Australian developments in marine science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffin, Millard F.

2012-07-01

Australia is an island nation with about two thirds of its jurisdiction underwater. On 25 May 2012, Australia instituted the Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Continental Shelf) Proclamation 2012, confirming areas of seabed where Australia has exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources. This proclamation follows recommendations by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, a body established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, confirming Australia's entitlement to extended continental shelf, i.e., that beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline, of some 2.56 million square kilometers, excluding Australian Antarctic Territory [Symonds et al., 2009] (Figure 1a).

Impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development on recreation and tourism. Volume 4. User's manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The final report for the project is presented in five volumes. The project sought to determine the impact of Outer Continental Shelf development on recreation and tourism in California. This volume is the User's Guide. It includes the following topics: Introduction and Summary Guide; Input Data Files; Gravity Model Programs; Economic Effects Model Programs; Consumer Surplus Model Programs; References; and Appendices.

75 FR 68824 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Maryland-Request...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-09

... will use responses to this RFI to enable BOEMRE to gauge specific interest in commercial development of... BOEMRE Maryland Renewable Energy Task Force. A detailed description of the RFI area is found later in... Energy and Alternate Uses of Existing Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf (REAU) rule. If...

76 FR 4716 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Off Delaware, Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... No. BOEM-2010-0075] Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Off... commercial wind development on the OCS off Delaware and requests submission of indications of competitive... received two nominations of proposed lease areas: One from Bluewater Wind Delaware LLC (Bluewater) and...

California State Waters Map Series: offshore of Salt Point, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Greene, H. Gary; Cochrane, Guy R.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Watt, Janet T.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chinn, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-01-01

Potential marine benthic habitats in the Offshore of Salt Point map area include unconsolidated continental shelf sediments, mixed continental shelf substrate, and hard continental shelf substrate. Rocky-shelf outcrops and rubble are considered to be promising potential habitats for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species.

California State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Fort Ross, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Greene, H. Gary; Cochrane, Guy R.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Watt, Janet T.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chin, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-12-03

Potential marine benthic habitat types in the Offshore of Fort Ross map area include unconsolidated continental-shelf sediments, mixed continental-shelf substrate, and hard continental-shelf substrate. Rocky shelf outcrops and rubble are considered the primary habitat type for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species.

California State Waters Map Series—Offshore of Bodega Head, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Greene, H. Gary; Cochrane, Guy R.; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Watt, Janet T.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chin, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-08-06

Potential marine benthic habitats in the Offshore of Bodega Head map area include unconsolidated continental-shelf sediments, mixed continental-shelf substrate, and hard continental-shelf substrate. Rocky-shelf outcrops and rubble are considered to be promising potential habitats for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species.

30 CFR 256.0 - Authority for information collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and... part 256, Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the Outer Continental Shelf.” (b) MMS collects this...

Mineral resource management of the Outer Continental Shelf : leasing procedures, evaluation of resources, and supervision of production operations on leased lands of the Outer Continental Shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adams, Maurice V.; John, C.B.; Kelly, R.F.; LaPointe, A.E.; Meurer, R.W.

1975-01-01

An important function of the Geological Survey is the evaluation and management of the mineral resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, particularly with respect to oil and gas, salt, and sulfur. Production of oil and gas from the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States has increased substantially over the past 20 years and represents an increasing percentage of total United States production. As discovery of major onshore production of oil and gas has become more difficult, the search has moved into the surrounding waters where submerged sedimentary formations are conducive to the accumulation of oil and gas. Increased energy demands of recent years have accelerated the pace of offshore operations with a corresponding improvement in technology as exploration and development have proceeded farther from shore and into deeper water. While improved technology and enforcement of more stringent regulations have made offshore operations safer, it is unrealistic to believe that completely accident-free operations can ever be achieved. Only slightly more than six percent of the world's continental terrace is adjacent to the United States, but less than one percent has been explored for oil and gas. Since the lead time for the development of offshore oil and gas resources can be as much as a decade, they do not provide an immediate energy supply but should be viewed in the light of a near-term source with a potential of becoming a medium-range source of supply pending the development of alternative energy sources. Revenues from the Outer Continental Shelf are deposited to the general fund of the United States Treasury. A major portion of these funds is allocated to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the largest Federal grant-in-aid program of assistance to States, counties, and cities for the acquisition and development of public parks, open space, and recreation lands and water.

An oilspill risk analysis for the North Atlantic outer continental shelf lease area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Richard Allmon; Slack, James Richard; Davis, Robert K.

1976-01-01

The Federal Government has proposed to lease 1,172,795 acres of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands on Georges Bank off the New England Coast for oil and gas development. Estimated recoverable petroleum resources for the proposed 206 tract sale area range from 180 to 650 million barrels. Contingent upon actual discovery of this quantity of oil, production is expected to span a period of about 20 years. An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine relative environmental hazards of developing oil in the North Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed probability of spill occurrence, likely path of pollutants from spills, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These results are combined to yield estimates of the overall oilspill risk associated with development of the lease area. (Woodard-USGS)

Influence of fluvial processes on the quaternary geologic framework of the continental shelf, North Carolina, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boss, S.K.; Hoffman, C.W.; Cooper, B.

2002-01-01

Digital, single-channel, high-resolution seismic reflection profiles were acquired from the insular continental shelf of North Carolina, USA along a data grid extending from Oregon Inlet northward 48 km to Duck, North Carolina and from the nearshore zone seaward approximately 28 km (total surveyed area= 1334 km2). These data were processed and interpreted to delineate principal reflecting horizons and develop a three-dimensional seismic stratigraphic framework for the continental shelf that was compared to stratigraphic data from the shoreward back-barrier (estuarine) and barrier island system. Six principal reflecting horizons (designated R0 through R5) were present within the upper 60 m of the shelf stratigraphic succession. Three-dimensional mapping of reflector R1 demonstrated its origin from fluvial incision of the continental shelf during an episode (or episodes) of lowered sea-level. Fluvial processes during development of reflector R1 were responsible for extensive reworking and re-deposition of sediment throughout most of the northern half of the study area. Five seismic stratigraphic units (designated S1 through S5) were tentatively correlated with depositional sequences previously identified from the North Carolina back-barrier (estuarine) and barrier island system. These five stratigraphic units span the Quaternary Period (S1 = early Holocene; S2 = 51-78 ka; S3 = 330-530 ka; S4 = 1.1-1.8 Ma; S5 = earliest Pleistocene). Unit S1 is composed of fine-grained fluvial/estuarine sediment that back-filled incised streams during early Holocene sea-level rise. The four other stratigraphic units (S2-S5) display tabular depositional geometries, low total relief, and thicken toward the east-southeast as their basal reflectors dip gently between 0.41 m km-1 (0.02??) and 0.54 m km-1 (0.03??). Knowledge of the three-dimensional subsurface stratigraphic architecture of the continental shelf enhances understanding of the development of shelf depositional successions and provides a framework for development of better Quaternary sea-level data, especially offshore North Carolina where such data are sparse. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 256.4 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas... for oil and gas, and sulphur, in submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act... major oil and gas producers. [64 FR 72795, Dec. 28, 1999] ...

77 FR 71612 - Atlantic Wind Lease Sale 2 (ATLW2) Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-03

... Wind Lease Sale 2 (ATLW2) Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore...), Interior. ACTION: Proposed Sale Notice for commercial leasing for wind power on the Outer Continental Shelf... sale of commercial wind energy leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Rhode Island and...

