SUMMARY OF SHALLOW-WATER GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS PROGRAMS 

 SUPPORTED BY OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH 



by 



H. J. McLellan 

 Earth Sciences Division 

 Office of Naval Research 



The Office of Naval Research (ONR) supports research programs which 

 eventually may be of value to the Navy. The research programs necessary 

 for the solution of Navy problems of immediate importance are handled by 

 other organizations within the Navy. 



ONR-sponsored research is done, in the main, at universities and 

 independent laboratories, although some of the work is being done in 

 industry. It is our intent, in all cases, to permit and nurture studies 

 unhampered by continuous control. Because of this approach, we are not 

 cognizant of all of the details. This report is, therefore, a broad- 

 brush treatment of ONR-sponsored research pertinent to today's discussion. 

 It should be pointed out that the National Science Foundation also sup- 

 ports a number of the same institutions and people for the same type of 

 work, and, at times, identical projects. 



At the University of Washington, J. S. Creager and M. G. Gross, in 

 cooperation with the U.S. Navy Oceanographic Office, are investigating 

 the geology of the Continental Shelves of the Laptev, East Siberian, 

 Chukchi and Bering Seas. Former shore lines are being traced; research 

 techniques involve coring, seismic reflection, bathymetry, texture, 

 f orams , mineralogy and sound propagation parameters. They are also 

 studying sediments and radioactivity of the Columbia River. 



M. Rattray is studying bathymetric effects on ocean currents, and 

 internal wave studies in the field and the laboratory. 



J. S. Creager heads a group analyzing sediment and its transport 

 mechanisms on the Continental Shelves. Current profiles, suspended sedi- 

 ment and its transport, characteristics and geometry of sediments are all 

 observed simultaneously with a television camera fixed above the bottom. 



At Oregon State University, John Byrne, LaVerne D. Kulm and Gerald A. 

 Fowler are engaged in a program which includes the following projects: 



1. Studies of coastal erosion along the Oregon coast where the 

 process is extremely active. 



2. Determining the source of sediments which are transported in 

 the littoral zone and tracing their migration by textural and 

 mineralogical analyses to beaches, dunes and terrace deposits 

 in the region from northern California to central Washington. 



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