View the full Parizeau cruise report (PDF): 91-062report.pdf

The first three pages of the Parizeau Cruise report are shown below.

Appendix

Previously unpublished Canadian Geological Survey report:
CRUISE REPORT PARIZEAU 91-062
Prepared by D.J.W. Piper

(scanned and reformatted to fit on fewer pages)

CRUISE REPORT PARIZEAU 91-062

Dates:    25 January 1992 - 4 February 1992, Sidney to San Diego
Master:    Captain F. Berchem
Senior Scientist: D.J.W. Piper, A.G.C.
Responsible agency: Atlantic Geoscience Centre

	CONTENTS	Page
Introduction
	Objectives	2
	Cruise summary	2
	Scientific highlights	2
	Scientific staff	2
	Summary of technical problems and recommendations	2
Log of operations		3
	Detailed narrative	3
	Equipment used	6
Preliminary scientific results		9
	Introduction and previous work	9
	Huntec DTS records	10
	Sleeve gun records	11
	References	13
Regional map of Santa Monica Basin		14
Track plot		15
Tables of data		16
	Line number start/stop times	16
	Huntec records	17
	Bathymetry	17
	Airgun seismics	18
	Analogue tapes	18
	Digital tapes	19

INTRODUCTION

Objectives

The original objective of this cruise was to define, using various seismic reflection profiling systems, the growth pattern of Navy Fan (offshore from San Diego in the California Continental Borderland) over the past few hundred thousand years. Specifically, the goals were to better understand the processes that lead to the formation of sandy submarine fans and the role of sea level changes in their formation. This seismic work was also intended as a site survey for possible ODP shallow drilling. Because permission to work in Mexican waters was refused (25 Jan 1992), the same objectives were addressed on the Hueneme fan complex in Santa Monica Basin, California. The transit of CSS Parizeau provided a unique opportunity to study such modern sandy submarine fan deposits in water depths shallow enough for Huntec profiling.

Cruise summary

About 850 line km of high quality Huntec DTS and sleeve gun reflection profiles were obtained of Hueneme, Mugu and Dume submarine fans, Santa Monica Basin, off southern California. The data show for the first time the detailed distribution of sand bodies on a modern sandy submarine fan.

Scientific highlights

1. The detailed 3-dimensional geometry of sand and mud deposits in a modern submarine fan has been determined from upper fan valley to basin floor, with a thickness resolution of about 1 m. This is the first time that stratigraphic resolution comparable with outcrops on land is available from a modern sandy submarine fan.

2. Variations in sediment type, supplied by various pathways into Santa Monica Basin and the adjacent basin slopes, are inferred to be related to sea-level change. If true, then the alternation of sandy and muddy deposition may provide a chronostratigraphy, for the fan sequences, allowing assessment of models relating deep-water sand deposition to sea level changes.

3. The survey provides high-quality data for an ODP proposal to examine sandy turbidite facies on a modern fan.

4. The improved understanding of sand-body geometry is directly relevant to hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in deep-water sands.

Scientific staff

David J.W. Piper	AGC
William R. Normark	US Geological Survey, Menlo Park
Richard N. Hiscott	Memorial University of Newfoundland
Martin Guerrero	Universidad Autonoma de Guerrero, Mexico
Jess Nielsen	Seismic tech, AGC
Austin Boyce	Electronics tech, ACC
Roy Sparkes	Navigation and data tech, AGC
Graham Standen	Huntec tech, Axys Environmental

Summary of problems and recommendations

No significant problems were encountered; the Master, officers and crew supported the program in every possible way despite their workload related to running a new ship. A variety of minor suggestions concerning the ship have been passed on orally to the Chief Officer.

As for issues of concern to ACC, the SE880 digital recorder provided most of our problems: details are given below. In particular, note the recommendation on STOP function and the problems of setting the recording window. One of two seismic LSR recorders was unsatisfactory, and was replaced with the 3.5 kHz LSR. There was one 2-hour failure of the Huntec console unit; and the float for the sleeve gun was lost early in the survey.

View the full Parizeau cruise report (PDF): 91-062report.pdf