An oilspill risk analysis for the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Richard Allmon; Slack, James Richard; Davis, Robert K.

1976-01-01

An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine relative environmental impacts of developing oil in different regions of the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed probability of spills, likely path of pollutants from spills, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These results are combined to yield estimates of the overall oilspill risk associated with development of the lease area. (Woodard-USGS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pomeroy, L.R.

There are three distinct but not mutually exclusive areas of research in this contract, studies of intrusions of the west wall of the Gulf Stream onto the outer continental shelf, studies of the flux of materials across nearshore density fronts, and advances in understanding of the planktonic food web of the continental shelf. Studies of frontal events on the outer and inner continental shelf involve distinctive physical and chemical regimes and have proven to require distinctive biological approaches. The studies of the food web run through our work on both of the frontal regimes, but certain aspects have become subjectsmore » in their own right. We have developed a simulation model of the flux of energy through the continental shelf food web which we believe to be more realistic than previous ones of its type. We have examined several of the many roles of dissolved organic compounds in sea water which originate either from release by phytoplankton, digestive processes or metabolites of zooplankton, or extracellular digestion of microorganisms. Methods have been developed under this contract to measure both the chelating capacity of naturally occurring organic materials and the copper concentration in the water. It has been possible to characterize the effects, both toxic and stimulatory, of copper on photosynthesis of naturally occurring phytoplankton populations. It is possible to characterize in considerable detail the course of biological events associated with meanders of the Gulf Stream. We are now in a position to explain the limits to biological productivity of the outer continental shelf of the southeastern US and the reasons why that biological production moves through the food web in the characteristic way that it does.« less

75 FR 63504 - Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-15

... Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 AGENCY: Bureau of... development; (2) determine whether missing information identified by BOEMRE in the 193 FEIS was essential or... in the FEIS for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193 was essential or relevant under 40 CFR 1502.22; and (3...

Mixing in seasonally stratified shelf seas: a shifting paradigm.

PubMed

Rippeth, Tom P

2005-12-15

Although continental shelf seas make up a relatively small fraction (ca 7%) of the world ocean's surface, they are thought to contribute significantly (20-50% of the total) to the open-ocean carbon dioxide storage through processes collectively known as the shelf sea pump. The global significance of these processes is determined by the vertical mixing, which drives the net CO(2) drawdown (which can occur only in stratified water). In this paper, we focus on identifying the processes that are responsible for mixing across the thermocline in seasonally stratified shelf seas. We present evidence that shear instability and internal wave breaking are largely responsible for thermocline mixing, a clear development from the first-order paradigm for the water column structure in continental shelf seas. The levels of dissipation observed are quantitatively consistent with the observed dissipation rates of the internal tide and near-inertial oscillations. It is perhaps because these processes make such a small contribution to the total energy dissipated in shelf seas that they are not well represented in current state-of-the-art numerical models of continental shelf seas. The results thus present a clear challenge to oceanographic models.

76 FR 48861 - Notice of Issuance of Final Outer Continental Shelf Air Permit for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... Continental Shelf Air Permit for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... final Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air permit for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko). The permit... Petroleum Corporation regarding the project. EPA carefully reviewed each of the comments submitted and...

Insights into Diversity and Imputed Metabolic Potential of Bacterial Communities in the Continental Shelf of Agatti Island

PubMed Central

Dhar, Sunil Kumar; Jani, Kunal; Apte, Deepak A.; Shouche, Yogesh S.; Sharma, Avinash

2015-01-01

Marine microbes play a key role and contribute largely to the global biogeochemical cycles. This study aims to explore microbial diversity from one such ecological hotspot, the continental shelf of Agatti Island. Sediment samples from various depths of the continental shelf were analyzed for bacterial diversity using deep sequencing technology along with the culturable approach. Additionally, imputed metagenomic approach was carried out to understand the functional aspects of microbial community especially for microbial genes important in nutrient uptake, survival and biogeochemical cycling in the marine environment. Using culturable approach, 28 bacterial strains representing 9 genera were isolated from various depths of continental shelf. The microbial community structure throughout the samples was dominated by phylum Proteobacteria and harbored various bacterioplanktons as well. Significant differences were observed in bacterial diversity within a short region of the continental shelf (1–40 meters) i.e. between upper continental shelf samples (UCS) with lesser depths (i.e. 1–20 meters) and lower continental shelf samples (LCS) with greater depths (i.e. 25–40 meters). By using imputed metagenomic approach, this study also discusses several adaptive mechanisms which enable microbes to survive in nutritionally deprived conditions, and also help to understand the influence of nutrition availability on bacterial diversity. PMID:26066038

Insights into Diversity and Imputed Metabolic Potential of Bacterial Communities in the Continental Shelf of Agatti Island.

PubMed

Kumbhare, Shreyas V; Dhotre, Dhiraj P; Dhar, Sunil Kumar; Jani, Kunal; Apte, Deepak A; Shouche, Yogesh S; Sharma, Avinash

2015-01-01

Marine microbes play a key role and contribute largely to the global biogeochemical cycles. This study aims to explore microbial diversity from one such ecological hotspot, the continental shelf of Agatti Island. Sediment samples from various depths of the continental shelf were analyzed for bacterial diversity using deep sequencing technology along with the culturable approach. Additionally, imputed metagenomic approach was carried out to understand the functional aspects of microbial community especially for microbial genes important in nutrient uptake, survival and biogeochemical cycling in the marine environment. Using culturable approach, 28 bacterial strains representing 9 genera were isolated from various depths of continental shelf. The microbial community structure throughout the samples was dominated by phylum Proteobacteria and harbored various bacterioplanktons as well. Significant differences were observed in bacterial diversity within a short region of the continental shelf (1-40 meters) i.e. between upper continental shelf samples (UCS) with lesser depths (i.e. 1-20 meters) and lower continental shelf samples (LCS) with greater depths (i.e. 25-40 meters). By using imputed metagenomic approach, this study also discusses several adaptive mechanisms which enable microbes to survive in nutritionally deprived conditions, and also help to understand the influence of nutrition availability on bacterial diversity.

OESbathy version 1.0: a method for reconstructing ocean bathymetry with generalized continental shelf-slope-rise structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goswami, A.; Olson, P. L.; Hinnov, L. A.; Gnanadesikan, A.

2015-09-01

We present a method for reconstructing global ocean bathymetry that combines a standard plate cooling model for the oceanic lithosphere based on the age of the oceanic crust, global oceanic sediment thicknesses, plus generalized shelf-slope-rise structures calibrated at modern active and passive continental margins. Our motivation is to develop a methodology for reconstructing ocean bathymetry in the geologic past that includes heterogeneous continental margins in addition to abyssal ocean floor. First, the plate cooling model is applied to maps of ocean crustal age to calculate depth to basement. To the depth to basement we add an isostatically adjusted, multicomponent sediment layer constrained by sediment thickness in the modern oceans and marginal seas. A three-parameter continental shelf-slope-rise structure completes the bathymetry reconstruction, extending from the ocean crust to the coastlines. Parameters of the shelf-slope-rise structures at active and passive margins are determined from modern ocean bathymetry at locations where a complete history of seafloor spreading is preserved. This includes the coastal regions of the North, South, and central Atlantic, the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica, and the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America. The final products are global maps at 0.1° × 0.1° resolution of depth to basement, ocean bathymetry with an isostatically adjusted multicomponent sediment layer, and ocean bathymetry with reconstructed continental shelf-slope-rise structures. Our reconstructed bathymetry agrees with the measured ETOPO1 bathymetry at most passive margins, including the east coast of North America, north coast of the Arabian Sea, and northeast and southeast coasts of South America. There is disagreement at margins with anomalous continental shelf-slope-rise structures, such as around the Arctic Ocean, the Falkland Islands, and Indonesia.

