ALBERT

Description: Available data on composition of sediments from the inner and outer continental shelves of the Southwest Africa, and on currents and variations of sea level in the Upper Quaternary are examined to elucidate the process of phosphate material concentration. Sand and gravel fractions in diatom oozes from the inner shelf have much higher phosphorus contents than adjoining sediments. This is due to presence of diagenetic phosphate nodules. As sea level varies, fine sediments are eroded by waves or currents that leads to formation of coarse-grained phosphate sediments.

Description: The cores and dredges described in this report were taken on the ARIES Expedition from November 1970 until October 1971 by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography from the R/V Thomas Washington. A total of 65 cores and dredges were recovered and are available at Scripps for sampling and study.

Description: At Sites 47 and 48, impenetrable and cherty Upper Cretaceous chalks were found. The upper part of what infer to be lower Cretaceous is even more reflective, and likely to be very cherty (and was found to be cherty in the Vema core). It became clear that basement could only be reached where the Upper Cretaceous and the upper part of the lower Cretaceous are absent. However, west of Site 48, the R/V Argo record showed an area in which the Upper Cretaceous has wedged out down dip, and the Lower Cretaceous is thinning out by loss of the strongly reflective beds at the top. This area appeared to offer the best chance for sampling the lowermost transparent layer. Two holes were drilled: Hole 49.0 and Hole 49.1 after Hole 49.0 stopped at 18 m. Beds near the base of sedimentary sequence revealed by the seismic profiles are found to be of early Cretaceous (Neocomian) or latest Jurassic (Tithonian) age, and of pelagic facies. The crust under the Shatsky Rise is latest Jurassic or older.

Description: Site 49 had been selected to investigate the basal part of the sedimentary sequence as revealed by the acoustic profiles, and to sample the underlying opaque material. However, the cherty nature of the sediments prevented penetration of the section at Site 49, and the only recourse appeared to be to move to a spot of even thinner sedimentary cover. Such a place existed, just downslope from Site 49, where Horizon B' comes very close to the surface, this is where Site 50 was selected.

Description: Having been stopped by chert in the Maestrichtian at Site 47, a site was looked for which would give an adequate Cenozoic thickness for satisfactory spudding-in, yet promised to lead from this into an older part of the section. This is the first record of Middle Maestrichtian in pelagic carbonate facies from the Northwest Pacific and surrounding lands, a matter of paleontologic-biostratigraphic importance.

Description: During the fourth and fifth legs of Scan Expedition, drill Sites 53 and 60 were surveyed and Site 59 was traversed. In addition to the drill site surveys, several other areas across the Mariana Arc System were investigated in some detail, guided by reconnaissance work aboard the R/V Argo from the previous year. The remarkable similarities in the occurrence and relative positions of a wide range of structural features in western Pacific arc systems strongly suggest a common mechanism of origin. The area in which crustal deformation related to island arc tectonism is occurring, more extensive and complex than generally recognized, is defined as the active island arc system; this includes not only the trench and volcanic chain, but also the deep basin and submarine ridge on the concave side of the active volcanoes.

Description: The results at Site 59 suggested that Mesozoic sediments are present beneath a thin Tertiary cover in the region north of the Caroline Ridge near the Mariana Trench. Since one of the principal objectives of the drilling program was to find old Pacific crust, and since the section at Site 59 was not fully penetrated, it seemed worth a determined effort to go beyond the level reached at Site 59, somewhere in the same general area, in an attempt to reach basement. As the reflection profile taken by Argo (SCAN Leg V) through Site 59 shows the section above thesmooth basement reflector (Horizon B?) thinning northwestward from about 0.3 to 0.15 second, by loss of part of the lower "transparent" layer, this is were Site 61 was located.

Description: The sedimentary section at Site 62 on Eauripik Ridge can be traced eastward into the East Caroline Basin. It was decided to drill a hole to basement in the eastern part of East Caroline Basin to determine the age of the upper strong reflectors and to test the hypothesis that sediments older than any at Site 62 are present. A nearly complete section was obtained from middle Oligocene to Quaternary, unconformably overlying basalt containing middle Oligocene chalk xenoliths. The sediments consist of chalk and chalk ooze in the Oligocene and Miocene, and of marl ooze and calcareous clay in the Pliocene and Quaternary.

