A clay mineral investigation of six cores from the Gulf of Mexico

Samples were studied from each color change along six gravity cores from nearshore to deep-sea areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Analytical methods and techniques used to characterize the sediments were X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, cation exchange capacity, particle size distribution and fractionation of the clay-size material with the supercentrifuge.     

The method of calculating the current velocity's verticla component in problems of fluid dynamics in reservoirs

A new algorithm for calculating the vertical velocity is suggested. Horizontal current velocity components are expressed through level inclination and wind/temperature forcing. The acquired relations are given in the difference form, with the accuracy being sufficiently high. The algorithm is tested using cases where a numerical solution is matched up with an exact one. The derived data are subsequently analysed. Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Radioelement distribution in river,beach, and offshore areas and their significance to Chavara placer deposit,Southern Kerala Coast of India

The radioelement and heavy mineral distribution in river, beach and innershelf areas of the southern Kerala coast is related to placer mineral concentration on the beaches at Chavara. Southern Kerala rivers—Neyyar, Karamana and Vamanapuram—transport higher amounts of radioactive elements than the larger Kallada River due to higher radioactive minerals in the hinterland rocks. Coastal configurations and the seasonal longshore current pattern seems to control along-shore distribution of minerals. The proposed model for placer concentration suggests that the energy difference and seasonal current direction along this coast is important.     

Effects of organic pollutants on methanogenesis,sulfate reduction and carbon dioxide evolution in salt marsh sediments

Anaerobic salt marsh sediments were amended with a variety of organic pollutants and the effects on methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and carbon dioxide evolution were examined. Addition of 1000 μg g^?1 (dry weight sediment) Arochlor 1221, lindane, endrin, benzene and phenanthrene resulted in no significant effects on the activities studied. Methanogenesis was inhibited by 1000 μg g^?1toxaphene, PCP, chlordane, naphthalene, DDT, Kepone and heptachlor and by 100 μg g^?1 PCP and toxaphene. At 1000 μg g^?1 naphthalene and toxaphene and 100 μg g^?1 PCP, a period of initial inhibition of methanogenesis was followed by stimulation relative to controls. Arochlor 1254 (1000 μg g^?1) and Temik (500 and 10 μg g^?1) stimulated methanogenesis from the outset. Temik at 500 μg g^?1 gave the greatest stimulation of methanogenesis (900% of controls) of any of the compounds studied. Sulfate reduction was inhibited by 1000 μg g^?1 PCP, toxaphene, naphthalene and chlordane and by 500 μg g^?1 atrazine and 100 μg g^?1 heptachlor. Sustained inhibition of sulfate reduction by naphthalene, toxaphene and PCP may have contributed to the stimulation of methanogenesis. Carbon dioxide evolution was not significantly affected by most of the compounds studied except for 100 μg g^?1 PCP and 1000 μg g^?1 aphthalene, each of which gave significant inhibition in only one of three experiments.Concentrations of individual organic pollutants required to cause observable effects were high. It is concluded that, except for highly polluted sediments, methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and CO₂ evolution would not be affected by the compounds studied here at concentrations typically found in the environment.     

Effect of wave-directionality on second-order loads induced by the set-down

At first-order of approximation a sea-state may be considered as an infinite sum of Airy components with angular frequencies ω_i and wave-number vectors k_i. A second-order analysis shows the co-existence of long waves appearing at the difference frequencies ω_i—ω_j with wave-number vectors k_i—k_j. In shallow water they become appreciable in amplitudes and may induce slow-drift motion of moored structures.For small values of ω_i—ω_j,k_i—k_j may take all kinds of directions for an angular-spread wave system. Then it may be questioned how the in-line and transverse second-order accelerations compare to those obtained for a mono-directional wave-system.This analysis is carried out here by relating the spectra of the second-order horizontal accelerations to the directional wave-spectrum. Numerical applications are first performed for deep water. They show that at low frequencies, even for very narrowly spread wave systems, the transverse component is larger than the in-line component. In shallow water both components are dratically reduced as compared to the mono-directional case. As a consequence one may question the validity of model-testings or numerical models which take no account of the directionality of the wave-system.     