Uncovering the glacial history of the Irish continental shelf (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunlop, P.; Benetti, S.; OCofaigh, C.

2013-12-01

In 1999 the Irish Government initiated a €32 million survey of its territorial waters known as the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS). The INSS is amongst the largest marine mapping programmes ever undertaken anywhere in the world and provides high-resolution multibeam, backscatter and seismic data of the seabed around Ireland. These data have been used to provide the first clear evidence for extensive glaciation of the continental shelf west and northwest of Ireland. Streamlined drumlins on the mid to outer shelf record former offshore-directed ice flow towards the shelf edge and show that the ice sheet was grounded in a zone of confluence where ice flowing onto the shelf from northwest Ireland merged with ice flowing across the Malin Shelf from southwest Scotland. The major glacial features on the shelf are well developed nested arcuate moraine systems that mark the position of the ice sheet margin and confirm that the former British Irish Ice Sheet was grounded as far as the shelf edge around 100 km offshore of west Donegal at the last glacial maximum. Distal to the moraines, on the outermost shelf, prominent zones of iceberg plough marks give way to the Barra/Donegal fan and a well developed system of gullies and canyons which incise the continental slope. Since 2008 several scientific cruises have retrieved cores from the shelf and slope to help build a more detailed understanding of glacial events in this region. This presentation will provide an overview of the glacial history of the Irish shelf and will discuss ongoing research programmes that are building on the initial research findings to produce a better understanding of the nature and timing of ice sheet events in this region.

77 FR 24980 - Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil... Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period May 1, 2012... Corporation ExxonMobil Exploration Company Group II. Shell Oil Company Shell Offshore Inc. SWEPI LP Shell...

30 CFR 256.0 - Authority for information collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General § 256.0 Authority for information collection. (a... information collection is “30 CFR part 256, Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the Outer Continental Shelf...

75 FR 82055 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Massachusetts...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-29

... No. BOEM-2010-0063] Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore..., Interior. ACTION: RFI in Commercial Wind Energy Leasing Offshore Massachusetts, and Invitation for Comments... the construction of a wind energy project(s) on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore...

Coastal ocean circulation during Hurricane Sandy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, Travis; Seroka, Greg; Glenn, Scott

2017-09-01

Hurricane Sandy (2012) was the second costliest tropical cyclone to impact the United States and resulted in numerous lives lost due to its high winds and catastrophic storm surges. Despite its impacts little research has been performed on the circulation on the continental shelf as Sandy made landfall. In this study, integrated ocean observing assets and regional ocean modeling were used to investigate the coastal ocean response to Sandy's large wind field. Sandy's unique cross-shelf storm track, large size, and slow speed resulted in along-shelf wind stress over the coastal ocean for nearly 48 h before the eye made landfall in southern New Jersey. Over the first inertial period (˜18 h), this along-shelf wind stress drove onshore flow in the surface of the stratified continental shelf and initiated a two-layer downwelling circulation. During the remaining storm forcing period a bottom Ekman layer developed and the bottom Cold Pool was rapidly advected offshore ˜70 km. This offshore advection removed the bottom Cold Pool from the majority of the shallow continental shelf and limited ahead-of-eye-center sea surface temperature (SST) cooling, which has been observed in previous storms on the MAB such as Hurricane Irene (2011). This cross-shelf advective process has not been observed previously on continental shelves during tropical cyclones and highlights the need for combined ocean observing systems and regional modeling in order to further understand the range of coastal ocean responses to tropical cyclones.

77 FR 71621 - Atlantic Wind One (ATLW1) Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-03

... Wind One (ATLW1) Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Virginia... Notice for Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Virginia. SUMMARY... (FONSI) for commercial wind lease issuance and site assessment activities on the Atlantic OCS offshore...

77 FR 10707 - Safety Zone; NOBLE DISCOVERER, Outer Continental Shelf Drillship, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone; NOBLE DISCOVERER, Outer Continental Shelf Drillship, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas... Chukchi and Beaufort Seas Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska, from 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2012 through 11:59 p... order to drill exploratory wells in several prospects located in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas during...

Structure and development of the southern Moroccan continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1974-01-01

The structure of the continental shelf off southern Morocco was studied by means of 2,100 km of seismic reflection profiles, magnetic and bathymetric surveys, and dredge samples. The research area lies off four geologic divisions adjacent to the coast: the Atlas Mountains; the Souss Trough; the Anti-Atlas Mountains; and the Aaiun Basin. The continental shelf, along with the western Atlas Mountains, the western Souss Trough, and the entire Aaiun Basin, has subsided along a normal fault-flexure system. This system runs along the shore at the Anti-Atlas Mountains, and cuts off this cratonic block from the shelf subsidence. The shelf is narrow and characterized by out-building off the Anti-Atlas range, whereas it is broader and characterized by upbuilding to the north and south. Deposition was essentially continuous at least from Early Cretaceous through Eocene time. Published work suggests that the last cycle of sedimentation began during Permian rifting. After Eocene time, most sediments carried to the shelf must have bypassed it and gone to construct the slope and rise or to the deep sea. Tertiary orogenies caused extensive folding of Mesozoic and early Tertiary deposits off the Atlas Mountains. ?? 1974.

78 FR 52239 - Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf-Oil and Gas Production Safety...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-22

... Environmental Enforcement 30 CFR Part 250 Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf--Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 163 / Thursday...] RIN 1014-AA10 Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf--Oil and Gas...

77 FR 39164 - Safety Zone; KULLUK, Outer Continental Shelf Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), Beaufort Sea, AK

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... sensitivity of the environmental and subsistence importance to the indigenous population; (4) the lack of any... Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and 33 C.F.R 147. Accordingly, State and Local law enforcement... due to the location of the MODU KULLUK on the Outer Continental Shelf and its distance from both land...

The stratigraphy of the southern Pab Range, Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, H. J.

The Cretaceous strata exposed in the southern Pab Range, southeast Baluchistan, Pakistan is investigated. It records the precollision deposition history of the Indo-Pakistani continental shelf. The strata comprise two depositional successions, namely, The Early to Late Cretaceous Sembar-Goru-Parh sequence and the Maestrichtian Mughal Kot-Pab sequence. The former began with deposition of black shales on the continental slope (Sembar Formation), succeeded by calcareous shale, marl and micstone of outer shelf origin (Goru Formation), and ended with inner shelf platform carbonates (Parh Limestone). These deep to shallow water lithofacies prograted westward over the continental shelf of the north-advancing Subcontinent. The Mughal Kot-Pab propagation contains the first significant influx of terrigenous sand reaching the western portion of the continental shelf. Deposition environments in the Mughal Kot Formation include inner shelf, prodelta, delta front and distributary channel. A thick succession of shoreface cycles comprises the Pab sandstone.

Onshore-offshore movement of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) on the continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Julia S.; Gilly, William F.; Field, John C.; Payne, John C.

