Accession Number:
ADA330660
Title:
High Resolution Measurements of the Shallow Structure of the Oceanic Crust: The Rebuild of NOBEL.
Descriptive Note:
Final rept. 1 Jan 94-30 Sep 96,
Corporate Author:
WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION MA DEPT OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
1997-10-14
Pagination or Media Count:
3.0
Abstract:
The goal of this program was to build a deep-towed explosive source that would allow high resolution seismic experiments to be carried out on the ocean floor with a precision and resolving power that is not attainable in any other way. This source, which we call NOBEL Near Ocean Bottom Explosives Launcher, has an operational depth of 6000 m and can carry, launch and detonate 47 5-10 lb. charges of explosive while being towed a few tens of meters above the ocean floor on a research vessels conventional 0.68 coaxial cable. Following a completely successful cruise to the East Pacific Rise in early 1991, NOBEL was unfortunately lost in mid-1992 while carrying out a set of experiments over gas hydrate deposits off the East Coast of the U.S. The single objective of this program was to rebuild this unique seismo-acoustic source. Construction of the system is complete. NOBEL was used extensively on an NSF-funded cruise to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in June of 1997. It was deployed on ten separate occasions and worked superbly each time.
Subject Categories:
- Physical and Dynamic Oceanography