Within the frame of the comprehensive SPOC project (Subduction Processes off Chile) the SONNE cruises SO161 Leg 2 and 3 have been conducted between October 16th and November 29th, 2001, off central Chile between 28° and 44° S. In that period some 5,300 km were surveyed with multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection, magnetic, gravity, high-resolution bathymetric and echographic methods. In addition, approximately 3,900 km were surveyed with the same spectrum of methods but without MCS. The total number of 2D profiles was 48. Target was the variation of the subduction properties between the convergent oceanic Nazca and continental Southamerica plates and the different conditions that might influence the subduction process as there are: (1) age of the oceanic crust, (2) its structure and composition, (3) its sedimentary cover, (4) its thermal state, (5) the subduction angle and obliquity, and (6) the terrigenous sediment afflux from the continent. Furthermore, special focus was given to the subduction front, the subduction interface, the structure of the slope as well as to the forearc basin structure and history, and the general distribution of gas hydrate indicating bottom simulating reflectors (BSR's). The results are to be compared with previous studies of the Chilean active margin, e.g. CONDOR (SO 101 and 103) and CINCA (SO 104). The SPOC target area was subdivided into three sub-areas A,B and C. One area was chosen for a detailed survey by aid of a narrowly spaced grid and for a close link with a lot of partners. This area is characterized by a distinctly different margin type south of it is assumed. Moreover, the subducting portion of the aseismic Juan Fernandez Ridge is located in that area representing another important target of the survey. Advantageous conditions enabled the survey of an east-west profile south of Chiloé Island, providing a section through the submerged coastal Cordillera into the flooded longitudinal valley. Some results of Leg 2 and 3 are: In all areas A, B and C no subduction bulge (outer high) in the oceanic crust was visible perhaps due to the shortness of the profiles. The sedimentary cover of the oceanic crust is exceptionally thin, and the crustal thickness is generally quite "normal" with around 7 km derived from relatively weak Moho reflections. In area B a so far magnetically unmapped region was filled providing reliable ages of the oceanic crust, and suggesting that the Challenger Fracture Zone abruptly terminates west of the area of investigation. The survey in area C yielded valuable information on the trench morphology. The so far unique MCS profile south of Chiloé island shows a very wide trench and allows to extrapolate the general conditions encountered an area A southward to approximately 44° S. It can be stated that the situation is in sharp contrast to the basin structures detected by industry profiles further north in the Golfo de Corcovado.
Submarine Hangrutschungen stellen ein bedeutendes Risiko für Offshore-Infrastrukturen und Küstengebiete dar, da sie zum Beispiel gefährliche Tsunamis auslösen können, wie der Storegga Slide vor der Küste Norwegens. Neben anderen Präkonditionierung für Hangrutschungen, wie steile Hangneigung oder Überdruck in den Porenräumen der Sedimente verursach im Zusammenhang mit Eiszeiten, wurde die Auflösung von Gashydraten in vielen Studien diskutiert. Die weltweite räumliche Überscheidungen von submarinen Hangrutschungen und Gashydratvorkommen hat zu der Hypothese geführt, dass die Auflösung von Gashydraten in Zeiten von Meeresspiegelsenkung oder Erderwärmung eine Hangrutschung auslösen kann. Dieser Prozess entfernt die zementierenden Gasyhdrate aus den Porenräumen und das frei werdende Gas verursacht zusätzlichen Überdruck . Obwohl Studien mithilfe von numerischen Modellierungen gezeigt haben, dass diese Hypothese realistisch ist, konnte die Forschung keine geologischen oder geophysikalischen Beweise dafür finden, dass dieser Prozess wirklich eine Hangrutschung ausgelöst hat. Außerdem zeigen verschiedene Studien, dass viele submarine Hangrutschungen retrogressiv sind und auf dem mittleren bis unteren Kontinentalhang ausgelöst werden. Diese Beobachtung lässt vermuten, dass andere Prozesse die Rutschungen auslösen. Davon abgesehen gibt es keinen Zweifel, dass