Description: The interstitial water received at UCLA from Leg 7 (Guam to Hawaii) consisted of forty-two samples of approximately 5 milliliters each, three samples of approximately 10 milliliters each, and three samples of approximately 100 milliliters each. These pore waters had been squeezed from sediments consisting primarily of biogenic ooze, and had been collected at five different drilling sites along the route. High cobalt value were observed at Site 66 and were accompanied by a relatively high manganese concentration, but more normal iron, nickel and copper concentrations. This apparent cobalt enrichment could not be explained at the time of procedure. The line Islands area were Site 66 is situated was later notoriously known for its high Co values in manganese crust deposits (see, He, G., Ma, W., Song, C., Yang, S., Zhu, B., Yao, H., Jiang, X., Cheng, Y., 2011. Distribution characteristics of seamount cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts and the determination of the size of areas for exploration and exploitation. Acta Oceanologica Sinica 30, 63–75. doi:10.1007/s13131-011-0120-9).

Description: Site 67 is on the Hawaiian Arch, in the general region selected for one of the Mohole Project sites. Therefore, intensive geophysical surveys have been made in the area. The objectives were to penetrate the entire sedimentary sequence to basement in order to learn the petrology and ages of the sediments and of the seismic reflectors, and to obtain samples of the underlying basement rocks. Well consolidated and bedded volcanic sandstone and mudstone, and claystone were found to extend from the sea floor to a depth of 60 meters, where a layer of hard brown porcelanite stopped the bit. Displaced radiolarians in mud from a core at 60 meters indicate sediments of early Eocene or late Paleocene age are present somewhere above that depth.

Description: An acoustically very transparent layer is present over much of the deep basin—here termed the Central Basin—between the Gilbert and Marshall Islands on the west and the Line Islands on the east. The Pacific Panel recommended drilling in this region to sample at least the upper transparent layer, and the first opaque layer beneath. Several possible sites were considered by the panel and by the shipboard party. Of paramount importance in choosing a particular site was a concern that sufficient sediments be present to bury the bottom-hole assembly (the drill collars and bumper subs) before the bit struck hard rock. A set of nearly continuous cores of an apparently uninterrupted section of radiolarian ooze ranging in age from middle Eocene to Recent was obtained, but the bit did not reach the deepest seismic reflector. Below depths of 127 meters, in the Oligocene and Eocene, thin chert and turbidite beds are sparsely interbedded with ooze.

Description: One of the principal objectives in the Central Pacific Basin was to elucidate the Paleobathymetric history of the region, which is located amidst groups of atolls and guyots that have subsided as much as 2 kilometers since mid-Cretaceous times. After failure to penetrate the entire sedimentary section and to sample basement at Site 65, on the west side of the Central Basin another site in the Basin where basement rocks might be sampled was searched. Likely places were known from unpublished reflection profiles on the east side of the Basin near the Line Islands by the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics. Finally it was decided to drill a transparent section once again in this area acoiding turbidites formations.

Description: Site 70 is located about 20 miles north of the northern boundary of the Clipperton Fracture Zone near 140° W. It is the northernmost of the N-S line of sites drilled during Leg 8 to investigate the east-west trending accumulation of sediment centered at about 2°N near 140°W. It lies about 500 miles south of Site 42 of Leg 5, the southernmost of a line of sites continuing to the north. The R/V Argo SCAN survey indicated that the area was one of low, broad abyssal hills, 2 to 10 miles in width on E-W profiles, with relatively thick sediment cover.

Description: Site 74 is located 250 miles northeast of the Marquesas Islands and lies 270 miles south of Site 73 and 400 miles north of Site 75. It is one of the sites along the N-S line drilled during Leg 8 to investigate the east-west trending accumulation of sediments centered about 2°N near 140°W. Site 74 is located near the center of a relatively flat area about 3 miles across. There is some indication of minor deformation at the site.

Description: Site 75 is located 300 miles southeast of the Marquesas Islands; 400 miles south of Site 74. It is the southernmost of the sites along the N-S line drilled during Leg 8 to investigate the east-west trending accumulation of sediments centered about 2°N near 140°W. This site is a replacement for the site at 31°S originally chosen by the JOIDES Pacific Advisory Panel (PAP Site 27). The original site was not drilled since a preliminary R/V Argo SCAN survey indicated insufficient sediment thickness.

