluence on 'TCON Needles and Probes List'.

• New TEKA pendrives include and updated version of the software, it has not been installed in the TCON station.

• Scientists asked to remove TCON_CALC data from the report because they are not real data measured by the instrument. The developer deleted them.

• Puck H11083 was received with small holes on the acrylic. It was tested and it is measuring properly.

• Sides of H11080 and H11090 half space pucks were trimmed. H11089 and H11083 are not trimmed.

• Pucks have been stored together big a desiccant bag inside a zip-lock bag. Desiccant bags should be changed one time during the expedition, they are stored inside a metallic bucket under the TCON station.

• It was found that one of the pins of puck H11060 had a little bit of corrosion and presented a brownish color, what could cause a connection problem. It was cleaned by the ETs.

• There were several connection errors during X390 and X393 on different pucks. TCON instrument box was opened, the ribbon cable was partially unplugged. A little bit of epoxy was added to the connector to avoid the issue to happen again in the future.

After that there was one more connection error (puck H11060). It was solved by clicking OK in the window and continuing measuring.  This cable could be the cause of some of the issues that had being seen during lasts expeditions.

It would we interesting to bring back the pucks that were sent to shore and test them again onboard (H51027, H11028 and H11038).

Connection errors on H51033 and H11060 were in the same step of the instrument checking.

Tests

• Probes H11083, H11089, H51033, V10702, V10701, H11060 were tested. Data are saved in T:\IODP_Share\PhysProps Lab\Testing and Calibration Notes\TCON\TCON_X393_ProbesTest.xlsx and in Confluence on the Physical Properties Laboratory Notebook.

Section Half Multisensor Logger (SHMSL)

• On the bulb installed on June 13th the integration time increased fast to 0.440, after that it was stable until July 9th, when the light source was changed.

• Offset problem was detected in the Color Reflectance data. It was an intermittent problem, related with the correct operation of the halogen light source shutter.

  By looking at the Dark Calibration was also possible to see that the shutter was not working properly because all the information was concentrated under higher wavelength values. Light source sn 034990124 was changed and sn 034990296 installed. 
  Several sections were re-scanned to have real measurements.

• Halogen Light source sn 034990124 was checked, it had a dry joint. It was welded again.

• On hole U1560B in the last 20 cm of a section measurement. The Y Axis stopped to identify the limit switches and it kicked the physical stopper on the top.

• Several times during the measurement of hard rocks the color reflectance sensor dragged pieces of rock, the origin of the problem is that the sensors started to move in the X-Axis before they finish the movement on the Y-Axis.

Software Issues

• IMS is not reporting properly the length of some of the sections. This happens when the section is close to one of the brackets (aprox, 5 cm).

  • Possible cause is the filter applied at the end of the profile. The profile measured by the laser has the correct length before the filter is applied.
    
    

  • Changing the setup of the laser from Quality to Rate didn't make any change in the behavior.

  • Change the laser speed from 5 to 2.5 cm/s, solve the problem but not for the case of sections shorter than aprox. 45 cm.

Technical Service

• Bulb was changed on June 13th, July 9th and 28th.

• RS 232 light source connector cover was changed in order to allow to attach the screws.  It was found not completely plugged, the halogen light was off.
  
  

Section Half Image Logger (SHIL)

• Dry and wet images were taken for hard rock cores. Dry images were selected to be displayed as the main image in LIVE.

• For further information please visit Physical Properties Lab Notebook or Imaging Specialist Report.

P-Wave Velocity Bayonet/ Caliper Gantry (PWB/PWC)

• Caliper and Y and Z bayonets were used during this expedition.

• No major issues were reported

Software Issues

• The caliper has still the problem of getting stacked sometimes when the Auto Close button is used for measuring. To unlock it go to MOTION > EXLAR UTILITY and wait until the configuration is downloaded. Click DONE. The Caliper should move again.

• Be careful, when Caliper Calibration Utility opens, row 1 is active by default and the standard measurement will start to change. A new measurement should be done and the row should be deactivated. It would be useful to maintain that first row deactivated when opening the utility.

• It is not possible to scan MAD residue labels on the Gantry if we measure pieces. Do we want that feature?

Tests

X393 PP scientists, Chiara Amadori and Sarah Widlansky, did several experiments with hard rock sample-cubes in the Caliper in order to determine the behavior of the instrument and the samples:

1. Experiment on cubes that were already measured: Measured after a complete MAD analysis.

   1. Measuring first X axis, then Y axis and then Z axis.

   2. Measuring X-Y-Z axis randomly.

2. Experiment on fresh cubes: Fresh cubes, not heated previously, saturated during 12 h in seawater. The order of the axis measurement was X, Y, Z.

   1. Measured after MAD analysis (oven 24 h at 105°C and 3 hours desiccator).

   2. Measured before MAD analysis (saturated 12 h in seawater).

The conclusion for experiment 1 was that in the 75% of the cases the axis measured first shows a quick and extreme drop of Vp. This could be produce because the samples measured had been heated in the oven 24 hours at 105°C, what altered the clay and made other physical changes, allowing the pressure of the caliper to destroy some structures.

Acrylic standards were also measured, in the first case the measurements were repeated several times in the same axis and in the second case the order of the axis was change during the subsequent measurements. Obtaining a variation of < 0.03 %.

Data could be found in  T:\IODP_Share\PhysProps Lab\Testing and Calibration Notes\GANTRY\Hard-rock cubes Test - X393.xlsx and in Confluence on the Physical Properties Laboratory Notebook.

Shear Strength Station (AVS)

• No issues reported during this expedition.

Moisture and Density (MAD)

• Hard rock MAD samples were share with the PMAG laboratory. Samples were weighed and them given to the PMAG laboratory to do the measurements, after that they returned to the PP laboratory to do the regular process of saturating them in Sea water and continue with the MAD measurements.

• The samples were heated in the MAD oven inside a shielded box (designed and build by Alex Roth) when they were needed again in the PMAG lab, after the MAD measurements. 

• Pycnometer cells were cleaned and calibrated at the end of this expedition.

• No issues reported.