Gashydrate die geotechnischen Eigenschaften von Sedimenten stark beeinflussen. Daher ist es wichtig ihren Einfluss auf die Hangstabilität weiter zu untersuchen und neue Hypothesen zu testen. Das übergeordnete wissenschaftliche Ziel dieses Antrags ist es, (1) die globale Relevanz von Gashydratgefüllten Rissen für Hangstabilität zu ergründen und (2) den Einfluss von Scherfestigkeitsvariationen auf Störungsverläufe und Stressmerkmale, wie z.B. Bohrlochausbrüche, zu verstehen. Bis jetzt war es nicht möglich gewesen, den Zusammenhang zwischen Gashydraten und Hangstabilität herzustellen, da ein umfangreicher Datensatz aus geotechnischen, geologischen und geophysikalischen Daten aus einem Gebiet mit Gashydrate verursachten Rutschungen nicht verfügbar war. Die IODP Expedition 372 hat dies geändert. Uns stehen jetzt Logging-While-Drilling Daten und Sedimentkerne von dieser Expedition zur Verfügung, genauso wie ein hochauflösender 3D Seismik Datensatz, der mit dem GEOMAR P-Cable System im Jahre 2014 aufgezeichnet wurde. Diese Daten im Zusammenhang mit einer Scherzelle für Gashydrathaltige Sedimente auf dem neusten Stand der Technik am GEOMAR, die es erlaubt die Deformation der Probe live mit einem 4D X-ray CT zu beobachten, wird es uns ermöglichen, einen Entscheidenden Schritt vorwärts in der Gashydrat- und Hangstabilitätsforschung zu machen.
Das International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) ist ein zehnjähriges globales Vorhaben zur Erkundung der Bereiche unter den Meeresböden durch Tiefbohrungen. Es hat im Oktober 2013 begonnen und baut auf früheren wissenschaftlichen Ozean-Bohrprogrammen, namentlich dem Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP, 1968 - 83), dem Ocean Drilling Program (ODP, 1983 - 2003) und dem Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP, 2003 - 2013), auf. Die wissenschaftlichen Ziele des neuen Bohrprogramms sind im Wissenschaftsplan 'Illuminating Earth's Past Present and Future' zusammengefasst. Darin sind vier Forschungsschwerpunkte festgelegt, die ihrerseits in insgesamt 14 verschiedene wissenschaftliche 'Herausforderungen' unterteilt sind:1) 'Climate and Ocean Change': Eine der wichtigsten wissenschaftlichen Herausforderungen ist es unser Verständnis für Änderungsraten und Ursachen globaler Klimaereignisse sowie deren Folgen zu verbessern. Die Erbohrung und Untersuchung von hochauflösenden Paläoklima-Archiven aus der Tiefsee erlauben Klimaänderungen und deren Rahmenbedingungen besser zu fassen und als Analogmodelle für den aktuellen Klimawandel sowie als Grundlage für numerische Modelle zur Vorhersage zukünftige Kimaänderungen heranzuziehen.2) 'Biosphere Frontiers': Eine weitere Herausforderung ist die Erforschung von Leben tief unterhalb des Meeresbodens, wo Mikroben isoliert von der photosynthetischen Welt an den Grenzbereichen theoretisch möglicher Lebensräume existieren. Die Erforschung dieser extremen Lebensräume erlaubt unter anderem Rückschlüsse auf die Entstehung des Lebens auf der Erde, da zu dieser Zeit ähnlich extreme Bedingungen herrschten. Eine weitere wichtige Herausforderung im Rahmen dieses Schwerpunktes ist die Beziehung zwischen Biodiversität und schnellen Umweltveränderungen. Ihre Erforschung ermöglicht Vorhersagen, wie der derzeitige Umweltwandel die marine Biodiversität und die marinen Ökosysteme beeinflussen könnte.3) 'Earth Connections': In diesem Schwerpunkt wird auf die geochemischen Austauschprozesse zwischen der festen Erde, den Ozeanen und der Atmosphäre fokussiert. Eine wichtige Herausforderung sind Bohrungen in den Erdmantel. Dieses größte geochemische Reservoir der Erde ist immer noch weitgehend unerforscht. Weitere Herausforderungen sind unter anderem ein besseres Verständnis für die Produktion ozeanischer Kruste sowie die involvierten Alterationsprozesse voran zu treiben.4) 'Earth in Motion': Dieser Schwerpunkt fokussiert auf kurzfristige geodynamische Prozesse von unmittelbarer gesellschaftlicher Relevanz. Hierunter fallen z.B. Prozesse im Zusammenhang mit Erdbeben, Erdrutschen und Tsunamis. Ebenfalls unter diesen Schwerpunkt fallen Herausforderungen wie ein Verständnis für die Bildung und Stabilität von Gashydraten und das Potential für die Sequestierung großer Mengen Kohlendioxid in Gesteinen der Tiefsee sowie die Installation von Bohrlochobservatorien.
Wir schlagen vor, IODP/ODP-Daten einzusetzen, um numerische Modelle für die Entstehung von Gashydraten in marinen Sedimenten zu kalibrieren. Wir möchten dabei besonders untersuchten, was mit dem Methangas geschieht, das entsteht wenn Gashydrate begraben und unterhalb der Stabilitätszone zersetzt werden. Dieses Gas kann entweder in die Stabilitätszone aufsteigen, um dort neues Hydrat zu bilden oder gemeinsam mit dem Sediment begraben werden. Wenn das Gas in die Stabilitätszone zurückfließt, kann dort sehr viel Hydrat akkumulieren. Ohne diese Rückführung liegt die Hydratsättigung im Porenraum dagegen in der Regel bei kleiner als 1 Prozent . In den Modellen, die bisher genutzt wurden, um die Hydratmenge im globalen Ozean abzuschätzen wurde angenommen, dass das Gas begraben und nicht zurückgeführt wird. Die tatsächliche Hydratmenge könnte sehr viel größer sein als bisher vermutet, falls die Gasrückführung ein weitverbreitetes Phänomen ist. Der Rolle der Gashydrate im Klimasystem und ihr Potential als fossiler Energieträger wären dann größer als bisher vermutet.
Während der IODP Expeditionen 372 und 375 wurden die Ursachen und Auswirkungen von 'Slow Slip' Erdbeben sowie große untermeerische Hangrutsche und assoziierte Gashydrate vor der Nordinsel Neuseeland untersucht. Sedimente bis in die Kreide welche eingeschaltete Tephralagen vom Miozän bis Holozän enthalten wurden erbohrt und beprobt. Die Bohrlokationen befinden sich im Pazifik, ca. 250 km in der Windrichtung der vulkanischen Taupo Zone (TVZ), einer der größten und am häufigsten aktiven silizischen Zentren der Welt, und befinden sich auch nahe der Coromandel Vulkanfront (CVZ) einem spärlich untersuchten Neogenen vulkanischen Inselbogen. Die Tephreninventare dieser intermediär entfernten Bohrlokationen stellen das fehlende Glied zwischen den proximalen Land- und sehr distalen ODP-Aufschlüssen dar, um eine nahezu komplette Eruptionshistorie für den Neuseeländischen explosiven Vulkanismus vom Miozän bis Holozän zu etablieren. Deshalb liegt der Fokus dieses Projektes auf den vulkanischen Produkten Neogener und Quartärer neuseeländischer explosiven Eruptionen. Tephraablagerungen der Expeditionen 372&375, ergänzt durch terrestrische Abalgerungen und Tephren in älteren und distaleren ODP Bohrlokationen ergeben die einmalige Gelegenheit die Geschichte des hochexplosiven Vulkanismuses beider Inselbogensysteme sowie ihrer Spuren in den marinen Sedimente über eine Zeitspanne von mindestens 12 Ma zu untersuchen und zu vergleichen. Um quantitative und qualitative Aussagen über die Herkunft und Eruptionsabfolge, einschließlich als Kryptotephren überlieferter kleinere Eruptionen, machen zu können werden geochemische, petrologische, sowie vulkanologische Herangehensweisen und Methoden angewendet. Vor allem die kritische Lücke nicht vorhandener Spurenelement-Zusammensetzungen in terrestrischen Vergleichsproben, als auch distaler mariner Tephren, wird geschlossen werden. Diese Daten werden durch absolute Alterdatierungen unterstützt um die existierenden Altersmodelle zu bestätigen. Stabile Altersmodelle sind wichtig um dann räumliche und zeitliche Veränderungen von Eruptionsprozessen, Magnituden und Frequenzen von großen Vulkaneruptionen beider Vulkansysteme, TVZ und CVZ, zu untersuchen. Schließlich werden die somit gewonnenen Zusammensetzungsdaten und die Eruptionsabfolgen dazu dienen um Fragen hinsichtlich der Widerkehrrate und Zyklizität in beiden Systemen zu beantworten und damit auch das erste Mal überhaupt eine Neogene Zweitserie diesbezüglich heranziehen. Die Daten werden es auch ermöglichen die zeitliche und räumliche Sedimentzusammensetzung am Kontentalhang und der hereinkommenden Platte in Bezug auf den vulkaniklastischen Eintrag hin zu charakterisieren und die Frage beantworten wie diese sich auf mechanische, kohäsive, und hydrogeologische Eigenschaften der Sedimente auswirken. Zusätzlich ermöglichen die Sedimentgeochemie und der Tephralagen, intakte gerutschte Sedimentblöcke wieder in ihre ursprüngliche stratigraphische Abfolge zurückzuordnen.
Main target of the project GIGICS (Cooperative German-Indonesian Geoscientific Investigations in the Celebes Sea) is the investigation of the internal crustal structure and the plate tectonic evolution of the Celebes Sea and its active continental margins off Mindanao and Northern Sulawesi. These investigations were carried out during the cruise SO98 of RV SONNE by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hannover; the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Potsdam; the GEOMAR, Kiel; the Institute of Oceanography (IfM), Hamburg; the Mines and Geoscience Bureau, Manila; the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Jakarta, and the Institute of Oceanography, Wormley. The cruise SO98 consisted of three legs of two weeks duration and one leg of four weeks duration. The total amount of data acquired during the cruise were: - 3,300 km of multichannel reflection seismics, - over 6,800 km of gravimetric and magnetic data and approximately 10.000 km of swath bathymetric and sediment echosounder data, - 3 wideangle-/refractionseismic profiles, each of 120 - 150 km length, - geological, geochemical sampling and oceanographical measurements at a total of 37 stations. During the cruise SO98 a widespaced but regular grid of magnetic and gravimetric profiles were acquired in the eastern part of the Celebes Sea from which up to then reliable data were very sparse. WEISSEL (1980) recognized in the western Celebes Sea WSW-ENE striking magnetic lineations, which he interpreted as chrons 18 - 20 (39 - 43 Ma according to the timescale of HARLAND et al. (1990)). The data from cruise SO98 show that there is no continuation of these anomalies to the east. In the eastern part the magnetic field of the Celebes Sea is less clear and much more disturbed. Nevertheless, E-W-striking anomalies are recognizable. Because amplitudes of local magnetic anomalies are higher than the lineations, the correlation of these lineations with the magnetic reversal scale is still somewhat ambiguous. The gravity map compiled from the measured gravimetric data shows elongated positive anomalies in the eastern part of the Celebes Sea. Exceptions occur at the deep sea trenches off North Sulawesi (North Sulawesi Trench) and Mindanao (Cotabatu Trench) and at the Sulu Archipelago where strong negative gravity anomalies were found. A remarkable NW-striking gravity high of up to 60 mgal was found in the central eastern part of the Celebes Sea. Gravimetric modelling suggests that this high can be correlated with the gravimetric effect of the Molucca Sea Plate subducting from the east under the Sangihe Arc. The reflection seismic data from the northern part of the Celebes Sea show indications for a juvenile subduction of oceanic Celebes Sea crust under the Sulu Archipelago. The oceanic crust bends down towards the Sulu Arc with angles between 2° and 5° and the sedimentary sequence above is deformed indicating a compressional stress regime. With the exception of two linear arranged seamount-like basement highs the Celebes Sea is dominated by two different oceanic crustal types showing distinct differences in the topography. The first one is showing a very similar reflection seismic pattern as it is found for oceanic crust of the Atlantic (HINZ et al., 1994). This type is characterized by a small-scale block-faulted relief of the top basement and a low reflectivity in lower crustal levels typically related as to be accreted at slow to intermediate spreading ridges. This type is found in the western, northern and southern part of the investigated area. In the eastern and especially in the southeastern part the igneous crust shows a very different image. The reflection of the top of the basement is less distinct and of lower frequency. The relief is very much smoother than in the previous type. This reflection seismic image indicates a volcanic/magmatic overprinting of the oceanic crust in this part of the Celebes Sea. Another target of cruise SO98 was the area of the active continental margin off North Sulawesi and its accretionary complex. The internal structure of the accretionary complex should be investigated to decide whether this active margin is also of the 'splinter-type' or not. During former geophysical cruises with RV SONNE oceanic crustal splinters were discovered in the accretionary wedges of the Sulu Sea and off Costa Rica (e.g. HINZ et al., 1991). From our reflection seismic measurements this active continental margin is morphologically subdivided into three units and consists of two accretionary complexes of different internal structural style: the lower and middle continental slope is underlain by an intensively thrusted, sedimentary accretionary wedge. This wedge was most probably formed during the last 5 Ma. Landward of this wedge an older and seismically very complex accretionary unit is present which is overlain at its landward termination by a sedimentary fore-arc basin. Within this older accretionary complex, units with a strong, low frequency reflection pattern were found which are interpreted to represent crustal splinters of igneous oceanic or ophiolitic nature. This interpretation is supported by our gravity and magnetic data. The magnetic profiles show an increase of the magnetic field towards the north arm of Sulawesi across the continental margin. This increase of the magnetic field suggests an increase of magnetized material within the older accretionary wedge towards the northern arm of Sulawesi where ophiolites are emplaced. During the interpretation of the reflection seismic data of the project GIGICS BSR's (bottom simulating reflectors) were discovered for the first time along the active continental margin of North-Sulawesi. BSR's are the seismic expression of a velocity decrease at the bottom of a gas hydrate zone. The distribution and depth of the BSR's correlates with the geochemical and geothermal results. Radiometric age dating and geochemical analyses from pillow basalts of a seamount from the southeastern Celebes Sea indicate hot-spot activity in this part of the Celebes Sea during or shortly after the formation of the oceanic crust approximately at 43 Ma ago. Three NW-striking ridges or seamount-chains in the northeastern Celebes Sea were mapped and investigated in detail. They are thought to represent a wrench fault system extending through the northeastern Celebes Sea. At the flank of one of these ridges a strongly alterated plagioclase-olivine basalt sample was dredged which was overlain by non-fossiliferous clay stone. A similar lithostratigraphic sequence was drilled during ODP leg 124 (RANGIN et al., 1990). The geochemical composition of these basalts is different from typical MORB. The existence of a large crustal splinter within the accretionary wedge off southwestern Mindanao obviously is responsible for a high thermal conductivity which in turn could have enhanced heat flow (108.1 mW/m2) and methanogenesis (405 ppb). The heat flow of 103.0 mW/m2 at the deformation front of the Mindanao wedge and the high methane concentration of 5.555 ppb suggests tectonically induced fluid transport within the wedge. High methane concentrations between 8.044 and 49.006 ppb at the lower slope off Sulawesi and in the North Sulawesi Trench are accompanied by high heat flow values of up to 100.5 mW/m2. Heat flow is significantly lower upslope (31.3 mW/m2). This general heat flow distribution pattern is seen over a large portion of the accretionary wedge. The elevated heat flow values and high methane concentrations near the deformation front most likely result from heat transport by fluids squeezed out from vertically and laterally compacting sediments. The reduced heat flow towards the coast is compatible either with a cooling effect of slow subduction of the oceanic crust, or stacking of cool slabs of compacted sediments. A subduction of oceanic crust with a heat flow around 60 mW/m2 over a period of more than 3 million years would have produced the low heat flow values of the upper slope if the wedge consists of claystone with a low thermal conductivity (1.2 - 1.7 W/mK). Even in the low-heat flow area isolated fluid venting is possible. Lateral variations in the heat flow pattern (e.g. broadening of the anomalies in the west) may be due to different thermal regimes within the subducted crust.
<p>The general Pleistocene architecture of the Amazon Fan has been reconstructed using sediment recovered by Ocean Drilling Program Leg 155. Huge regional mass-transport deposits (MTDs) make up a significant component of the Amazon Fan. These deposits each cover an area over 15,000 km**2 (approximately the size of Jamaica), reach a maximum thickness of 200 m, and consist of ~5000 Gt of sediment. Benthic foraminiferal fauna analysis and sedimentology indicate that the MTDs originated on the continental slope, which is at least 200 km laterally and 1500 m above their present position. Each mass-failure event was formed by the catastrophic failure of the continental slope and has been dated and correlated with climate-induced changes in sea level. Studies of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Amazon Fan has been essential to our reconstruction of the origin and cause of these failures. The MTDs contain rare shelf (Quinqueloculina cf. stalkeri, Brizalina aenariensis, Q. lamarckiana, and Pseudononion atlanticum) and dominant upper-middle bathyal species (cassidulinids and buliminids). We conclude that the MTD originated between 200 and 600 m water depth, approximately the same zone in which gas hydrates occur. We suggest that the glacial MTDs referred to as Deep Eastern MTD (35–37 ka) and Unit R MTD (41–45 ka) correlate with rapid drops in sea level which destabilized continental slope gas-hydrate reservoirs causing catastrophic slope failure. An alternative explanation is required for the deglacial MTDs referred to as Western and Eastern Debris Flows (13–14 ka) which occurred as sea level rose rapidly during the Bølling-Allerød period. We suggest that the deglaciation of the Andes and the consequent enhanced sediment supply coupled with a shift of the depo-centre to the continental shelf, caused over-burdening and thus slope failure. Evidence for a 2 per mil negative d13C shift in both planktonic foraminifera and organic matter coeval with these failures suggest that whatever the cause, there was a large release of methane hydrate associated with each failure.</p>
Between 12.11.2003 and 30.12.2003, bathymetric data was acquired in the Gulf of Cadiz during the R/V SONNE cruise SO175. The expedition aimed at a better understanding of the interaction between dynamic processes in a seismically active region with slow plate convergence. In the context of earthquake nucleation and subduction zone processes, the multidisciplinary research programme focused on physical and chemical behavior of sediments, pore water and fluids, exploration of the temperature field of the 1755 thrust earthquake event, the quantification of microbial activity, faunal assemblages, gas hydrates and the deployment of a long-term pressure probe. Bathymetric mapping with the multibeam echosounder (MBES) SIMRAD EM120 was utilized to image the nature of the Gibraltar Arc thrust wedge, a proposed subduction zone, and identify possible sampling sites. Sub-bottom profiling, seismic reflection imaging, heat flow measurements, the deployment of an Ocean Floor pore pressure system as well as video-guided systems and coring complemented the research programme. CI Citation: Paul Wintersteller (seafloor-imaging@marum.de) as responsible party for bathymetry raw data ingest and approval. Description of the data source: During the SO175 cruise, the hull-mounted multibeam echosounder (MBES) SIMRAD EM120 was utilized to perform bathymetric mapping. It allows to conduct surveys in water depths of up to 11,000 m. Two transducer arrays transmit frequency coded acoustic signals (11.25 to 12.6 kHz). Data acquisition is based on successive emission-reception cycles of the signal. While the emission beam has a dimension of 150° across and 2° along track, the reception is obtained from 191 overlapping beams with widths of 2° across and 20° along track. The beam footprint has a dimension of 2° by 2°. The beam spacing can be set to equidistant or equiangular. For further information on the system, consult: https://www.km.kongsberg.com/ During the cruise, an opening angle of 60-70° was used depending on the state of the sea, restricting the coverage to a maximum 14 km wide swath to gain a more continuous spacing of beams on the ocean floor. The spacing within these limits was controlled automatically by the echosounder system. To convert the recorded travel times into water depth, several sound velocity profiles were obtained with the shipboard CTD, providing a correction for ray bending for each beam. Depth is estimated from each beam by using the two-way travel time and the known beam angle known, and taking into account the ray bending due to refraction in the water column by sound speed variations. Combining phase and amplitude provides measurement accuracy practically independent of the beam pointing angle. Responsible person during this cruise / PI: Ingo Grevenmeyer (igrevemeyer@geomar.de) & Achim Kopf (akopf@marum.de) Chief Scientist: Achim Kopf (akopf@marum.de) CR: https://elib.suub.uni-bremen.de/ip/docs/ELibD1195_228.pdf CSR: https://www2.bsh.de/aktdat/dod/fahrtergebnis/2003/20050152.htm
Between 12.11.2003 and 30.12.2003, bathymetric data was acquired in the Gulf of Cadiz during the R/V SONNE cruise SO175. The expedition aimed at a better understanding of the interaction between dynamic processes in a seismically active region with slow plate convergence. In the context of earthquake nucleation and subduction zone processes, the multidisciplinary research programme focused on physical and chemical behavior of sediments, pore water and fluids, exploration of the temperature field of the 1755 thrust earthquake event, the quantification of microbial activity, faunal assemblages, gas hydrates and the deployment of a long-term pressure probe. Bathymetric mapping with the multibeam echosounder (MBES) SIMRAD EM120 was utilized to image the nature of the Gibraltar Arc thrust wedge, a proposed subduction zone, and identify possible sampling sites. Sub-bottom profiling, seismic reflection imaging, heat flow measurements, the deployment of an Ocean Floor pore pressure system as well as video-guided systems and coring complemented the research programme. CI Citation: Paul Wintersteller (seafloor-imaging@marum.de) as responsible party for bathymetry raw data ingest and approval. Description of the data source: During the SO175 cruise, the hull-mounted multibeam echosounder (MBES) SIMRAD EM120 was utilized to perform bathymetric mapping. It allows to conduct surveys in water depths of up to 11,000 m. Two transducer arrays transmit frequency coded acoustic signals (11.25 to 12.6 kHz). Data acquisition is based on successive emission-reception cycles of the signal. While the emission beam has a dimension of 150° across and 2° along track, the reception is obtained from 191 overlapping beams with widths of 2° across and 20° along track. The beam footprint has a dimension of 2° by 2°. The beam spacing can be set to equidistant or equiangular. For further information on the system, consult: https://www.km.kongsberg.com/ During the cruise, an opening angle of 60-70° was used depending on the state of the sea, restricting the coverage to a maximum 14 km wide swath to gain a more continuous spacing of beams on the ocean floor. The spacing within these limits was controlled automatically by the echosounder system. To convert the recorded travel times into water depth, several sound velocity profiles were obtained with the shipboard CTD, providing a correction for ray bending for each beam. Depth is estimated from each beam by using the two-way travel time and the known beam angle known, and taking into account the ray bending due to refraction in the water column by sound speed variations. Combining phase and amplitude is used to provide measurement accuracy practically independent of the beam pointing angle. Responsible persons during this cruise / PI: Achim Kopf (akopf@marum.de) & Ingo Grevenmeyer (igrevemeyer@geomar.de) Description of data processing: Postprocessing and products were conducted by the Seafloor-Imaging & Mapping group of MARUM/FB5, responsible person: Paul Wintersteller (seafloor-imaging@marum.de). The open source software MB-System suite (Caress, D.W., and D.N. Chayes, MB-System Version 5.6, open source software distributed from the MBARI and L-DEO web sites, 2000-2012.) was utilized for this purpose. The data was corrected for the roll movement of the vessel. There were no tide, pitch and heave corrections. Using Mbeditviz, artefacts were cleaned manually. NetCDF (GMT) grids of the edited data as well as statistics were created with mbgrid. The published bathymetric grid of the EM120 during cruise SO175 has a resolution of 40 m. No total propagated uncertainty (TPU) has been calculated to gather vertical or horizontal accuracy. A higher resolution is, at least partly, achievable. All grids produced are retrievable through the PANGAEA database (www.pangaea.de). Chief Scientist: Achim Kopf (akopf@marum.de) CR: https://elib.suub.uni-bremen.de/ip/docs/ELibD1195_228.pdf CSR: https://www2.bsh.de/aktdat/dod/fahrtergebnis/2003/20050152.htm Raw data: not yet
From 19th November to 19th December 2004 BGR conducted a marine geophysical cruise between 34°S and 36°S off Uruguay and between 46°S and 50°S off Argentine. The main research objective was to contribute to a better understanding of the initial breakup and the early opening of the South Atlantic. In continuation of our former work on the South Atlantic continental margins off Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Namibia and South Africa marine geophysical research (multi-channel seismics, refraction-/wide-angle reflection seismics, magnetics and gravity) was performed in close cooperation with the Argentine and Uruguayan authorities Comisión Nacional del Límite Exterior de la Plataforma Continental (COPLA) of Argentina and Servicio de Oceanograficia, Hidrograficia y Meteorologia de la Armada (SOHMA) of Uruguay. Multi-channel seismic lines with a total length of 3,754 km and additional 3540 km with the other geophysical methods were acquired . Along two lines refraction-/wide-angle reflection seismic work was carried out. The preliminary analyses of the new seismic data show different images of the crustal structures between Uruguay and southern Argentine with regard to the distribution and volume of offshore volcanic rocks (seaward dipping reflector sequences, SDRS) along the South American Atlantic margin. On the northern profiles between 34°S and 36°S one single well developed wedge of SDRS is present. Although the landward termination (‘feather edge’) on most of the lines is masked by multiples the average total width of the wedge across the margin seems to be 90 – 100 km and is very constant for this margin segment. This is strong contrast to the results from former cruises (BGR87, SO85 and BGR98) which covered the area between 38°S and 45°S. There, the SDRS showed distinct multiple wedges which in some places extend over 120 km across the continental slope. The investigation of the sedimentary section yielded that in the area off Uruguay widespread bottom simulating reflectors (BSR) are present. This indications for stable gas hydrates cover a total area of 7000 km2. One major aim of the cruise was to cover the transition between a volcanic passive margin and a non-volcanic passive resp. sheared margin. This was accomplished in the southern part of the investigated area. Two EW-trending profiles across the Argentine shelf into the Argentine Basin still show indications for SDRS but these structures are only 25 – 30 km wide. The profiles which extend from the NE to the SW crossing the Agulhas-Falkland Fracture Zone (AFFZ) onto the Falkland Plateau show the typical trend of a sheared margin. At the northern rim of the Falkland Plateau a set of small pre-rift half grabens were found indicating pre-rift extensional tectonic phases. The magnetic data in the area off Uruguay show lineations which are preliminary interpreted as chrons M0 to M3. This might indicate that the first (oldest) oceanic crust was created at a time around the magnetic polarity reversal between the normal interval M4 and the reversed interval M3 (126-127 Ma). Together with existing data from previous cruises this indicates that the breakup of the South Atlantic started further South because there magnetic chrons back to M9 (130 Ma) were identified. In the southernmost part of the margin at 47°S only the magnetic lineations M0 to M4 were identified in the oceanic domain Nevertheless, it is likely that between M4 and the assumed position of the continent ocean boundary/transition (COB/COT) older oceanic crust exists that for some reasons does not show correlatable lineations. The the free-air gravity map is dominated by the main topographic and structural features in the survey area. Rifted continental margins are characterized by prominent free-air gravity anomalies elongated parallel to the ocean-continent transition. The continental slope is considerably steeper in the North off Uruguay than in the South and thus the gravity high is much more pronounced in the North than in the South. The simple Bouguer anomaly map also shows the difference between the more gentle and wider continental slope in the South and the steeper slope in the North. The lowest Bouguer gravity values are found in the area of the basins on the continental shelf. Especially the Salado Basin in the prolongation of the Rio de la Plata and the Colorado Basin at about 40°S are indicated by Bouguer gravity anomaly highs. The interpretation by forward density modelling shows, however, the presence of SDRS units in the North of relative high density in the area of the continental slope. Whereas the modelling shows no indications for such volcanic bodies in the South. Although the MCS data indicate a small SDRS wedge but this body may be too small to cause an anomaly.From 17th April to 6th June 2003 BGR conducted a marine geophysical cruise between 30°S and 38°S off the Atlantic coast of South Africa. The main research objective was to contribute to a better understanding of the initial breakup and the early opening of the South Atlantic. In continuation of our former work on the South Atlantic continental margins off Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Namibia marine geophysical research (multi-channel seismics, wide-angle refraction seismics, magnetics and gravity) was performed in cooperation with the Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA). Multi-channel lines with a total lenght of 3,260 km, and additional 1,365km, with the other geophysical methods were acquired. Combined onshore/offshore refraction seismic work in cooperation with GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (Germany) and the Council for Geoscience (South Africa) was also part of the program.
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