Description: Five of 34 dredge hauls taken in the Atlantic Ocean recovered a material tentatively described on shipboard as a salmon-colored clay. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the clay material to consist principally of palygorskite. Occurring with the palygorskite are quartz, calcite, and dolomite. It is suggested that the palygorskite (and sepiolite) is the result of chemical precipitation brought about by the reaction of hydrothermal solutions with sea water.

Description: Testing of a continuous bucket-line dredging system was carried out in the South Pacific August 23 through September 14, 1970 by Japan Resources Association aboard the vessel "Chiyoda Maru No. 2". Fifteen dredge stations were occupied, and the system was tested at depths of 1080, 3755, and 1220 meters. The system is designed to recover manganese nodules, and the tests helped to verify its feasibility. A brief discussion of the merits of the continuous bucket-line compared to other continuous systems is made.

Description: The purpose of the data file presented below is twofold: the first purpose is to make available in printed form the basic data relating to the samples collected as part of the joint U.S. Geological Survey - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution program of study of the Atlantic continental margin of the United States; the second purpose is to maintain these data in a form that is easily retrievable by modern computer methods. With the data in such form, repeated manual transcription for statistical or similar mathematical treatment becomes unnecessary. Manual plotting of information or derivatives from the information may also be eliminated. Not only is handling of data by the computer considerably faster than manual techniques, but a fruitful source of errors, transcription mistakes, is eliminated.

Description: A geophysical survey was conducted off Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands over a four-week period (July 12 to August 5, 1970) as part of HUDSON-70 expedition. The HUDSON-70 expedition was organized as part of the Canadian contribution to the International Decade of Oceanographic Exploration. The geophysical survey was conducted to study the subsurface structure across the continental margin off the British Columbia coast and in the deep ocean basins. The present report contains descriptions of the various measurements made during this cruise and the data collected.

Description: Manganese encrustations from two adjacent sampling sites in the Gulf of Aden display markedly different compositional characteristics. The enrichment of manganese, and consequent depletion of iron and a series of trace elements, in the manganiferous crusts from Sta. 6243 is attributed to the diagenetic remobilisation of manganese within the sediment column and the resultant enrichment of this element in the encrustations from this station. Molybdenum, and possibly nickel, appear to show similar migration characteristics. Submarine vulcanism does not appear to play any significant role in controlling nodule composition within the area.

Description: The cores and dredges described in this report were taken on the KH-69-2 Expedition in April-June, 1969 by the Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo from the Hakuho Maru. A total of 12 cores and dredges sites have been recovered.

Description: Lake George, New York, is the site of a new discovery of iron-manganese nodules. These nodules occur at a water depth between 21 and 36 m along a stretch of lake extending for about 5 mi north and south of the Narrows, a constricted island-dotted area which separates the north and south Lake George basins. Nodules occur on or within the uppermost 5 cm of a varved glacial clay. Some areas are solidly floored with a carpet of nodules in areas where active currents keep the nodules exposed. The nodules form around nuclei which consist of clay and less commonly of spore capsules, detrital particles, or bark. By their shape we recognize three types of nodules: spherical, discoidal, and lumps. On X-ray examination all nodules show small goethite peaks; in one nodule the manganese mineral birnessite was identified. Manganese and part of the iron appears to be in X-ray amorphous ferromanganese compounds. The Lake George nodules are enriched in iron with respect to marine nodules but are lower in manganese. They have a higher trace element concentration than nodules from other known freshwater lake occurrences, but a lower concentration than marine nodules.

Description: The nodules from the Briançon area in the French Alps show two types of cauliflower shaped botryoidal growth. One could be diagenetic and the other purely chemical. They could also be in-situ stromatolite like in their origin but this needs to be confirmed.

