Field Activity Details for field activity W105SC

AKA: none

Other ID: W-1-05-SC,MBARI T783 to T808

Status: Completed

Organization(s): USGS, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Funding Program(s):

Principal Investigator(s): Charles Paull

Affiliate Investigator(s): Charlie Paull

Information Specialist(s): Bill Normark

Data Type(s): Location-Elevation: Navigation, Sampling: Geology

Scientific Purpose/Goals: (1) Three ROV dive days were planned to revisit USGS methane hydrate discovery on mud volcano 25 km west of Redondo Beach, CA. and map the summit area and surrounding seafloor of the 20-m-high mud volcano. Plans include sampling with vibracores, push cores, collecting fluid and gas samples and collecting living chemosynthetic biological communities (CBC) organisms. In addition, these dives would utilize a thermal probe for heat flow measurements. (2) Six dive days were planned in the local canyons, two each in Hueneme, Santa Monica, and Redondo canyons. The primary MBARI objective of these dives was to determine the recent sediment transport activity in each of these canyons with specific attention to tracking DDT residues. In addition, the USGS project interests were to determine the stratigraphy of the canyon walls. Dive sites were based on USGS multibeam bathymetry and high-resolution reflection profiles and were planned as transects across the lower canyon i proximal fan area in water depths from 300 to ~750 m in the narrow incised part of the canyon. The intention is to collect vibracore and push core along transects across the center of the axial channel and up the adjacent canyon walls.

Vehicle(s):

Start Port/Location: Moss Landing, CA

End Port/Location: Port Hueneme, CA

Start Date: 2005-02-09

End Date: 2005-02-18

Equipment Used: navigation, ROV Tiburon, vibratingcore

Information to be Derived: ROV Tiburon and CTD/rosette sampler (all MBARI equipment). Tiburon will be used to map and sample the sea floor (see Purpose and Goals above). The CTD/rosette sampler is for detection of methane gas in the water column. Extensive sea-floor video coverage to identify benthic fauna, active methane gas vents, etc. Sediment samples will be used for pore-water chemistry, hydrocarbon gas content, microbiological studies, isotopic age determinations, stable-element isotopic studies, benthic-foraminifera populations, and sediment stratigraphy (for canyon/fan channel dive sites).

Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: 1400/JD040 R/V Western Flyer departs Moss Landing. ~2000/JD040 Begin test of CTD/rosette sampler in upper Partington Canyon (MBARI operation) 2130/JD040 depart Partington Canyon station; begin transit to Santa Monica Basin 0630/JD041 On station for the first ROV dive of the expedition TIBURON Dive T-783 in Hueneme Canyon, Santa Monica Basin.. 2218/JD049 Complete final ROV Dive T808, also in Hueneme Canyon. The Western Flyer arrives in Port Hueneme at 0110/JD050. Refer to the Operation Log for details. A total of 26 TIBURON ROV dives were completed by the end of the nine-day operation on JD050. Of these dives, 5 were at the mud volcano or the alternate hydrate site, 9 were in Hueneme canyon or fan valley, 6 were in Santa Monica canyon or fan valley, 5 were in Redondo canyon or fan valley, and 1 was on the upper basin slope northwest of the head-scarp area of the Palos Verdes debris avalanche. During these dives, 55 vibracores were obtained that will come to the USGS for MST logging, photography, and description and probable archiving. Other cores that will come to the USGS are 30 vertical push cores that will be logged before splitting for photography and description. Cores not saved in their original polycarbonate core liners include 44 horizontal push cores, which were taken from vertical or near-vertical outcrops, and several samples from vertical push cores whose upper sections were sampled for geochemical analyses. The latter two sample types are stored in plastic ziplock bags. All primary objectives of the cruise were attained. The hydrate site at the mud volcano was examined and mapped, and active methane gas seeps were successfully sampled. A secondary site for this objective also proved to have active seeps supporting a large area of chemosynthetic vent-specific bivalves. The submarine canyon dives obtained samples that will be used to determine the cut and fill history of the canyons and the late Holocene depositional activity on their associated submarine fans.

Staff: Dan Benvenuti, Jim Bombaci, Dan Camp, Dan Chamberlin, Jennifer Dougherty, Patrick Duffy, Tzvetie Erohina, Dave French, Bill Normark

Affiliate Staff:
Charlie Paull
Bill Ussler
Rendy Keaten
Patrick Mitts
Doug Conlin
Lori Hibbeler
Husen Zhang
Randy Pricket
Brian Schaefer
Buzz Scott
Darrell Palmer
Eric Thunstrom
Tim McLaughlin
Derek Greenwood
Lance Wardle

Notes: (1) Station IDs reflect the Tiburon dive numbers set by MBARI. (2) Sample numbers are generally not consecutive but reflect permanent labels on coring and other devices that are randomly chosen before each dive, and many of the push cores are reused in later dives. USGS sample protocol could not used during dives except for the Activity ID (W-1-05-SC). (3) Sample numbers recorded in FACS reflect only those samples that will be brought to the USGS for logging, description, and, in most cases, archiving. (4) Water samples collected by CTD/rosette sampler are generally not entered in FACS log because samples are processed on board for MBARI program and for Lorenson project.

Staff information imported from InfoBank
Charlie Paull
Bill Ussler
Rendy Keaten
Patrick Mitts
Doug Conlin
Bill Normark
Jennifer Dougherty
Lori Hibbeler
Tzvetie Erohina
Husen Zhang
Billy Reynolds
Dave French
Randy Pricket
Brian Schaefer
Buzz Scott
Darrell Palmer
Patrick Duffy
Eric Thunstrom
Tim McLaughlin
Derek Greenwood
Lance Wardle
Jim Bombaci
Dan Chamberlin
Dan Camp
Dan Benvenuti

Location:

California Continental Borderland

Platform(s):

Publications

Portals/Viewers

Data Acquired