| RV FRANKLIN |
| VOYAGE DOCUMENTS |
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| RV SOUTHERN SURVEYOR |
| CSIRO AUSTRALIA |
| CSIRO MARINE AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH |
Voyage Plans and Summaries
[back to voyage document index]
Franklin Voyage Plan No. FR09/2001
Title
Geophysics, geochemistry and sedimentology associated with an inferred large gas hydrate deposit, eastern Lord Howe Rise, Tasman Sea (FAUST 3).
Itinerary - Note: changed departure and arrival dates
Depart Brisbane 1000 hrs, Tuesday 13 November 2001
Arrive Brisbane or Sydney 1000 hrs, Thursday 6 December 2001
Principal Investigators
Dr Neville Exon (Chief Scientist)
AGSO Geoscience Australia
PO Box 378
Canberra 2601
Tel: 02 6249 9347 (wk); 02 6288 2034 (home). Fax: 02 6249 9920
Neville.Exon@agso.gov.au
Mr Peter Hill, AGSO, Canberra
Dr Gerald Dickens, School of Earth Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville
Dr Yves Lafoy, Service des Mines et de l’Energie, New Caledonia
Scientific objectives
Recent geophysical investigations indicate that much of the Fairway Basin (eastern Lord Howe Rise) in the Tasman Sea (Figure 1) contains sediment diapirs, gas hydrate and probably free gas. Water depths are largely 1500-3200 m. The RV Franklin will be used to:
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continue seismic mapping of basin sequences, sediment diapirs and bottom simulating reflectors (BSR, suggesting gas hydrate layers) within the Australian and New Caledonian/French seabed jurisdictions;
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core to help determine the origin and composition of gas on the Lord Howe Rise, especially in any identified seafloor structures above sediment diapirs;
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ground-truth seismic data by sampling older outcropping sequences;
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core to establish the composition, character and climate history of shallow sediment of Holocene and Pleistocene age.
Cruise objectives
About eighteen days are available for work in the study area (Figure 1). The bulk of the survey as presently planned will consist of ~1869 nautical miles (nm) of seismic and magnetic profiling using 2 x GI airguns, and a 600 m long, 24 channel Stealtharray streamer. We assume for planning purposes that with our new deployment system we can average 9 knots for this work. The seismic profiles shown in Figure 1 amount to 1640 nm in Australian territory and 229 nm in French territory, but may have to be trimmed. In French territory the lines will be roughly normal to the existing L’Atalante seismic lines and are designed to provide dredge targets in the east.
As a continuation to the work begun on the Zoneco 5 cruise, about 26 x 6 m gravity cores will be described and sampled aboard for headspace gas, hydrocarbon isotopes and pore water. The cores, and gas and hydrocarbon isotope samples will be returned to AGSO for study, and sediment samples and pore water will go to James Cook University, Rice University, and Monterey Bay Aquarium. The cores will undergo a full range of standard geoscience investigations to enable a better picture of the sea bed environment to be built up. About fourteen such cores will be taken in Australian territory and nine in French territory.
About sixteen dredge hauls or short gravity cores will be deployed for stratigraphic sampling of older targets, and will be evenly split between Australian and French territory. AGSO will be primarily responsible for their study.
Bathymetric transits between sampling stations will amount to about 1095 nm, and the magnetometer may be deployed on longer ones. These transits amount to 789 nm in Australian territory and 306 nm in French territory. Transits to and from Brisbane are estimated to total 1308 nm.
This FAUST 3 expedition will be carried out cooperatively between Australia and New Caledonia/France. Copies of all digital data in French territory will be provided to the New Caledonian authorities at SMAI.
Cruise Plan (Timing)
| Northern survey area (French territory) | |
| Seismic and magnetics, 229 nm @ 9 kts | 1.06 days |
| Sampling: 12 cores @ 2 hrs each, 6 dredges @ 4 hrs each (note: 2 dredges planned at each of the 3 sites on the northern Fairway Ridge) |
2.0 days |
| Sampling transits (bathymetry): 306 nm @ 11 kts | 1.2 days |
| Southern survey area (Australian territory) | |
| Seismic and magnetics: 1640 nm @ 9 kts | 7.59 days |
| Sampling: 14 cores @ 2 hrs each, 10 dredges/cores @ 3 hrs each | 2.4 days |
| Sampling transits (bathymetry): 789 nm @ 11 kts | 2.4 days |
| Transit, Brisbane to northern FB survey area, 588 nm @ 11 kts | 2.2 days |
| Transit, southern survey area to Brisbane, 720 nm @ 11 kts | 2.7 days |
| Seismic deployment/testing/maintenance | 0.7 days |
| Summary | |
| Total seismic and magnetics, 1869 nm (3463 km) @ 9 kts | 8.7 days |
| Total sampling (26 cores, 6 dredges, 10 dredges/cores) | 4.4 days |
| Total sampling transits, 1095 nm (2025 km @ 11 kts | 4.2 days |
| Total transits (Brisbane/survey area) 1308 nm (2419 km) @11 kts | 4.9 days |
| Seismic deployment/testing/maintenance | 0.7 days |
| GRAND TOTAL | 22.9 days |
Cruise Track (Figure 1, Tables 1 and 2)
New Caledonian seismic survey: The vessel will depart Brisbane on 30 October for the first phase of the work, the seismic and magnetic survey in New Caledonian waters, transiting for 2.2 days. After we take a single core, the seismic work will involve 231 nm of seismic reflection profiling, to be run at 9 knots and to take approximately one day (Figure 1, Table 1 and Cruise Plan). The AGSO system used includes 2 GI airguns, a compressor requiring 600 litres of diesel per day, and a seismic cable 600 m long with 24 channels, recorded digitally. In addition a magnetometer will be towed.
New Caledonian sampling: Using some of the pre-determined locations (Figure 1, Table 2 and Cruise Plan) and new locations defined by the new seismic data, sampling will be carried out at about 6 dredge stations and 12 core stations. The core stations will be in water as deep as 3000 m, and dredge stations as deep as 3200 m.
Australian seismic survey: The Australian seismic reflection and magnetic work will involve 1863 nm of profiling, to be run at 9 knots and to take approximately nine days (Figure 1, Table 1 and Cruise Plan).
Australian sampling: Using some of the pre-determined locations (Figure 1, Table 2 and Cruise Plan) and many new locations defined by the new seismic data, sampling will be carried out at about 10 dredge stations and 14 core stations. The core stations will be in water as deep as 4000 m, and dredge stations as deep as 3500 m. The transit from the southern survey area to Brisbane should take about 2.7 days.
Our equipment
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Seismic system: compressor in container, 2 GI airguns, winch, streamer, recorders
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Plotters for seismic profiles and sampling locations
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Magnetometer and towing winch
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Seismic processing work station
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Gravity corer (Plus 1 x spare bomb and 5 x spare barrels)
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Dredges x 3
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Small refrigerated container for cores (1200 x 1200 x 1800mm)
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Benches for CTD laboratory
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Rock saws x 2
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Core splitter
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Equipment for making smear slides and rough thin sections
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Microscopes: binocular and petrological
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Scientific PCs
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Equipment for gas sampling
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Digital still and video cameras
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35 mm camera and films
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Equipment for pore water sampling*
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[* All equipment is from AGSO except this equipment from MBARI]
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Franklin equipment
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All winches, deck crane and deck machinery
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Coring cradle
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All laboratories
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GPS
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Scientific echosounder (12 kHz)
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Smith-McIntyre grab
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TrackPlot software
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Fridge and freezers
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Special requests
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Room for standard sized compressor container on rear deck
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Room for large seismic winch on rear deck
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Room for smaller magnetometer winch on rear deck
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Room for basket with sampling gear on deck (1200 x 2400 x 1200 mm)
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240 V power and room for refrigerated container in rear hold
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415 and 240 volt power to rear deck
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Diesel fuel line for AGSO compressor, for seismic system
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5500 litres of diesel fuel to run compressor
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Prior checking and calibration of winch wire-out and tension meter
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Space in operations room to set up seismic recorders
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Wet laboratory set up as sedimentology laboratory with small rock saw and core splitter
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Room for microscopes in chemistry laboratory
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Room in GP laboratory
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Video monitor of stern block giving side view of wire (AGSO to install)
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Franklin data sets
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Navigation, with digital acquisition
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Bathymetry, with digital acquisition (12 kHz)
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Plots of ship tracks at various scales if possible
Personnel list
Neville Exon, AGSO, Chief Scientist, Geology
Peter Hill, AGSO, Geophysics
Yves Lafoy, Service des Mines, New Caledonia, Geoscientist
Charlie Paull, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Geochemist
Patrick Mitts, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Sediment tecnician
Kirsten Perry, James Cook University, Student sedimentologist
Jon Stratton, AGSO, Geological technician
Lyndon O’Grady, AGSO, Geological technician
Ken Elphick, AGSO, Mechanical technician
Mic Schade, AGSO, Electronics technician
Lindsay Pender, CSIRO Marine Research ORV, Cruise Manager, Computing
Stephen Thomas, CSIRO Marine Research ORV, Electronics
This cruise plan is in accordance with the directions of the National Facility Steering Committee for the Research Vessel Franklin.
Dr John Wallace
Ships Manager
CSIRO Marine Research
Figure 1. Map showing proposed seismic lines, transit lines and sample sites. Bathymetry from swath-mapping, single-beam profiles and predicted bathymetry from satellite data. Territorial boundaries include the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (AEEZ).
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Table 1. Seismic line locations
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DSDP 590B = 31 10.02S 163 21.51E
DSDP 591B = 31 35.06S 164 26.92E
DSDP 206 = 32 00.75S 165 27.15E
Table 2. Geological sampling sites (preliminary)
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This list is indicative only and is subject to considerable change
Updated: 31/01/03
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