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USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Field Activity Details for field activity 2008-029-FA

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Other ID: 2008-007-PGC; T-29-08-NP

Status: Completed

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

Funding Program(s):

Principal Investigator(s): John Pohlman

Affiliate Investigator(s): Michael Riedel, McGill University; Ross Haacke, Geological Survey of Canada

Information Specialist(s): John Pohlman

Data Type(s): Geochemical: Surveys (geochemical), Imagery: Photo, Location-Elevation: Navigation, Sampling: Chemistry, Sampling: Geology

Scientific Purpose/Goals: 1) To determine the timing and cause of submarine slumps at the frontal ridge; 2) to investigate the role of gas hydrate in the mechanisms controlling and responding to submarine slumping; and 3) to determine the potential for fluid and gas venting and formation of gas hydrate in and around the slump sites.

Vehicle(s):

Start Port/Location: Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

End Port/Location: Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

Start Date: 2008-07-29

End Date: 2008-08-12

Equipment Used: GPS (wh), Ion Chromatograph;, Digital camera, Gravity corer, Pore water sampling

Information to be Derived: Samples and chemical analysis;

Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: Acquired pore water and sediment samples for numerous chemical and isotopic analyses to aid in interpreting the cause and history of submarine landslides along the base of the Northern Cascadia Margin and the cycling of methane carbon and higher hydrocarbons at several mid-slope seep sites. About 75% of the pore water samples collected have been analyzed for sulfate and chloride concentration.

Staff: Philip Bernard, John Pohlman, William Waite

Affiliate Staff:
Greg Middleton
Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) (seismic/coring); Steve Taylor
GSC (elec./nav./seismic); Peter Neelands
GSC (nav./coring); Tim Claydon
GSC (elec./seismic); Randy Enkin
GSC (coring phys props.); Lionel Esteban
GSC (coring phys. props.); Ross Haacke
GSC (seismic/coring); Graham Standen
GeoForce (Huntec - seismic); John Pohlman
USGS (coring geochem.); Bill Waite
USGS (coring geochem.); Michael Riedel
McGill University (seismic/coring geochem.); Tark Hamilton
Camosun (coring sedimentology); Angela Schlesinger
GSC/Uvic (seismic); Vivan Wang
McGill University (seismic/coring); Meagan Hogg
Camosun (coring); Kelly Rose
Department Of Energy (coring sedimentology); Laura Lapham
Florida State University (coring geochem.)

Notes: Cruise Report submitted in conjunction with the lead organization, Pacific Geoscience Centre, Geological Survey of Canada. Contact John Pohlman for copy of cruise report. Original Center People field contained: John Pohlman: Lead Geochemist; William Waite: Assistant Geochemist; Peter Bratton: Mobilization/labeling/supply preparation; PJ Bernard: Shipping.
Project = Marine Gas Hydrates: Vancouver Island Accretionary Wedge Research, Marine Gas Hydrates: Vancouver Island Accretionary Wedge Research

Location:

Cascadia margin, Vancouver Island, Canada, North Pacific;48.60 deg N 127.04 deg W;Barkley Canyon, Vancouver Island, Canada, North Pacific;48.31 deg N 126.06 deg W;

Boundaries
North: 48.6 South: 48.31 West: -127.04 East: -126.06

Platform(s):

photo of John P Tully
John P Tully

Publications

Enkin, R., Esteban, L., Haacke, R., Hamilton, T.S., Hogg, M., Lapham, L., Middleton, G., Neelands, P., Pohlman, J., Riedel, M., Rose, K., Schlesinger, A., Standen, G., Stephenson, A., Taylor, S., Waite, W., and Wang, X., 2008, Investigating gas hydrate as a factor in accretionary margin frontal ridge slope failures and cold seep biogeochemistry: Fire in the Ice, U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, Methane Hydrate Newsletter, Fall 2008, , URL: http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/Hydrates/Newsletter/HMNewsFall08.pdf.

Pohlman, J.W., Riedel, M., Waite, W., Rose, K., and Lapham, L., 2008, Application of rhizon samplers to obtain high-resolution pore fluid records during geochemical investigations of gas hydrate systems: Fire in the Ice, U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, Methane Hydrate Newsletter, Fall 2008, , URL: http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/publications/Hydrates/Newsletter/HMNewsFall08.pdf.

Portals/Viewers

Data Acquired

Survey EquipmentSurvey InfoData Type(s)Data Collected
GPS (wh) --- Navigation
Ion Chromatograph; --- Surveys (geochemical)
Digital camera --- Photo
2008-029-FA-PH-001 (Cruise photos: collected and held by project partners, not by WHSC.)
Gravity corer --- Geology
2008-029-FA-SC-002 (Cores: 104 cores collected by various project participants.)
Pore water sampling --- Chemistry
2008-029-FA-SC-001 (Pore water samples: 1827 samples for various analyses; 747 for John Pohlman and 115 for Bill Winters returned to WHSC.)

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