Description: Recent clays cover the East Atlantic continental slopes. They are gray and poor in sand off Portugal (Cape Sines), but reddish brown to reddish gray and richer in sand off Morocco (Cape Mazagan). The majority of the 19 sediment cores, which were taken mainly on two profiles (Fig. 3), can be correlated by means of planktonic foraminifera (Figs. 27, 28). The following parameters seem to be well suited for this purpose: qualitative and quantitative distribution of the planktonic foraminiferal species and faunas, coiling ratios of three Globorotalia-species: G. crassaformis, G. hirsuta and G. truncatulinoides. Sediments from about 2000 m water depth show highest sedimentation rates off Portugal (〉 20 cm/1000 yrs.), but off Morocco the lowest sedimentation rates (about 3 cm/1000 yrs.). The sediments are dated with planktonic foraminifera and 31 radiocarbon analyses and the stratigraphic interpretation is supported by the lithostratigraphy. Holocene faunas are distinguished from the Pleistocene ones by differences in species composition, lower dominances and higher diversities. The Holocene sediments show smaller differences of the foraminiferal numbers than the Pleistocene ones. During Holocene and Pleistocene the temperatures of the surface water masses (indicated by the planktonic foraminiferal faunas) show similar values nearshore and offshore off Morocco. Likewise, there is no apparent temperature gradient in the Pleistocene off Portugal; whereas here values increase offshore during the Holocene. The proportion of species indicating warmer water masses is generally higher off Morocco. The plankton/benthos ratio increases with water depth and reaches maximum values already at about 1000 m. The production rate for planktonic foraminifera is higher in the continental slope regions than in the open ocean, but their shells show typical solution phenomena already in water depths of less than 1000 m. A higher solutional rate was found in sediments from the Tagus Abyssal Plain, while sediments from Horse Shoe and Seine Abyssal Plain seem to be better preserved. In the Tagus Abyssal Plain solution is less important during late Pleistocene than during Holocene.