2013-10-01

Jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) have greatly extended their range in the California Current System, where they forage on a variety of ecologically and economically important species that inhabit both coastal and offshore mesopelagic regions. Swimming abilities and behavior are important factors in assessing the impacts of this range expansion, particularly in regard to foraging in conjunction with onshore-offshore movement over the continental shelf. Here we describe a study of horizontal movements by jumbo squid along and across the continental shelf off Washington, USA, using acoustic tags in association with the Census of Marine Life's Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Program (POST) receiver arrays. We detected frequent movements along the shelf break, movement onto the shelf at night, and no evidence of movement as a cohesive school. Our results demonstrate feasibility of using acoustic tags and arrays to document horizontal movements of jumbo squid along and across the continental shelf. This is important in order to determine how those movements overlap with those of other ecologically and commercially important fish species.

75 FR 55970 - Safety Zone; VERMILION 380A at Block 380 Outer Continental Shelf Fixed Platform in the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

...-AA00 Safety Zone; VERMILION 380A at Block 380 Outer Continental Shelf Fixed Platform in the Gulf of... safety zone around VERMILION 380A, a fixed platform, at Block 380 in the Outer Continental Shelf, approximately 90 miles south of Vermilion Bay, Louisiana. The fixed platform is on fire and the safety zone is...

76 FR 54787 - Outer Continental Shelf Official Protraction Diagram, Lease Maps, and Supplemental Official Outer...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

.... ACTION: Availability of revised North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) Outer Continental Shelf Official...: Notice is hereby given that effective with this publication, the following NAD 27-based Outer Continental...

U.S. Eastern Continental Shelf Carbon Cycling (USECoS): Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mannino, Antonio

2008-01-01

Although the oceans play a major role in the uptake of fossil fuel CO2 from the atmosphere, there is much debate about the contribution from continental shelves, since many key shelf fluxes are not yet well quantified: the exchange of carbon across the land-ocean and shelf-slope interfaces, air-sea exchange of CO2, burial, and biological processes including productivity. Our goal is to quantify these carbon fluxes along the eastern U.S. coast using models quantitatively verified by comparison to observations, and to establish a framework for predicting how these fluxes may be modified as a result of climate and land use change. Our research questions build on those addressed with previous NASA funding for the USECoS (U.S. Eastern Continental Shelf Carbon Cycling) project. We have developed a coupled biogeochemical ocean circulation model configured for this study region and have extensively evaluated this model with both in situ and remotely-sensed data. Results indicate that to further reduce uncertainties in the shelf component of the global carbon cycle, future efforts must be directed towards 1) increasing the resolution of the physical model via nesting and 2) making refinements to the biogeochemical model and quantitatively evaluating these via the assimilation of biogeochemical data (in situ and remotely-sensed). These model improvements are essential for better understanding and reducing estimates of uncertainties in current and future carbon transformations and cycling in continental shelf systems. Our approach and science questions are particularly germane to the carbon cycle science goals of the NASA Earth Science Research Program as well as the U.S. Climate Change Research Program and the North American Carbon Program. Our interdisciplinary research team consists of scientists who have expertise in the physics and biogeochemistry of the U.S. eastern continental shelf, remote-sensing data analysis and data assimilative numerical models.

High Resolution Quaternary Seismic Stratigraphy of the New York Bight Continental Shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, William C.; Denny, J.F.; Foster, D.S.; Lotto, L.L.; Allison, M.A.; Uchupi, E.; Swift, B.A.; Danforth, W.W.; Thieler, E.R.; Butman, Bradford

2003-01-01

A principal focus for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program (marine.usgs.gov) is regional reconnaissance mapping of inner-continental shelf areas, with initial emphasis on heavily used areas of the sea floor near major population centers. The objectives are to develop a detailed regional synthesis of the sea-floor geology in order to provide information for a wide range of management decisions and to form a basis for further investigations of marine geological processes. In 1995, the USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), New York District, began to generate reconnaissance maps of the continental shelf seaward of the New York - New Jersey metropolitan area. This mapping encompassed the New York Bight inner-continental shelf, one of the most heavily trafficked and exploited coastal regions in the United States. Contiguous areas of the Hudson Shelf Valley, the largest physiographic feature on this segment of the continental shelf, also were mapped as part of a USGS study of contaminated sediments (Buchholtz ten Brink and others, 1994; 1996). The goal of the reconnaissance mapping was to provide a regional synthesis of the sea-floor geology in the New York Bight area, including: (a) a description of sea-floor morphology; (b) a map of sea-floor sedimentary lithotypes; (c) the geometry and structure of the Cretaceous strata and Quaternary deposits; and (d) the geologic history of the region. Pursuing the course of this mapping effort, we obtained sidescan-sonar images of 100 % of the sea floor in the study area. Initial interpretations of these sidescan data were presented by Schwab and others, (1997a, 1997b, 2000a). High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles collected along each sidescan-sonar line used multiple acoustic sources (e.g., watergun, CHIRP, Geopulse). Multibeam swath-bathymetry data also were obtained for a portion of the study area (Butman and others, 1998;). In this report, we present a series of structural and sediment isopach maps and interpretations of the Quaternary evolution of the inner-continental shelf off the New York - New Jersey metropolitan area based on subbottom, sidescan-sonar, and multibeam-bathymetric data.

Sources and Distribution of Organic Matter in Sediments of the Louisiana Continental Shelf

EPA Science Inventory

Both riverine and marine sources of organic matter (OM) contribute to sediment organic pools, and either source can contribute significantly to sediment accumulation, burial, and remineralization rates on river dominated continental shelf systems. For the Louisiana continental sh...

Long-term observations of bottom conditions and sediment movement on the Atlantic continental shelf; time-lapse photography from instrumented tripod

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford; Bryden, Cynthia G.; Pfirman, Stephanie L.; Strahle, William J.; Noble, Marlene A.

1984-01-01

An instrument system that measures bottom current, temperature, light transmission, and pressure, and that photographs the bottom at 2- to 6-hour intervals has been developed to study sediment transport on the Atlantic Continental Shelf. Instruments have been deployed extensively along the United States East Coast Continental Shelf for periods of from 2 to 6 months to study the frequency, direction, and rate of bottom sediment movement, and the processes causing movement. The time-lapse photographs are used to (1) characterize the bottom benthic community and surface microtopography; (2) monitor changes in the bottom topography and near-bottom water column caused by currents and storms (for example, ripple generation and migration, sediment resuspension); and (3) monitor seasonal changes in the bottom benthic community and qualitative effects of this community on the bottom sediments.

Hyperpycnal plume-derived fans in the Santa Barbara Channel, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warrick, Jonathan A.; Simms, Alexander R.; Ritchie, Andy; Steel, Elisabeth; Dartnell, Pete; Conrad, James E.; Finlayson, David P.

2013-01-01

Hyperpycnal gravity currents rapidly transport sediment across shore from rivers to the continental shelf and deep sea. Although these geophysical processes are important sediment dispersal mechanisms, few distinct geomorphic features on the continental shelf can be attributed to hyperpycnal flows. Here we provide evidence of large depositional features derived from hyperpycnal plumes on the continental shelf of the northern Santa Barbara Channel, California, from the combination of new sonar, lidar, and seismic reflection data. These data reveal lobate fans directly offshore of the mouths of several watersheds known to produce hyperpycnal concentrations of suspended sediment. The fans occur on an upwardly concave section of the shelf where slopes decrease from 0.04 to 0.01, and the location of these fans is consistent with wave- and auto-suspending sediment gravity current theories. Thus, we provide the first documentation that the morphology of sediment deposits on the continental shelf can be dictated by river-generated hyperpycnal flows.

