Our first core run of the project!

Drilling began today and we took it slowly so that our new drill hands could get some training in what working on a drill rig is like.  All the drillers and drill hands, as well as the Principal Investigator and Rock & Data Manager were present at the drill site for the first drilling day of the project.  Pictured below is the first recovered run of core.  Preliminary examination of this run has revealed a xenolith-rich unit from Mauna Kea's alkalic post-shield stage.   

Our 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week drilling schedule begins tomorrow.  After the core is recovered from drilling at PTA, it will be transported down to UH Hilo where the core processing crew will be washing, drying, marking, photographing, and logging the rocks.  Soon in addition to these blog updates, lots of photos and data will be added to the other pages of this web site.