CONTINENTAL SHELF PROGRAMS OF THE 

 U.S. NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OFFICE 



by 



Robert Winokur 



Oceanographer , U. S, Naval 



Oceanographic Office 



Captain Treadwell had hoped to be here to make -this presentation; 

 however, he regrets that he is unable to attend and sends his apology. 



The U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office has an interest in all information 

 concerning the geology of the ocean bottom, in both shallow and deep water. 

 Most of the geology and sedimentation programs at the Oceanographic Office 

 concern deep-water areas, although a few do involve shallow-water areas as 

 discussed below. 



A Ship-of -Opportunity Program, operating intermittently in the Middle 

 and Far East during the past eight years, has resulted in the collection of 

 approximately 700 bottom samples. These include grab samples, Kullenberg 

 cores, and Phleger cores. The areas include the Gulf of Siam, Straits of 

 Malacca, Andaman Sea on the west coast of Thailand, Nicobar Island area, 

 Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea. These cruises have been cooperative 

 ventures with the countries involved. Future plans include work in the Bay 

 of Bengal, northern Andaman Sea, and the East Indies. 



An Arctic Survey Program, in cooperation with the University of Wash- 

 ington, has resulted in the collection of a large number of bottom samples, 

 particularly in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Under this program the samples 

 are analyzed for chemical and mechanical properties by the University while 

 Oceanographic Office personnel make mineralogic analyses. The University is 

 granted the privilege of utilizing the samples for thesis research and this 

 type of cooperation permits them to obtain National Science Foundation funds 

 to support some of the analysis effort. Future plans include sampling in 

 the Barents, Laptev, and East Siberian Seas. 



A third shallow-water program is in conjunction with the Atlantic 

 Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) in the Tongue of the Ocean. 

 During May 1964 a survey of the ocean bottom was made off the eastern shore 

 of Andros Island. Detailed bathymetric data, approximately 1,900 feet of 

 underwater 16-mm. movie film, and several hundred underwater still photo- 

 graphs were taken by divers. In addition, bottom samples were collected 

 and analyzed for size distribution and constituent grains. Additional sur- 

 veys are planned for the same general area this year and include the use of 

 a Perry Cubmarine to follow the outer slope of the seaward platform down to 

 a depth of 600 feet. 



During 1962 a continuing study of the eastern Grand Bahama Bank began 

 and a report of the geological sampling of this area is in preparation. 



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