scholarly journals Logs of short push cores, deep-water margin of Flemish Cap and the eastern Grand Banks of Newfoundland

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Weitzman ◽  
S Ledger ◽  
C D Stacey ◽  
G Strathdee ◽  
D J W Piper ◽  
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Keyword(s):  
2010 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Murillo ◽  
P. Durán Muñoz ◽  
A. Altuna ◽  
A. Serrano

Abstract Murillo, F. J., Durán Muñoz, P., Altuna, A., and Serrano, A. 2011. Distribution of deep-water corals of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass, and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Northwest Atlantic Ocean): interaction with fishing activities. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 319–332. The distribution of deep-water corals of the Flemish Cap, Flemish Pass, and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland is described based on bycatch from Spanish/EU bottom trawl groundfish surveys between 40 and 1500 m depth. In all, 37 taxa of deep-water corals were identified in the study area: 21 alcyonaceans (including the gorgonians), 11 pennatulaceans, 2 solitary scleractinians, and 3 antipatharians. The greatest diversity of coral species was on the Flemish Cap. Corals were most abundant along the continental slope, between 600 and 1300 m depth. Soft corals (alcyonaceans), sea fans (gorgonians), and black corals (antipatharians) were most common on bedrock or gravel, whereas sea pens (pennatulaceans) and cup corals (solitary scleractinians) were found primarily on mud. The biomass of deep-water corals in the bycatches was highest in previously lightly trawled or untrawled areas, and generally low in the regularly fished grounds. The information derived from bottom-trawl bycatch records is not sufficient to map vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) accurately, but pending more detailed habitat mapping, it provides a valuable indication of the presence/absence of VMEs that can be used to propose the candidate areas for bottom fishery closures or other conservation measures.


1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-99
Author(s):  
H. T. Yan

A drilling system is described for geotechnical exploration and soil sampling in the seabed, modelled after the concept of the marine riser pipe. The system derives its stability from a "tensioning weight," in the form of a cylindrical concrete block at the bottom, which keeps the conductor pipe in tension at all times. The axial tension from the tensioning weight and the self-weight of the conductor pipe substantially reduce the bending effects in the conductor pipe resulting from current and wave forces, as well as from the drift of the drilling vessel. The lateral reaction required to keep the pipe in place at the sea floor is provided by a concrete footblock. The bottom end of the conductor pipe slides into the footblock, which has a doughnut-shaped cross section that allows for the vertical movement or heave of the drilling vessel. The Hermitian equation is used to solve for the secondary effects due to the deformation of the flexible conductor under wave or current forces and the self-weight of the conductor pipe. The system has been used successfully on the Grand Banks in 122 m of water. Keywords: geotechnical exploration, sampling, deep water drilling, marine riser analogy, tensioning weight.


2018 ◽  
Vol 477 (1) ◽  
pp. 583-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Schulten ◽  
David C. Mosher ◽  
Sebastian Krastel ◽  
David J. W. Piper ◽  
Markus Kienast

AbstractA Mw 7.2 earthquake centred beneath the upper Laurentian Fan of the SW Newfoundland continental slope triggered a damaging turbidity current and tsunami on 18 November 1929. The turbidity current broke telecommunication cables, and the tsunami killed 28 people and caused major infrastructure damage along the south coast of Newfoundland. Both events are believed to have been derived from sediment mass failure as a result of the earthquake. This study aims to identify the volume and kinematics of the 1929 slope failure in order to understand the geohazard potential of this style of sediment failure. Ultra-high-resolution seismic reflection and multibeam swath bathymetry data are used to determine: (1) the dimension of the failure area; (2) the thickness and volume of failed sediment; (3) fault patterns and displacements; and (4) styles of sediment failure. The total failure area at St Pierre Slope is estimated to be 5200 km2, recognized by escarpments, debris fields and eroded zones on the seafloor. Escarpments are typically 20–100 m high, suggesting failed sediment consisted of this uppermost portion of the sediment column. Landslide deposits consist mostly of debris flows with evidence of translational, retrogressive sliding in deeper water (>1700 m) and evidence of instantaneous sediment failure along fault scarps in shallower water (730–1300 m). Two failure mechanisms therefore seem to be involved in the 1929 submarine landslide: faulting and translation. The main surficial sediment failure concentrated along the deep-water escarpments consisted of widely distributed, translational, retrogressive failure that liquefied to become a debris flow and rapidly evolved into a massive channelized turbidity current. Although most of the surficial failures occurred at these deeper head scarps, their deep-water location and retrogressive nature make them an unlikely main contributor to the tsunami generation. The localized fault scarps in shallower water are a more likely candidate for the generation of the tsunami, but further research is needed in order to address the characteristics of these fault scarps.


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