Description: 1. Morphology and sedimentation The deepest parts of the Persian Gulf lie off the Iranian coast. Several swells separate the Persian Gulf into the Western Basin, the Central Basin and the Strait of Hormuz, which leads without noticeable morphological interruption onto the Biaban Shelf; the latter gradually drops off towards the continental slope, which itself has a strongly subdivided morphology. The sediment distribution in the Western Basin runs parallel to the basin's axis to a depth of 50 -60 m. This is caused by the shallow and uniform slope of the Iranian coast into the Western Basin, by clear exposure of the area to the Shamal-Winds and by tidal currents parallel to the basin's axis. Most other parameters also show isolines parallel to the coast line. Data from the sediment analyses show a net transport which extends out along the Central Swell: coarse fraction 〉 63 µ, total carbonate content, carbonate in fine fractions 〈 2 µ, 2-6 µ and 20-63 µ, calcite-aragonite ratios in the fine fractions 2-6 µ and 20-63 µ and quartz-dolomite ratios in fine fraction 2-6 µ. At least the uppermost 10-40 m of this sediment is late Holocene. This implies sedimentation rates of several meters per 1000 years. The slope from the Iranian coast into the Central Basin (max. depth 100 m) is generally steeper, with interspersed islands and flats. Both facts tend to disturb a sediment dustribition parallel to the basin's axis over extensive areas and may preclude any such trend from being detected by the methods and sample net used. The spatial distribution of the coarse fraction, however, seems to indicate sediment transport at greater water depths perpendicular to the basin's long axis and along the steepest gradients well into the Central Basin. The flats of the Central Basin have a sediment cover distinctly different from those of the deeper basin areas. Characteristic parameters are the extremely high percentages of coarse grained sediments, total content of carbonate CO2 over 40, low total organic carbon content, (however values are high if calculated on the basis of the 〈 63 µ fraction), low total N-content, and low C/N ratios. These characteristics probably result from the absence of any terrigenous material being brought in as well as from exposure to wave action. Finest terrigenous material is deposited in the innermost protected part of the Hormuz Bay. In the deep channel cut into the Biaban Shelf which carries the Persian Gulf out-flow water to the Indian Ocean, no fine grained sediment is deposited as shown by grain size data. 2. Geographic settings and sedimentation Flat lands border the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf except for the Oman region. The high and steep Zagros Mountains form the Iranian coastline. Flat topography in combination with generally low precipitation precludes fluviatile sediment being added from the South. Inorganic and biogenic carbonates accumulating under low sedimentation rates are dominant on the shallow Arabic Shelf and the slopes into the Western and Central Basins. The fluviatile sediment brought in from the Iranian side, however decisively determine the composition of the Holocene sediment cover in the Persian Gulf and on the Biaban Shelf. Holocene sediments extend 20-30 km seaward into the Western Basin and about 25 km on to the Biaban Shelf. As mentioned before, sedimentation rates are of several meters/1000 years. The rocks exposed in the hinterland influence the sediments. According to our data the Redbeds of the Zagros Mountains determine the colour of the very fine grained sediments near the Iranian Coast of the Persian Gulf. To the West of Hormuz, addition of carbonate minerals is particularly high. Dolomite and protodolomite, deposited only in this area, as well as palygorskite, have proven to be excellent trace minerals. To the East of Hormuz, the supply of terrigenous carbonates is considerably lower. Clay minerals appear to bring in inorganically bound nitrogen thus lowering the C/N ratio in these sediments especially off river mouths. 3. Climate and sedimentation The Persian Gulf is located in a climatically arid region. This directly affects sedimentation through increased wind action and the infrequent but heavy rainfalls which cause flash floods. Such flash floods could be responsible for transporting sedheats into the Central Basin in a direction perpendicular to the Gulf's axis. Eolian influx is difficult to asses from our data; however, it probably is of minor importance from the Iranian side and may add, at the most, a few centimeters of fine sediment per 1000 years. 4. Hydrology and sedimentation High water temperatures favor inorganic carbonate precipitation in southern margin of the Gulf, and probably on the flats, as well as biogenic carbonate production in general. High evaporation plus low water inflow through rivers and precipitation cause a circulation pattern that is typical for epicontinental seas within the arid climate region. Surface water flows in from the adjoining ocean, in this case the Indian Ocean and sinks to the bottom of the Persian Gulf mainly in the northern part of the Western Basin, on the "Mesopotamischer Flachschelf" ard probably in the area of the "Arabischer Flachschelf". This sinking water continually rejuvenates the bottom out-flow water. The inflowing surface water from the Indian Ocean brings organic matter into the Persian Gulf, additional nutrients are added by the "fresh" upwelling waters of the Gulf of Oman. Both nutrients and organic matter diminish very rapidly as the water moves into the Persian Gulf. This depletion of nutrients and organic matter is the reasonfor generally low organic carbon contents of the Persian Gulf sediments. The Central Swell represents a distinct boundary, to the west of which the organic carbon content are lower than to the east when sediment samples of similar grain size distribution are compared. The outflow carries well oxygenated water over the bottom of the Persian Gulf and the resulting oxidation further decreases the content of organic matter. In the Masandam-Channel and in the Biaban-Shelf channel, the outflowing water prevents deposition of fine material and transports sediment particles well beyond the shelf margin. The outflowing water remains at a depth of 200-300 m depending on its density and releases ist suspending sediment load to the ocean floor, irrespectative of the bottom morphology. This is reflected in several parameters in which the sediments from beneath the outflow differ from nearby sediments not affected by the outflowing water. High carbonate content of total samples and of the individual size fraction as well as high aragonite and dolomite contents of individual size fractions characterize the sediment beneath the outflowing water. The tidal currents, which avt more or less parallel to the Gulf's axis, favor mixing of the water masses, they rework sediments at velocities reported here. This fact enlarges to a certain degree the extent of our interfaces which are based on only a few sample points (Persian Gulf and Biaban Shelf one sample per 620 km**2, continental slope one sample per 1000 km**2). The water on the continental slope shows and oxygen minimum at 200-1200 m which favors preservation of organically-bound carbon in the sediment. The low pH-values may even permit dissolution of carbonate minerals.