Imagery of the inhomogeneities of currents on the ocean surface state

The influence of inhomogeneities of surface currents on the intensity of breaking wind waves is considered and a model for the relation between whitecap contrasts and the tensor of current gradients is developed. The imagery of typical patterns of ocean currents is discussed. The results of field observations supporting this model are given.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

Deep sea navigation techniques

Accurate navigation forms an essential part of all research at sea and the deep ocean imposes it's own unique problems. This chapter discusses several of the techniques in current use on the research vessels of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), concentrating on those systems which provide global navigation facilities, as opposed to the more localised, coastal aids. Whilst most of the systems rely on surface propagation of radio waves, the use of acoustics and sea-bed mapping instruments constitute accurate alternatives for some sub-sea applications.     

Evidence for slope instability and current-induced sediment transport,the RMSTitanic wreck search area,Newfoundland rise

The first map of the sea bed morphology and sedimentary features within the RMSTitanic search area is proposed from the interpretation of SAR side-scan sonar images. Downslope sedimentary features such as erosional furrows and crown scarps constitute a 7 km wide instability corridor. A large field (15 km²) of asymmetrical sediment waves indicating a downslope transport is identified. Current-induced features corresponding to associated sand ribbons and barchan dunes resulting from the Western Boundary Undercurrent action are mapped. The morphology of theTitanic Canyon is also precised from the SAR images. Finally, the origin of the sea bed features is discussed in an attempt to link each bed form to a sedimentary process.     

The Bengal Fan: Some preliminary results from ODP drilling

Three deep holes, with a maximum penetration of 960 m below sea floor, were drilled into the distal Bengal Fan just south of the equator during ODP Leg 116. The entire section recovered is dominated by sandy silt and mud turbidites derived from the Ganges Delta and from the continental margin of the western Bay of Bengal, interbedded with thin pelagic clays and with biogenic turbidites probably from a local sea mount source. The effects of Hi-Malayan uplift, sea level fluctuations, local tectonics, and fan channel/lobe processes have closely interacted to produce the observed sedimentary record of the past 17 million years since the early Miocene.Coauthors include: James R. Cochran, Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory (Co-chief scientist); Dorrik A. V. Stow, Nottingham University, England (Co-chief scientist); Christian A. Auroux, Texas A & M University, USA (ODP staff scientist); Kazou Amano, Ibaraki University, Japan; Peter S. Balson, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Notts, England; Jacques Boulegue, Pierre & Marie Curie University, Paris, France; Garrett W. Brass, University of Miami, Florida, USA; Jeffrey Corrigan, University of Texas, Austin, USA; Stefan Gartner, Texas A & M University, USA; Stuart A. Hall, University of Houston, Texas, USA; Silvia Iaccarino, University of Parma, Italy; Toshio Ishizuka, University of Tokyo, Japan; trena Kacmarska, Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada; Heidemarie Kassens, Kiel University, West Germany; Gregory Leger, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Franca Proto Decima, University of Padova, Italy; C. V. Raman, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India; William W. Sager, Texas A & M University, USA; Kozo Takahashi, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA; Thomas Thompson, 580 Euclid Ave, Boulder, Colo, USA; Jean-Jacques Tiercelin, University of Bretagne, Brest, France; Mark Townsend, University of Nottingham, England; Andreas Wetzel, Tubingen University, West Germany; N. P. Wijayananda, National Aquatatic Resource Agency, Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Colin Williams, Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory.     

Descriptive Analysis and Classification of Benthic Communities in Some Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons (Central Italy)

Abstract. Benthic samples were taken seasonally at 32 stations in five coastal lagoons of Central Italy (Fogliano, Monaci, Caprolace, Fondi, and Lungo) during a two-year period (1982–1984). Composition and distribution of benthic populations in each lagoon as well as seasonal trends of species richness, density, diversity, and redundancy are presented and discussed.
The faunal differentiation appeared to be mainly due to the different degree of water exchange, both with marine and continental systems.