SUMMATION OF RESEARCH ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF 

 SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 



by 



R. G. Bader 



Earth Sciences Section 



National Science Foundation 



The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports studies on the geology 

 and sediments of the Continental Shelves. There are some 25 grants that 

 represent in the order of 15 percent of the funds budgeted for oceanography. 

 Studies are supported at the following universities and oceanographic insti- 

 tutions: University of Chicago, University of Georgia, University of Miami, 

 University of Alaska, University of Washington, Oregon State University, 

 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 

 Lamont Geological Observatory, and the Geological Survey of Israel. Studies 

 are in progress concerning the physiography of the continental terrace, lit- 

 toral drift, littoral currents, dynamics of sediment transport, subbottom 

 profiling, coral reefs, submarine canyons and sediment distribution patterns, 

 along the coasts and especially in the vicinity of estuaries. 



The Institute of Marine Science of the University of Georgia is primar- 

 ily concerned with the bays and the offshore bottom adjacent to the Georgia 

 shore. They are attempting to determine the effect of river sediments on 

 the Continental Shelf, the dispersion patterns of the river sediments, and 

 whether a seasonal variation in sedimentation exists. The University of 

 Alaska is studying the effects of glaciation of the Continental Shelf and 

 sedimentation in inland waterways. 



The Geological Survey of Israel is involved in a study of the bathymetry, 

 the petrology, and the distribution of the sediments on the shelf off Israel. 

 They have done a significant amount of work on the land and the coastal area 

 and are extending this to the offshore area. The offshore area has been 

 found to contain old dunes and other similar coastal geomorphic forms. The 

 submergence of the offshore area may have been caused by subsidence of the 

 land mass, the glacio-eustatic rise in sea level, or by a combination of 

 both. 



Another National Science Foundation program is scheduled to start in 

 1966 and involves long ocean-sediment coring. Cores are to be taken from 

 the Continental Shelf, Continental Slope, coral reefs and possibly as far 

 as the basement stratum of the deep ocean. Through a combination of for- 

 tuitous circumstances the program was started this year when it became 

 possible to lease a drilling vessel and pay only for the drilling time, 

 equipment insurance, and costs of this sort, but no mobilization and de- 

 mobilization costs. At this time, four cores from 200 to 900 feet in length 

 have been obtained. Core recovery has been about 70-75 percent. Cores have 

 been, or will be, taken on the Blake Plateau and other parts of the Continen- 

 tal Shelf. A continuation of this program should lead to a resolution of 



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