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USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Field Activity Details for field activity 1976-013-FA

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Other ID: FAY 014, Leg Delta; CORPUS 40

Status: Completed

Organization(s): USGS, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Funding Program(s):

Principal Investigator(s): Charles W. Holmes

Affiliate Investigator(s):

Information Specialist(s):

Data Type(s): Sampling: Geology, Seismics: Sparker, Seismics: Sub Bottom Profiler, Sampling: Biology, Biological Field Study: Experiments (biological), Imagery: Photo, Environmental Data: Dissolved Oxygen, Environmental Data: Temperature, Location-Elevation: Navigation

Scientific Purpose/Goals: General objective of the Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope project is to define the possible extent of unstable sediments on the slope and estimate the degree of instability in selected areas. The first phase of the slope project involved acquisition and interpretation of 11,233 statute miles of high-resolution seismic data throughout the study area. Western Geophysical Company of America collected the geophysical data incuding fathometer profiles, 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiles and 1000 joule sparker profiles. From these data, a map of the shallow surface geological features of the slope was produced. Using this information, specific sites were chosen for deep gulf cruises aboard the FAY. High density seismic profiling was done at each site followed by a sediment sampling program.

Vehicle(s):

Start Port/Location: Corpus Christi, TX

End Port/Location: Corpus Christi, TX

Start Date: 1976-05-09

End Date: 1976-05-19

Equipment Used: Single channel hydrophone, Hydroplastic corer, EG&G sparker, 3.5 kHz, Smith-MacIntyre grab, Gravity corer, Benthos model 372 camera and strobe, InterOceans temperature, depth and dissolved oxygen profiling instrument, Integrated Navigation System, Piston corer

Information to be Derived: Grain size analysis; Sea floor map; Morphology;

Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: Minisparker profiles: 1087 km; 3.5 kHz EDO: 475 km; Piston cores: 3; Hydroplastic cores: 7; Smith-MacIntyre samples: 2; Dissolved oxygen traces: 0; Bottom photo stations: 0; Gravity cores: 19; Logs 40A, 40B, 40C.

Staff: Kenneth F. Parolski, Charles W. Holmes, Betty Willingham, Carroll Pyle, Stanley Lindquist, Robert Vitaglione

Affiliate Staff:
Sue Casby
Scott Heald
Tom Tatum
Mitch Henry
Dee Haines; Bill Hottman (Texas A&M University)
Bernie Barnard (Texas A&M University); Paul Bereznak (Western Geophysical)

Notes: Original Center People field contained: Charles Holmes, Cary Pyle, Sue Casby, Scott Heald, Stan Linquist, Tom Tatum, Bob Vitaglione, Betty Willingham, Jack Kindinger, Mitch Henry, Kenneth Parolski, Dee Haines.
Project = Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope, Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope
Information from Foghorn: EG&G minisparker;EDO Western 3.5 kHz sub-bottom profiler;Smith-MacIntyre grab sampler;Piston corer;Gravity corer;Benthos underwater camera;InterOceans temperature, depth and dissolved oxygen profiling instrument;

Location:

outer continental shelf, Texas, United States, Gulf of Mexico, North America, North Atlantic;

Boundaries
North: 31 South: 17 West: -100 East: -80

Platform(s):

photo of Fay
Fay

Publications

Booth, J.S., 1979, Results of laboratory tests on surficial sediments from the upper continental slope, northern Gulf of Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-579, 11 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr79579.

Portals/Viewers

Documents associated with this activity

Title Survey Equipment Description
Cruise report (document not focused on specific equipment) Chief Scientist's daily log of ship movement, equipment and data acquisition notes, personnel, track maps. The information applies to field activities 1976-005-FA, 1976-007-FA, 1076-011-FA, and 1976-013-FA.
Cruise report (document not focused on specific equipment) Manual for successive Fay cruises conducted between March and June 1976 in the Gulf of Mexico including daily log of ship movement, equipment and data acquisition notes, personnel, track maps. Very extensive report including figures of data with explanations. Includes information for the following field activities: 1976-004-FA, 1976-005-FA, 1976-007-FA, 1976-011-FA, 1976-013-FA, 1976-015-FA.

Data Acquired

Survey EquipmentSurvey InfoData Type(s)Data Collected
Single channel hydrophone --- Air Gun / Water Gun
Boomer
Bubble Gun
Sparker
Sub Bottom Profiler
1976-013-FA-SE-001 (microfilm of GULF SEISMIC PROFILES)
Hydroplastic corer --- Geology
EG&G sparker --- Sparker
3.5 kHz --- Sub Bottom Profiler
Smith-MacIntyre grab --- Biology
Geology
Gravity corer --- Geology
Benthos model 372 camera and strobe --- Photo
InterOceans temperature, depth and dissolved oxygen profiling instrument --- Dissolved Oxygen
Temperature
Integrated Navigation System --- Navigation
1976-013-FA-LN-001-01 (Track Map of Delta XIV (pdf) Trackline map for area Delta XIV, Lines 1 through 7 with shotpoints.)
1976-013-FA-LN-001-02 (Track Map of Area XV (pdf) Trackline map for area XV, Lines 1 through 11 and 13 through 15 with shotpoints. (Line 12 not run.))
1976-013-FA-LN-002 (Digital tape(s) of NV-COMPOS, )
Piston corer --- Geology

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