Potential for Suboxic Ammonium Oxidation in Louisiana Continental Shelf Sediments

EPA Science Inventory

Sediments deposited onto the Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) west of the Mississippi River Delta form mobile muds varying in thickness from meters near the outfall to centimeters on the western portion of the shelf. The muds have high concentrations of iron which promote rapid...

75 FR 62418 - Notice of Intent To Conduct a Review of Categorical Exclusions for Outer Continental Shelf Decisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-08

... Shelf Oil and Gas Exploration and Development'' (August 16, 2010). Furthermore, this notice provides the... amended, established a national policy to protect the environment and also established the President's... procedures to implement NEPA, to consult with CEQ during their development, to provide an opportunity for...

Morphology and sediment dynamics of the northern Catalan continental shelf, northwestern Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durán, Ruth; Canals, Miquel; Sanz, José Luis; Lastras, Galderic; Amblas, David; Micallef, Aaron

2014-01-01

The northern Catalan continental shelf, in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, extends along 200 km from the Cap de Creus submarine canyon to the Llobregat Delta, in the vicinity of the city of Barcelona. In this paper we present the results of a systematic investigation of this area by means of very high-resolution multibeam bathymetry to fully assess its morphological variability. The causative factors and processes determining such variability are subsequently interpreted. The shelf is divided in three segments by two prominent submarine canyons: the northernmost Roses Shelf is separated from the intermediate La Planassa Shelf by the La Fonera Canyon, while the boundary between the La Planassa Shelf and the southernmost Barcelona Shelf is marked by the Blanes Canyon. These two canyons are deeply incised in the continental margin, with their heads located at only 0.8 and 5 km from the shore, respectively. The seafloor character reflects the influence of external controlling factors on the geomorphology and sediment dynamics of the northern continental shelf of Catalonia. These factors are the geological setting, the volume and nature of sediment input, and the type and characteristics of processes leading to sediment redistribution, such as dense shelf water cascading (DSWC) and eastern storms. The interaction of all these factors determines sediment dynamics and allows subdividing the northern Catalan continental shelf into three segments: the erosional-depositional Roses Shelf to the north, the non-depositional La Planassa Shelf in the middle, and the depositional Barcelona Shelf to the south. Erosional features off the Cap de Creus Peninsula and an along-shelf subdued channel in the outer shelf illustrate prevailing sediment dynamics in the Roses segment, which is dominated by erosional processes, local sediment accumulations and the southward bypass of sediment. The rocky character of the seafloor immediately north of the Blanes Canyon head demonstrates that neither significant sediment inputs from the Tordera River nor from the northern sources reach the southern part of the La Planassa Shelf. Palaeo-shorelines depict a number of paleodeltas with steep delta fronts on the drowned Barcelona Shelf.

76 FR 63654 - Outer Continental Shelf Official Protraction Diagram, Lease Maps, and Supplemental Official Outer...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-13

... Protraction Diagram, Lease Maps, and Supplemental Official Outer Continental Shelf Block Diagrams AGENCY... Supplemental Official OCS Block Diagrams (SOBDs); Correction. SUMMARY: BOEM (formerly the Bureau of Ocean... Official OCS Shelf Block Diagrams'' that contained an error. This notice corrects the address of the Web...

Sediment metabolism on the Louisiana continental shelf - Eldridge

EPA Science Inventory

Rates of aerobic and anaerobic sediment metabolism were measured on the Louisiana Continental Shelf during 5 cruises in 2006 and 2007. On each cruise, 3-4 stations were occupied in regions of the shelf that experience summer bottom-water hypoxia. Net DIC, O2, N2, and nutrient f...

Observed Oceanic Response over the Upper Continental Slope and Outer Shelf during Hurricane Ivan

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

the slope and rise. In addition, they were presumed to be along-shelf and cross-shelf components of group veloci- generated by pulsations of the Loop ...hits. Fortunately, all of exchange of mass, momentum, heat , and water proper- the SEED moorings survived this powerful storm and ties across the shelf...15. SUBJECT TERMS SEED, continental shelf, Doppler, waves 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF 18. NUMBER 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE

The Subject of Data in Submissions to the CLCS: Documenting the outer limits of the Northern Continental Shelf of the Faroe Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vang Heinesen, Martin; Mørk, Finn

2017-04-01

The first partial submissions made by the Kingdom of Denmark, in respect of the continental shelf north of the Faroe Islands (North Faroe Margin, NFM), was submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in April 2009 as the result of 7 years of preparation which also included 4 additional continental shelf regions around the Faroe Islands and Greenland, on which individual partial submissions were made subsequently. The NFM covers parts of the NW European continental margin, it continues onto the Faroe-Iceland Ridge and the extinct Ægir (spreading) Ridge and overlaps with the continental margin of Iceland and Norway in the sediment rich Ægir Basin located between the European margin to the south and south-east, and the Jan Mayen Micro-continental margin to the west and north-west. Prior to the onset of the continental shelf project of the Kingdom of Denmark, arrangements had already been made with Norway and Iceland regarding the sharing of existing data and acquisition of new seismic data in the overlapping regions. Before that, the main database in the area included a comprehensive multi-beam bathymetric data set covering large parts of the Ægir Ridge with scattered single beam bathymetric lines in the remaining regions. It also comprised a number of single- and multi-channel seismic lines and a long refraction seismic line transecting the entire eastern part of the basin, from the Norwegian shelf to the Ægir Ridge, in addition to local side scan sonar and regional potential field data. During the project, additional high quality multi-channel seismic data, extensive multi-beam bathymetric data, and a comprehensive high resolution aeromagnetic dataset were acquired, allowing detailed mapping of the morphological and geological nature of the margin, including accurate identification of the base of the continental slope and mapping of the sediment thickness and sediment continuation in the basin. This data proved to be crucial for the documentation to the CLCS of the outer limits of the continental shelf to the north of the Faroe Islands.

Origin and extent of fresh paleowaters on the Atlantic continental shelf, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, D.; Person, M.; Wang, P.; Gable, C.W.; Hutchinson, D.; Marksamer, A.; Dugan, Brandon; Kooi, H.; Groen, K.; Lizarralde, D.; Evans, R.L.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Lane, J.W.

2010-01-01

While the existence of relatively fresh groundwater sequestered within permeable, porous sediments beneath the Atlantic continental shelf of North and South America has been known for some time, these waters have never been assessed as a potential resource. This fresh water was likely emplaced during Pleistocene sea-level low stands when the shelf was exposed to meteoric recharge and by elevated recharge in areas overrun by the Laurentide ice sheet at high latitudes. To test this hypothesis, we present results from a high-resolution paleohydrologic model of groundwater flow, heat and solute transport, ice sheet loading, and sea level fluctuations for the continental shelf from New Jersey to Maine over the last 2 million years. Our analysis suggests that the presence of fresh to brackish water within shallow Miocene sands more than 100 km offshore of New Jersey was facilitated by discharge of submarine springs along Baltimore and Hudson Canyons where these shallow aquifers crop out. Recharge rates four times modern levels were computed for portions of New England's continental shelf that were overrun by the Laurentide ice sheet during the last glacial maximum. We estimate the volume of emplaced Pleistocene continental shelf fresh water (less than 1 ppt) to be 1300 km3 in New England. We also present estimates of continental shelf fresh water resources for the U.S. Atlantic eastern seaboard (104 km3) and passive margins globally (3 ?? 105 km3). The simulation results support the hypothesis that offshore fresh water is a potentially valuable, albeit nonrenewable resource for coastal megacities faced with growing water shortages. ?? 2009 National Ground Water Association.

