Relative phase shift and oscillation observations at moorings in the Filchner Depression area

Properties of the dense ice shelf water plume emerging from the Filchner Depression in the southwestern Weddell Sea are described, using available current meter records and CTD stations. A mean hydrography, based on more than 300 CTD stations gathered over 25 yr points to a cold, relatively thin and vertically well-defined plume east of the two ridges cross-cutting the continental slope about 60 km from the Filchner sill, whereas the dense bottom layer is warmer, more stratified and much thicker west of these ridges. The data partly confirm the three major pathways suggested earlier and agree with recent theories on topographic steering by submarine ridges. A surprisingly high mesoscale variability in the overflow region is documented and discussed. The variability is to a large extent due to three distinct oscillations (with periods of about 35 h, 3 and 6 d) seen in both temperature and velocity records on the slope. The oscillations are episodic, barotropic and have a horizontal scale of ~20-40 km across the slope. They are partly geographically separated, with the longer period being stronger on the lower part of the slope and the shorter on the upper part of the slope. Energy levels are lower west of the ridges, and in the Filchner Depression. The observations are discussed in relation to existing theories on eddies, commonly generated in plumes, and continental shelf waves.

(Table 1) Bulk and grain density, porosity, and p- and s-wave velocity characteristics of ODP Hole 163-990A sediments

Seismic velocities in rocks are influenced by the properties of the solid, the pore fluid, and the pore space. Cracks dramatically affect seismic velocities in rocks; their influence on the effective elastic moduli of rocks depends on their shape and concentration. Thin cracks (or fractures) substantially lower the moduli of a rock relative to the effect of spherical voids (or vesicles), and lower moduli are reflected by lower P- and S-wave velocities. The objective of this research is to determine the types and concentrations of cracks and their influence on the seismic properties of subaerially erupted basalts drilled from Hole 990A on the Southeast Greenland margin during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 163. Ellipsoidal cracks are used to model the voids in the rocks. The elastic moduli of the solid (grains) are also free parameters in the inverse modeling procedure. The apparent grain moduli reflect a weighted average of the moduli of the constituent minerals (e.g., plagioclase, augite, and clay minerals). The results indicate that (1) there is a strong relationship between P-wave velocity and porosity, suggesting a similarity of pore shape distributions, (2) the distribution of crack types within the massive, central region of aa flows from Hole 990A is independent of total porosity, (3) thin cracks are the first to be effectively sealed by alteration products, and (4) grain densities (an alteration index) and apparent grain moduli of the basalt samples are directly related.

(Table 2) Horizontal ice flow velocities, azimuths (relative to true north), and vertical ice-particle velocities in the vicinity of Vostok Station, Antarctica

In the austral summer seasons 2001/02 and 2002/03, Global Positioning System (GPS) data were collected in the vicinity of Vostok Station to determine ice flow velocities over Lake Vostok. Ten GPS sites are located within a radius of 30 km around Vostok Station on floating ice as well as on grounded ice to the east and to the west of the lake. Additionally, a local deformation network around the ice core drilling site 5G-1 was installed. The derived ice flow velocity for Vostok Station is 2.00 m/a ± 0.01 m/a. Along the flowline of Vostok Station an extension rate of about 10**-5/a (equivalent to 1 cm/km/a) was determined. This significant velocity gradient results in a new estimate of 28700 years for the transit time of an ice particle along the Vostok flowline from the bedrock ridge in the southwest of the lake to the eastern shoreline. With these lower velocities compared to earlier studies and, hence, larger transit times the basal accretion rate is estimated to be 4 mm/a along a portion of the Vostok flowline. An assessment of the local accretion rate at Vostok Station using the observed geodetic quantities yields an accretion rate in the same order of magnitude. Furthermore, the comparison of our geodetic observations with results inferred from ice-penetrating radar data indicates that the ice flow may not have changed significantly for several thousand years.

Electrical resistivity, formation factors, and sound velocity at DSDP Holes 75-530A and 75-530B

From 0 to 277 m at Site 530 are found Holocene to Miocene diatom ooze, nannofossil ooze, marl, clay, and debrisflow deposits; from 277 to 467 m are Miocene to Oligocene mud; from 467 to 1103 m are Eocene to late Albian Cenomanian interbedded mudstone, marlstone, chalk, clastic limestone, sandstone, and black shale in the lower portion; from 1103 to 1121 m are basalts. In the interval from 0 to 467 m, in Holocene to Oligocene pelagic oozes, marl, clay, debris flows, and mud, velocities are 1.5 to 1.8 km/s; below 200 m velocities increase irregularly with increasing depth. From 0 to 100 m, in Holocene to Pleistocene diatom and nannofossil oozes (excluding debris flows), velocities are approximately equivalent to that of the interstitial seawater, and thus acoustic reflections in the upper 100 m are primarily caused by variations in density and porosity. Below 100 or 200 m, acoustic reflections are caused by variations in both velocity and density. From 100 to 467 m, in Miocene-Oligocene nannofossil ooze, clay, marl, debris flows, and mud, acoustic anisotropy irregularly increases to 10%, with 2 to 5% being typical. From 467 to 1103 m in Paleocene to late Albian Cenomanian interbedded mudstone, marlstone, chalk, clastic limestone, and black shale in the lower portion of the hole, velocities range from 1.6 to 5.48 km/s, and acoustic anisotropies are as great as 47% (1.0 km/s) faster horizontally. Mudstone and uncemented sandstone have anisotropies which irregularly increase with increasing depth from 5 to 10% (0.2 km/s). Calcareous mudstones have the greatest anisotropies, typically 35% (0.6 km/s). Below 1103 m, basalt velocities ranged from 4.68 to 4.98 km/s. A typical value is about 4.8 km/s. In situ velocities are calculated from velocity data obtained in the laboratory. These are corrected for in situ temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and porosity rebound (expansion when the overburden pressure is released). These corrections do not include rigidity variations caused by overburden pressures. These corrections affect semiconsolidated sedimentary rocks the most (up to 0.25 km/s faster). These laboratory velocities appear to be greater than the velocities from the sonic log. Reflection coefficients derived from the laboratory data, in general, agree with the major features on the seismic profiles. These indicate more potential reflectors than indicated from the reflection coefficients derived using the Gearhart-Owen Sonic Log from 625 to 940 m, because the Sonic Log data average thin beds. Porosity-density data versus depth for mud, mudstone, and pelagic oozes agree with data for similar sediments as summarized in Hamilton (1976). At depths of about 400 m and about 850 m are zones of relatively higher porosity mudstones, which may suggest anomalously high pore pressure; however, they are more probably caused by variations in grain-size distribution and lithology. Electrical resistivity (horizontal) from 625 to 950 m ranged from about 1.0 to 4.0 ohm-m, in Maestrichtian to Santonian- Coniacian mudstone, marlstone, chalk, clastic limestone, and sandstone. An interstitial-water resistivity curve did not indicate any unexpected lithology or unusual fluid or gas in the pores of the rock. These logs were above the black shale beds. From 0 to 100 m at Sites 530 and 532, the vane shear strength on undisturbed samples of Holocene-Pleistocene diatom and nannofossil ooze uniformly increases from about 80 g/cm**2 to about 800 g/cm**2. From 100 to 300 m, vane shear strength of Pleistocene-Miocene nannofossil ooze, clay, and marl are irregular versus depth with a range of 500 to 2300 g/cm**2; and at Site 532 the vane shear strength appears to decrease irregularly and slightly with increasing depth (gassy zone). Vane shear strength values of gassy samples may not be valid, for the samples may be disturbed as gas evolves, and the sediments may not be gassy at in situ depths.