4. Off the Coast of V/ilkes Land 



Twelve bottom samples were obtained in Vincennes Bay by the 

 GLACIER; five grab samples and 7 Phleger cores. These range from 

 granitic and quartzitic pebbles and cobbles to fine-grained, siliceous, 

 biological remains. Diatoms and spicules compose about 95^ of the 

 coarser fraction of the fine-grained surface sediments in samples 

 15, 17, IS, and 22, These range in average particle size from clay 

 to fine sando At depths of 20 to 23 inches in sample 18, the organic 

 remains decrease to a trace, and the coarse fraction of the sediment 

 consists of about 65^ feldspar, 30^ quartz, and the remainder mica 

 and pyroboles. The average grain size remains about the same throughout 

 the length of the cores, while the average sphericity and roiindness' 

 of the sand grains are medium, and the surface textures are dull and 

 rough. The color of the sediments is olive gray. 



Very little organic remains are present in the bottom samples 

 obtained in water depths greater than 150 fathoms.. Their grain size 

 is predominantly sand except for numerous pebbles. They range from 

 light olive brown through gray in color. The grains are medium high 

 to medium low average sphericity and roiondness, and their surface 

 textures are dull and rough. The mineral content of the sediments 

 is predominantly feldspar, with a high percentage of quartz, and 

 appreciable quantities of rock fragments and magnetite. 



5, New Zealand Area 



The USS ATKA obtained two cores in the New Zealand area while 

 enroute to a logistics port. All the subsamples from both cores show 

 a predominance of the clay-silt size fractions with a very small 

 amount of sand and larger size particles, Siirface texture is diill to 

 rough throughout both, while average sphericity and roundness is medium 

 in sample C-1 and slightly less than medium in sample 0-5, Mineralo- 

 gical analyses indicate a fairly high percentage (50^) of feldspar 

 with lesser amounts of quartz and organic material, 



C, Transparency and V/ater Color 



Table 1 stmunarizes the transparency and water color data obtained 

 on DEEP FREEZE II. Note that all transparency values in the Ross Sea 

 fall between 20 and 22 meters with one exception. The observation in 

 Kainan Bay produced the relatively low value of 7 meters in early 

 January, McMurdo Sound values varied from 47 meters in early November 

 to 5 meters in late December, The low values resulted "from a heavy 

 plankton crop which discolored the v;ater and gave it a distinctly 

 fishy taste and odor, even after passing through the ship's evaporators. 



In the Weddell Sea Area, transparencies were greater at the higher 

 latitudes. These latter observations were usually taken in the calm 

 water of leads or polynyas \irithin the pack ice, 



58 