Cross-Shelf Circulation and Momentum and Heat Balances Over the Inner Continental Shelf Near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

transport of nutrients, larvae, harmful algal blooms, and pollutants. The import aiid export between the continental shelf and the open ocean of heat...carbon and other nutrients on both regional and global scales. Estimated annual mean export production is espe- cially high over the continental...shelves, as compared to the rest of Earth’s oceans (Falkowski et al., 1998). The export production in the coastal regions supports most of the world’s

75 FR 1076 - Outer Continental Shelf Civil Penalties

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-08

...The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires the MMS to review the maximum daily civil penalty assessment for violations of regulations governing oil and gas operations in the Outer Continental Shelf at least once every 3 years. This review ensures that the maximum penalty assessment reflects any increases in the Consumer Price Index as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. After conducting the required review in August 2009, the MMS determined that no adjustment is necessary at this time.

Sedimentological fingerprint of modern and ancient meltwater outbursts across Antarctic continental shelves and slopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, J. B.; Simkins, L. M.; Prothro, L. O.

2016-12-01

On formerly glaciated Antarctic continental shelves, the crystalline inner shelf is commonly dissected by linked subglacial lake and channel systems; however, signatures of meltwater are rare within subglacial and glacial-marine deposits on the middle to outer continental shelf. Recent observations of ice-marginal landforms incised by meltwater channels in the western Ross Sea indicate pulses of meltwater outbursts at marine-based grounding lines during deglaciation of the continental shelf. Here we present sedimentological evidence of meltwater outbursts and associated plumes from new and legacy cores collected on the continental shelf and slope within the Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea, and Marguerite Bay. Discrete fine-grained silt deposits are found overlying till and within proximal grounding line deposits and open-marine diatomaceous sediments. The deposits are massive to laminated, contain little to no coarser material, moderately sorted and dominated by a 10 μm grain-size mode. Grain-size measurements show no indication of winnowing; therefore, we interpret these deposits as meltwater deposits, transported by subglacial meltwater drainage systems to the grounding line and dispersed further seaward by meltwater plumes. The similarity of the deposits down-core and between shelf and slope sites within the Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea, and Marguerite Bay indicate that sorting and/or production of the fine silts occurs due to subglacial hydrodynamic processes. These distinctive meltwater deposits within the stratigraphic record provide an accessible proxy for identifying meltwater discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and potentially be used to correlate cores on and off the continental shelf. Dating events on the continental shelf is notoriously difficult; therefore, deeper ocean records offer an easier means of bracketing the timing of meltwater discharge events. Longer records of ice dynamics from off the continental shelf are commonly used to reconstruct IRD records, and now can be used to reconstruct meltwater discharge histories, perhaps even extending back to warmer periods when the Antarctic Ice Sheet was a more temperate system that experienced seasonal surface melt, similar to the modern Greenland Ice Sheet.

Monitoring estuarine circulation and ocean waste dispersion using an integrated satellite-aircraft-drogue approach. [Continental Shelf and Delaware Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klemas, V. (Principal Investigator); Davis, G. R.; Wang, H.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. An integrated satellite-aircraft-drogue approach was developed which employs remotely tracked expendable drogues together with satellite and aircraft observations of oil slicks, waste plumes, and natural tracers, such as suspended sediment. Tests conducted on the Continental Shelf and in Delaware Bay indicate that the system provides a cost effective means of monitoring current circulation and verifying oil slick and ocean waste dispersion models even under severe environmental conditions.

Cruise report; RV Coastal Surveyor Cruise C1-99; multibeam mapping of the Long Beach, California continental shelf; April 12 through May 19, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, James V.; Hughes-Clarke, John E.; Mayer, Larry A.

1999-01-01

The greater Los Angeles area of California is home to more than 10 million people. This large population puts increased pressure on the adjacent offshore continental shelf and margin with activities such as ocean disposal for dredged spoils, explosive disposal, waste-water outfall, and commercial fishing. The increased utilization of the shelf and margin in this area has generated accelerated multi-disciplinary research efforts in all aspects of the environment of the coastal zone. Prior to 1996 there were no highly accurate base maps of the continental shelf and slope upon which the research activities could be located and monitored. In 1996, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Pacific Seafloor Mapping Project began to address this problem by mapping the Santa Monica shelf and margin (Fig. 1) using a state-of-the-art, high-resolution multibeam sonar system (Gardner, et al., 1996; 1999). Additional seafloor mapping in 1998 provided coverage of the continental margin from south of Newport to the proximal San Pedro Basin northwest of Palos Verdes Peninsula (Gardner, et al., 1998) (Fig. 1). The mapping of the seafloor in the greater Los Angeles continental shelf and margin was completed with a 30-day mapping of the Long Beach shelf in April and May 1999, the subject of this report. The objective of Cruise C-1-99-SC was to completely map the broad continental shelf from the eastern end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula to the narrow shelf south of Newport Beach, from the break in slope at about 120-m isobath to the inner shelf at about the 10-m isobath. Mapping the Long Beach shelf was jointly funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and the County of Orange (CA) Sanitation District and was conducted under a Cooperative Agreement with the Ocean Mapping Group from the University of New Brunswick (OMG/UNB). The OMG/UNB contracted with C&C Technologies, Inc. of Lafayette, LA for use of the RV Coastal Surveyor and the latest evolution of high-resolution multibeam sonars, a dual Kongsberg Simrad EM3000D.

Benthic oxygen consumption on continental shelves off eastern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, Jonathan; Emerson, Craig W.; Hargrave, Barry T.; Shortle, Jeannette L.

1991-08-01

The consumption of phytoplankton production by the benthos is an important component of organic carbon budgets for continental shelves. Sediment texture is a major factor regulating benthic processes because fine sediment areas are sites of enhanced deposition from the water column, resulting in increased organic content, bacterial biomass and community metabolism. Although continental shelves at mid- to high latitudes consist primarily of coarse relict sediments ( PIPER, Continental Shelf Research, 11, 1013-1035), shelf regions of boreal and subarctic eastern Canada contain large areas of silt and clay sediments ( FADER, Continental Shelf Research, 11, 1123-1153). We collated estimates of benthic oxygen consumption in coarse (<20% silt-clay, <0.5% organic matter) and fine sediments (20% silt-clay, 0.5% organic matter) for northwest Atlantic continental shelves including new data for Georges Bank, the Scotian Shelf, the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and Labrador Shelf. Estimates were applied to the areal distribution of sediment type on these shelves to obtain a general relationship between sediment texture and benthic carbon consumption. Mean benthic oxygen demand was 2.7 times greater in fine sediment than in coarse sediment, when normalized to mean annual temperature. In terms of carbon equivalents, shelf regions with minimal fine sediment (Georges Bank, the Grand Banks of Newfoundland-northeast Newfoundland) consumed only 5-8% of annual primary production. Benthos of the Gulf of Maine (100% fine sediment) and the Scotian Shelf (35% fine sediment) utilized 16-19% of primary production. Although 32% of the Labrador Shelf area contained fine sediments, benthic consumption of pelagic production (8%) was apparently limited by low mean annual temperature (2°C). These results indicate that incorporation of sediment-specific oxygen uptake into shelf carbon budgets may increase estimates of benthic consumption by 50%. Furthermore, respiration and production by large macrofauna allow an even greater proportion of primary production to enter benthic pathways. Fine sediment areas (shelf basins or "depocenters") are postulated to be sites of enhanced biological activity which must be considered in the modelling of shelf carbon budgets and the role of the benthos in demersal fisheries.

