I. INTRODUCTION 



During the first 3 months of 1961, personnel of the U.S. Naval Oceanographlc 

 Office aboard USS REQUISITE, conducted an extensive survey of the waters of the 

 Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the northern Arabian Sea . From the 5th of 

 January until the 19th of February, the ship operated In the Persian Gulf. The 

 Arobian Sea-Gulf of Oman phase of the cruise was begun off the coast of Bombay 

 on February 26th and concluded on March 31st. 



In addition to the determination of water characteristics, the party collected 

 a number of bottom samples which are the subject of this report . These samples 

 were analyzed Jointly by the Geological Laboratory of the Oceanographlc Office 

 and by the University of Georgia Marine Institute. Information furnished by these 

 analyses, particularly those of size and general composition, has been supplemented 

 to some extent by other recorded bottom data from this area, principally the reports 

 of the John Murray Expedition of 1933-34 (Stubblngs, 1939; Wiseman and Bennett, 

 1940) and bottom chart notations (H . O . Charts 1587, 1588, 1589). 



The writers (Richard A. Stewart, U.S. Naval Oceanographlc Office, and 

 Orrin H. Piikey, University of Georgia Marine Institute) wish to express their appre- 

 ciation for the efforts of Dr. Bruce Nelson, University of South Carolina, who performed 

 the clay mineral analyses, and Mr. Robert Giles, University of Georgia, who identified 

 the heavy minerals. 



II. PROCEDURES 



A. Field 



Fifty-two bottom samples were obtained on a grid pattern of stations occupying 

 the center of each one-degree square (Fig . 1) . Slight deviation from this pattern 

 was made along coastal areas. Most samples were collected utilizing a Phleger-type 

 gravity corer . Three samples were obtained with an orange-peel grab sampler . The 

 cores and grab samples were sealed untreated. 



B . Lxiboratory 



After arrival at the Oceanographlc Office, each core was split lengthwise, 

 described and logged; and representative fractions were taken for the determination 

 of size, chemistry, and mineralogy . Size analyses were performed using standard 

 techniques of sieving and pipetting as outlined by Krumbein and Pettljohn (1938). 

 Carbonate content was determined by the EDTA (ethylenedlamlne tetroacetota) 

 titration method proposed by Tureklan (1956). The Allison method (Allison, 1935) 

 was employed In the determination of organic carbon content . 