Description: In the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman marl forms the primary sediment cover, particularly on the Iranian side. A detailed quantitative description of the sediment components 〉 63 µ has been attempted in order to establish the regional distribution of the most important constituents as well as the criteria governing marl sedimentation in general. During the course of the analysis, the sand fraction from about 160 bottom-surface samples was split into 5 phi° fractions and 500 to 800 grains were counted in each individual fraction. The grains were cataloged in up to 40 grain type catagories. The gravel fraction was counted separately and the values calculated as weight percent. Basic for understanding the mode of formation of the marl sediment is the "rule" of independent availability of component groups. It states that the sedimentation of different component groups takes place independently, and that variation in the quantity of one component is independent of the presence or absence of other components. This means, for example, that different grain size spectrums are not necessarily developed through transport sorting. In the Persian Gulf they are more likely the result of differences in the amount of clay-rich fine sediment brought in to the restricted mouth areas of the Iranian rivers. These local increases in clayey sediment dilute the autochthonous, for the most part carbonate, coarse fraction. This also explains the frequent facies changes from carbonate to clayey marl. The main constituent groups of the coarse fraction are faecal pellets and lumps, the non carbonate mineral components, the Pleistocene relict sediment, the benthonic biogene components and the plankton. Faecal pellets and lumps are formed through grain size transformation of fine sediment. Higher percentages of these components can be correlated to large amounts of fine sediment and organic C. No discernable change takes place in carbonate minerals as a result of digestion and faecal pellet formation. The non-carbonate sand components originate from several unrelated sources and can be distinguished by their different grain size spectrum; as well as by other characteristics. The Iranian rivers supply the greatest amounts (well sorted fine sand). Their quantitative variations can be used to trace fine sediment transport directions. Similar mineral maxima in the sediment of the Gulf of Oman mark the path of the Persian Gulf outflow water. Far out from the coast, the basin bottoms in places contain abundant relict minerals (poorly sorted medium sand) and localized areas of reworked salt dome material (medium sand to gravel). Wind transport produces only a minimal "background value" of mineral components (very fine sand). Biogenic and non-biogenic relict sediments can be placed in separate component groups with the help of several petrographic criteria. Part of the relict sediment (well sorted fine sand) is allochthonous and was derived from the terrigenous sediment of river mouths. The main part (coarse, poorly sorted sediment), however, was derived from the late Pleistocene and forms a quasi-autochthonous cover over wide areas which receive little recent sedimentation. Bioturbation results in a mixing of the relict sediment with the overlying younger sediment. Resulting vertical sediment displacement of more than 2.5 m has been observed. This vertical mixing of relict sediment is also partially responsible for the present day grain size anomalies (coarse sediment in deep water) found in the Persian Gulf. The mainly aragonitic components forming the relict sediment show a finely subdivided facies pattern reflecting the paleogeography of carbonate tidal flats dating from the post Pleistocene transgression. Standstill periods are reflected at 110 -125m (shelf break), 64-61 m and 53-41 m (e.g. coare grained quartz and oolite concentrations), and at 25-30m. Comparing these depths to similar occurrences on other shelf regions (e. g. Timor Sea) leads to the conclusion that at this time minimal tectonic activity was taking place in the Persian Gulf. The Pleistocene climate, as evidenced by the absence of Iranian river sediment, was probably drier than the present day Persian Gulf climate. Foremost among the benthonic biogene components are the foraminifera and mollusks. When a ratio is set up between the two, it can be seen that each group is very sensitive to bottom type, i.e., the production of benthonic mollusca increases when a stable (hard) bottom is present whereas the foraminifera favour a soft bottom. In this way, regardless of the grain size, areas with high and low rates of recent sedimentation can be sharply defined. The almost complete absence of mollusks in water deeper than 200 to 300 m gives a rough sedimentologic water depth indicator. The sum of the benthonic foraminifera and mollusca was used as a relative constant reference value for the investigation of many other sediment components. The ratio between arenaceous foraminifera and those with carbonate shells shows a direct relationship to the amount of coarse grained material in the sediment as the frequence of arenaceous foraminifera depends heavily on the availability of sand grains. The nearness of "open" coasts (Iranian river mouths) is directly reflected in the high percentage of plant remains, and indirectly by the increased numbers of ostracods and vertebrates. Plant fragments do not reach their ultimate point of deposition in a free swimming state, but are transported along with the remainder of the terrigenous fine sediment. The echinoderms (mainly echinoids in the West Basin and ophiuroids in the Central Basin) attain their maximum development at the greatest depth reached by the action of the largest waves. This depth varies, depending on the exposure of the slope to the waves, between 12 to 14 and 30 to 35 m. Corals and bryozoans have proved to be good indicators of stable unchanging bottom conditions. Although bryozoans and alcyonarian spiculae are independent of water depth, scleractinians thrive only above 25 to 30 m. The beginning of recent reef growth (restricted by low winter temperatures) was seen only in one single area - on a shoal under 16 m of water. The coarse plankton fraction was studied primarily through the use of a plankton-benthos ratio. The increase in planktonic foraminifera with increasing water depth is here heavily masked by the "Adjacent sea effect" of the Persian Gulf: for the most part the foraminifera have drifted in from the Gulf of Oman. In contrast, the planktonic mollusks are able to colonize the entire Persian Gulf water body. Their amount in the plankton-benthos ratio always increases with water depth and thereby gives a reliable picture of local water depth variations. This holds true to a depth of around 400 m (corresponding to 80-90 % plankton). This water depth effect can be removed by graphical analysis, allowing the percentage of planktonic mollusks per total sample to be used as a reference base for relative sedimentation rate (sedimentation index). These values vary between 1 and 〉 1000 and thereby agree well with all the other lines of evidence. The "pteropod ooze" facies is then markedly dependent on the sedimentation rate and can theoretically develop at any depth greater than 65 m (proven at 80 m). It should certainly no longer be thought of as "deep sea" sediment. Based on the component distribution diagrams, grain size and carbonate content, the sediments of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman can be grouped into 5 provisional facies divisions (Chapt.19). Particularly noteworthy among these are first, the fine grained clayey marl facies occupying the 9 narrow outflow areas of rivers, and second, the coarse grained, high-carbonate marl facies rich in relict sediment which covers wide sediment-poor areas of the basin bottoms. Sediment transport is for the most part restricted to grain sizes 〈 150 µ and in shallow water is largely coast-parallel due to wave action at times supplemented by tidal currents. Below the wave base gravity transport prevails. The only current capable of moving sediment is the Persian Gulf outflow water in the Gulf of Oman.

Description: Living Heterostegina depressa were found in the Persian Gulf on shallows and sides of islands in the Central Basin. Preliminary culture experiments furnished information on life span, salinity tolerances and population density of species. Reproduction processes (probably asexual) could be observed several times. A possible carbonate production of ca. 150 g/year/m**2 has been estimated.

Description: Manganese nodules have been found by the author in the shallow waters of the Hyotan-se bank west of Shikime-jima, an island of the Izu archipelago in the Sea of Japan. The slopes around the bank are steep and rocks are exposed; gravels and coarse material cover the broad and flat plain on its top; andesite and basalt, which are very common in the bedrock, are found mingled with liparite gravels together with a number of manganese concretions from the bank.

Description: Sea floor dredging by the H.M.S. Challenger, the U.S.S. Albatross, the U.S.S. EPC(R) 857, and vessels of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows that extensive deposits of manganese nodules are on the deep sea floor and that crusts of manganese dioxide cover many seamounts. Sea floor photography reveals that in some places these crusts are quite continuous and the nodules are closely packed. These crusts and nodules are fully oxidized and hydrated mixtures of man¬ganese and iron plus earthy impurities. Also, relatively high concen¬trations of the trace elements nickel, copper, and cobalt are present.

Description: The cores and dredges described in this report were taken during the VEMA 7 Expedition from May until September 1955 by the Lamont Geological Observatory, Columbia University from the R/V Vema. A total of 78 cores were recovered and are available at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for sampling and study.

Description: The trace element content of different bog ores has been measured and it appeared that most of these elements are enriched in the manganiferous bog ores as compared with the ferriferous ones. The manganiferous bog ores have also proved to have a higher radioactivity than the ferriferous ones.

Description: Thanks to the courtesy of the British Museum of Natural History the author obtained from their Challenger collections two small nodules, and through a similar courtesy of the Mineralogical Department of the Riksmuseum in Stockholm one half of a much larger nodule, also from the Challenger Expedition. Results from his initial measurements of the radium contents of these samples convinced the author that the radium in the nodules is accumulated from the surrounding sediment. In the present paper the author conducted a much more thorough investigation on nodules obtained during the U.S. Albatross cruises of Dr. Agassiz. Detailed measurements of radium were conducted on individual layers and spots inside each nodule.