Biodiversity of the Deep-Sea Continental Margin Bordering the Gulf of Maine (NW Atlantic): Relationships among Sub-Regions and to Shelf Systems

PubMed Central

Kelly, Noreen E.; Shea, Elizabeth K.; Metaxas, Anna; Haedrich, Richard L.; Auster, Peter J.

2010-01-01

Background In contrast to the well-studied continental shelf region of the Gulf of Maine, fundamental questions regarding the diversity, distribution, and abundance of species living in deep-sea habitats along the adjacent continental margin remain unanswered. Lack of such knowledge precludes a greater understanding of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and limits development of alternatives for conservation and management. Methodology/Principal Findings We use data from the published literature, unpublished studies, museum records and online sources, to: (1) assess the current state of knowledge of species diversity in the deep-sea habitats adjacent to the Gulf of Maine (39–43°N, 63–71°W, 150–3000 m depth); (2) compare patterns of taxonomic diversity and distribution of megafaunal and macrofaunal species among six distinct sub-regions and to the continental shelf; and (3) estimate the amount of unknown diversity in the region. Known diversity for the deep-sea region is 1,671 species; most are narrowly distributed and known to occur within only one sub-region. The number of species varies by sub-region and is directly related to sampling effort occurring within each. Fishes, corals, decapod crustaceans, molluscs, and echinoderms are relatively well known, while most other taxonomic groups are poorly known. Taxonomic diversity decreases with increasing distance from the continental shelf and with changes in benthic topography. Low similarity in faunal composition suggests the deep-sea region harbours faunal communities distinct from those of the continental shelf. Non-parametric estimators of species richness suggest a minimum of 50% of the deep-sea species inventory remains to be discovered. Conclusions/Significance The current state of knowledge of biodiversity in this deep-sea region is rudimentary. Our ability to answer questions is hampered by a lack of sufficient data for many taxonomic groups, which is constrained by sampling biases, life-history characteristics of target species, and the lack of trained taxonomists. PMID:21124960

The Continental Margins of the Western North Atlantic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlee, John S.; And Others

1979-01-01

Presents an interpretation of geological and geophysical data, which provides a summary of the structural and sedimentary history of the United States Atlantic Margin. The importance of an understanding of the development of the outer continental shelf to future hydrocarbon exploration is detailed. (BT)

Abbot Ice Shelf, structure of the Amundsen Sea continental margin and the southern boundary of the Bellingshausen Plate seaward of West Antarctica.

PubMed

Cochran, James R; Tinto, Kirsty J; Bell, Robin E

2015-05-01

Inversion of NASA Operation IceBridge airborne gravity over the Abbot Ice Shelf in West Antarctica for subice bathymetry defines an extensional terrain made up of east-west trending rift basins formed during the early stages of Antarctica/Zealandia rifting. Extension is minor, as rifting jumped north of Thurston Island early in the rifting process. The Amundsen Sea Embayment continental shelf west of the rifted terrain is underlain by a deeper, more extensive sedimentary basin also formed during rifting between Antarctica and Zealandia. A well-defined boundary zone separates the mildly extended Abbot extensional terrain from the deeper Amundsen Embayment shelf basin. The shelf basin has an extension factor, β , of 1.5-1.7 with 80-100 km of extension occurring across an area now 250 km wide. Following this extension, rifting centered north of the present shelf edge and proceeded to continental rupture. Since then, the Amundsen Embayment continental shelf appears to have been tectonically quiescent and shaped by subsidence, sedimentation, and the advance and retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Bellingshausen Plate was located seaward of the Amundsen Sea margin prior to incorporation into the Antarctic Plate at about 62 Ma. During the latter part of its independent existence, Bellingshausen plate motion had a clockwise rotational component relative to Antarctica producing convergence across the north-south trending Bellingshausen Gravity Anomaly structure at 94°W and compressive deformation on the continental slope between 94°W and 102°W. Farther west, the relative motion was extensional along an east-west trending zone occupied by the Marie Byrd Seamounts. Abbot Ice Shelf is underlain by E-W rift basins created at ∼90 Ma Amundsen shelf shaped by subsidence, sedimentation, and passage of the ice sheet Bellingshausen plate boundary is located near the base of continental slope and rise.

Abbot Ice Shelf, structure of the Amundsen Sea continental margin and the southern boundary of the Bellingshausen Plate seaward of West Antarctica

PubMed Central

Cochran, James R; Tinto, Kirsty J; Bell, Robin E

2015-01-01

Inversion of NASA Operation IceBridge airborne gravity over the Abbot Ice Shelf in West Antarctica for subice bathymetry defines an extensional terrain made up of east-west trending rift basins formed during the early stages of Antarctica/Zealandia rifting. Extension is minor, as rifting jumped north of Thurston Island early in the rifting process. The Amundsen Sea Embayment continental shelf west of the rifted terrain is underlain by a deeper, more extensive sedimentary basin also formed during rifting between Antarctica and Zealandia. A well-defined boundary zone separates the mildly extended Abbot extensional terrain from the deeper Amundsen Embayment shelf basin. The shelf basin has an extension factor, β, of 1.5–1.7 with 80–100 km of extension occurring across an area now 250 km wide. Following this extension, rifting centered north of the present shelf edge and proceeded to continental rupture. Since then, the Amundsen Embayment continental shelf appears to have been tectonically quiescent and shaped by subsidence, sedimentation, and the advance and retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Bellingshausen Plate was located seaward of the Amundsen Sea margin prior to incorporation into the Antarctic Plate at about 62 Ma. During the latter part of its independent existence, Bellingshausen plate motion had a clockwise rotational component relative to Antarctica producing convergence across the north-south trending Bellingshausen Gravity Anomaly structure at 94°W and compressive deformation on the continental slope between 94°W and 102°W. Farther west, the relative motion was extensional along an east-west trending zone occupied by the Marie Byrd Seamounts. Key Points: Abbot Ice Shelf is underlain by E-W rift basins created at ∼90 Ma Amundsen shelf shaped by subsidence, sedimentation, and passage of the ice sheet Bellingshausen plate boundary is located near the base of continental slope and rise PMID:26709352

Transport processes near coastal ocean outfalls

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noble, M.A.; Sherwood, C.R.; Lee, Hooi-Ling; Xu, Jie; Dartnell, P.; Robertson, G.; Martini, M.

2001-01-01

The central Southern California Bight is an urbanized coastal ocean where complex topography and largescale atmospheric and oceanographic forcing has led to numerous sediment-distribution patterns. Two large embayments, Santa Monica and San Pedro Bays, are connected by the short, very narrow shelf off the Palos Verdes peninsula. Ocean-sewage outfalls are located in the middle of Santa Monica Bay, on the Palos Verdes shelf and at the southeastern edge of San Pedro Bay. In 1992, the US Geological Survey, together with allied agencies, began a series of programs to determine the dominant processes that transport sediment and associated pollutants near the three ocean outfalls. As part of these programs, arrays of instrumented moorings that monitor currents, waves, water clarity, water density and collect resuspended materials were deployed on the continental shelf and slope information was also collected on the sediment and contaminant distributions in the region. The data and models developed for the Palos Verdes shelf suggest that the large reservoir of DDT/DDE in the coastal ocean sediments will continue to be exhumed and transported along the shelf for a long time. On the Santa Monica shelf, very large internal waves, or bores, are generated at the shelf break. The near-bottom currents associated with these waves sweep sediments and the associated contaminants from the shelf onto the continental slope. A new program underway on the San Pedro shelf will determine if water and contaminants from a nearby ocean outfall are transported to the local beaches by coastal ocean processes. The large variety of processes found that transport sediments and contaminants in this small region of the continental margin suggest that in regions with complex topography, local processes change markedly over small spatial scales. One cannot necessarily infer that the dominant transport processes will be similar even in adjacent regions.

Transport and Fate of Nutrients Along the U.S. East Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, E. E.; Narvaez, D.; Friedrichs, M. A. M.; Najjar, R.; Tian, H.; Hyde, K.; Mannino, A.; Signorini, S. R.; Wilkin, J.; St-Laurent, P.

2017-12-01

As part of a NASA-funded multi-investigator project, a land-estuarine-ocean biogeochemical modeling system was implemented and verified with remote sensing and in situ data to examine processes controlling fluxes on land, their coupling to riverine systems, the delivery of materials to estuaries and the coastal ocean, and marine ecosystem responses to these changing riverine inputs and changing climate forcing. This modeling system is being used to develop nutrient budgets for the U.S. east coast continental shelf and to examine seasonal and interannual variability in nutrient fluxes. An important aspect of these nutrient budgets is the transport and fate of nutrients released along the inner shelf. Results from a five-year simulation (2004 to 2008) that used tracer releases from the main rivers along the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) and South Atlantic Bight (SAB) provide insights into transport pathways that connect the inner and outer continental shelf. Tracers released along the inner MAB spread along the shelf with a general southward and offshore transport. Inner shelf inputs from the large estuarine systems are transported to the mid and outer MAB shelf. Tracers that reach the mid to outer shelf can be entrained in the Gulf Stream. Export from the MAB to the SAB occurs during periods of southerly winds. Transport processes along the SAB are similar, but Gulf Stream entrainment is a larger component of tracer transport. Superimposed on the MAB and SAB transport patterns is considerable seasonal and interannual variability. The results from these retrospective simulations improve understanding of the coupling at the land-water interface and shelf-wide transport patterns that advance the ability to predict the effects of localized human impacts and broader-scale climate-related impacts on the U.S. east coast continental shelf system.

Mean hydrography on the continental shelf from 26 repeat glider deployments along Southeastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaeffer, Amandine; Roughan, Moninya; Austin, Tim; Everett, Jason D.; Griffin, David; Hollings, Ben; King, Edward; Mantovanelli, Alessandra; Milburn, Stuart; Pasquer, Benedicte; Pattiaratchi, Charitha; Robertson, Robin; Stanley, Dennis; Suthers, Iain; White, Dana

2016-08-01

Since 2008, 26 glider missions have been undertaken along the continental shelf of southeastern Australia. Typically these missions have spanned the continental shelf on the inshore edge of the East Australian Current from 29.5-33.5°S. This comprehensive dataset of over 33,600 CTD profiles from the surface to within 10 m of the bottom in water depths ranging 25-200 m provides new and unprecedented high resolution observations of the properties of the continental shelf waters adjacent to a western boundary current, straddling the region where it separates from the coast. The region is both physically and biologically significant, and is also in a hotspot of ocean warming. We present gridded mean fields for temperature, salinity and density, but also dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a fluorescence indicative of phytoplankton biomass. This data will be invaluable for understanding shelf stratification, circulation, biophysical and bio-geochemical interactions, as well as for the validation of high-resolution ocean models or serving as teaching material.

Mean hydrography on the continental shelf from 26 repeat glider deployments along Southeastern Australia.

PubMed

Schaeffer, Amandine; Roughan, Moninya; Austin, Tim; Everett, Jason D; Griffin, David; Hollings, Ben; King, Edward; Mantovanelli, Alessandra; Milburn, Stuart; Pasquer, Benedicte; Pattiaratchi, Charitha; Robertson, Robin; Stanley, Dennis; Suthers, Iain; White, Dana

2016-08-30

Since 2008, 26 glider missions have been undertaken along the continental shelf of southeastern Australia. Typically these missions have spanned the continental shelf on the inshore edge of the East Australian Current from 29.5-33.5°S. This comprehensive dataset of over 33,600 CTD profiles from the surface to within 10 m of the bottom in water depths ranging 25-200 m provides new and unprecedented high resolution observations of the properties of the continental shelf waters adjacent to a western boundary current, straddling the region where it separates from the coast. The region is both physically and biologically significant, and is also in a hotspot of ocean warming. We present gridded mean fields for temperature, salinity and density, but also dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a fluorescence indicative of phytoplankton biomass. This data will be invaluable for understanding shelf stratification, circulation, biophysical and bio-geochemical interactions, as well as for the validation of high-resolution ocean models or serving as teaching material.

30 CFR 256.12 - Supplemental sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General § 256.12 Supplemental sales. (a) The Secretary may conduct a...

30 CFR 256.10 - Information to States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General § 256.10 Information to States. (a) The information covered...

30 CFR 256.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and... administer a leasing program for oil, gas and sulphur. The procedures under which the Secretary will exercise...

Sponge assemblages on the deep Mediterranean continental shelf and slope (Menorca Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santín, Andreu; Grinyó, Jordi; Ambroso, Stefano; Uriz, Maria J.; Gori, Andrea; Dominguez-Carrió, Carlos; Gili, Josep-Maria

2018-01-01

Sponge assemblages on continental shelves and slopes around the world have been known about for centuries. However, due to limitations of the traditional sampling systems, data about individual sponge species rather than assemblages have been reported. This study characterizes sponge assemblages over a wide bathymetric range ( 50-350 m depth) and covering the entire continental shelf and the upper slope of the Menorca Channel, an area soon to be declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA) as part of the Natura 2000 Network. Quantitative analysis of 85 video-transects (a total linear distance of 75 km), together with representative collections to confirm species identifications, allowed us to discriminate six major assemblages. Differences in the assemblages mainly corresponded to differences in substrate type and depth. On the inner continental shelf, a semi-sciaphilous Axinellid assemblage dominated the rocky outcrops. Maërl beds on the inner continental shelf were dominated by Haliclona (Reniera) mediterranea, whereas the horny sponge Aplysina cavernicola and several other haliclonids mostly dominated maërl beds and rocky substrates of the outer shelf. Soft sediments on the shelf break hosted a monospecific Thenea muricata assemblage, whereas rocky substrates of the shelf break were characterized by a mixture of encrusting, columnar and fan-shaped sponges. Finally, the upper slope was dominated by Hamacantha (Vomerula) falcula and the hexactinellid Tretodictyum reiswigi. Overall, sponge diversity showed its highest values above the shelf break, plummeting severely on the upper slope. Despite this diversity decrease, we found very high densities (> 70 ind./m2) of sponges over vast areas of both the shelf break and the upper slope.

Downslope flow across the Ross Sea shelf break (Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergamasco, A.; Budillon, G.; Carniel, S.; Defendi, V.; Meloni, R.; Paschini, E.; Sclavo, M.; