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USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Field Activity Details for field activity 2018-002-FA

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Other ID: MATRIX

Status: Completed

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

Funding Program(s): USGS GAS HYDRATES (LQ000FP)

Principal Investigator(s): Carolyn Ruppel

Affiliate Investigator(s):

Information Specialist(s): Nathaniel Miller, Carolyn Ruppel

Data Type(s): Seismics: Multichannel, Location-Elevation: Navigation, Seismics: Air Gun / Water Gun, Seismics: Sonobuoy, Sonar: Water column reflectivity, Sonar: Multibeam

Scientific Purpose/Goals: Acquire over 2000 line-km of MCS data with 210 in^3 GI-guns and sonobuoys (for long offsets) in the data gap for modern seismics on this margin; EK60/80 data

Vehicle(s):

Start Port/Location: Lewes, DE

End Port/Location: Lewes, DE

Start Date: 2018-08-08

End Date: 2018-08-28

Equipment Used: Simrad EK80, GI Air Gun, WAAS/DGPS, Expendable seismic sonobuoys, GeoEel digital streamer

Information to be Derived: gas hydrate distribution, geohazards

Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: Acquired just over 2000 line kilometers of multichannel seismic data between Hudson Canyon and Cape Hatteras, mostly using four 105/105 Sercel GI guns operated at 105 cubic inches volume and towed on 2 strings of two guns each as the source. The streamer of receivers was over 1 km long for most of the cruise, and most data were acquired between the shelf break and ~2500 m water depth. Seismic data were acquired both on dip lines and strike lines (deepwater and top of slope). Sonobuoys were deployed at 60 locations at water depths greater than 1000 m along the MCS survey lines. The EK80 with a 38 kHz transducer was operated continuously during the cruise to image water column methane bubbles. Ship's sensor and ADCP data available at: https://www.rvdata.us/search/cruise/HRS1807 Environmental compliance: Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) acquired for Marine Mammal Protection Act compliance; Biological Opinion issued by NMFS Office of Protected Resources for Endangered Species Act compliance. Miscellaneous consultations related to essential fish habitat, seabirds, etc. Finding of No Significant Impact issued by the USGS.

Staff: Jennifer McKee, Daniel Powers, Peter Dal Ferro, Wayne Baldwin, Emile Bergeron, David Foster, Eric Moore, Alexander Nichols

Affiliate Staff:

Notes: Nathan Miller co PI

Large amount of equipment being borrowed from Scripps


Project will require an IHA from NMFS (MMPA) and a biological opinion from OPR (ESA). IHA is expected on 6 August 2018

Location:

Mid-Atlantic margin, 35 nm south of Hudson Canyon to approximately Cape Hatteras, 100 m to 3500 m water depth

Boundaries
North: 39.24927085 South: 34.52466147 West: -75.21240234 East: -70.6640625

Platform(s):

photo of Hugh R. Sharp
Hugh R. Sharp

Publications

Baldwin, W.E., Bergeron, E.M., Foster, D.S., Moore, E.M., Nichols, A.R., O'Brien, T.F., Miller, N.C., and Ruppel, C.D., 2021, Split-beam echo sounder and navigation data collected using a Simrad EK80 wide band transceiver and ES38-10 transducer during the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS field activity 2018-002-FA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P948VJ4X.

Baldwin, W. E., Foster, D. S., Bergeron, E. M., Dal Ferro, P., McKee, J. A., Moore, E. M., Nichols, A. R., O'Brien, T. F., Powers, D., Miller, N. C., and Ruppel, C. D., 2020, Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using Sercel GI guns and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS field activity 2018-002-FA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P91WP1RZ.

Baldwin, W.E., Foster, D.S., Bergeron, E.M., Dal Ferro, P., McKee, J.A., Moore, E.M., Nichols, A.R., O'Brien, T.F., Powers, D., Miller, N.C., and Ruppel, C.D., 2021, Sonobuoy seismic and navigation data collected using Sercel GI guns and Ultra Electronics expendable sonobuoys during the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS Field Activity 2018-002-FA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P97LBUSP.

Majumdar, U., N.C. Miller, and C.D. Ruppel, 2022, Neural network mapping of seismic features related to gas hydrates and free gas accumulations on the Northern U.S. Atlantic Margin, Interpretation, 10, T785-T806, http://dx.doi.org/10.1190/INT-2021-0248.1.

Portals/Viewers

Documents associated with this activity

Title Survey Equipment Description
2018-002-FA_StreamerConfig_InfoLogs.pdf GeoEel digital streamer PDF formatted MCS streamer configuration diagrams and information logs.

Data Acquired

Survey EquipmentSurvey InfoData Type(s)Data Collected
Simrad EK80 --- Water column reflectivity
Multibeam
2018-002-FA_EK80 (Split-beam echo sounder and navigation data collected using a Simrad EK80 wide band tranceiver and ES38-10 transducer during the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS Field Activity 2018-002-FA)
GI Air GunUsed up to four Sercel 105/105 cubic inch generator-injector (GI) airguns.Air Gun / Water Gun
WAAS/DGPS --- Navigation
Expendable seismic sonobuoysUltra Electronics Maritime Systems Inc. expendable seismic sonobuoys models AN/SSQ-53D(3) and AN/SSQ-53GSonobuoy
2018-002-FA_SB (Sonobuoy seismic and navigation data collected using Sercel GI guns and Ultra Electronics seismic sonobuoys during the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS Field Activity 2018-002-FA)
GeoEel digital streamerStreamer composed of both solid state and oil-filled active sections of 50 and 100 m lengths (6.25 or 12.5 m groups, respectively) configured in active sections equalling 700 -1200 meters long.Boomer
Multichannel
Sparker
Air Gun / Water Gun
Bubble Gun
2018-002-FA_MCS (Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using Sercel GI guns and Geometrics GeoEel Digital Streamers during the Mid-Atlantic Resource Imaging Experiment (MATRIX), USGS Field Activity 2018-002-FA)

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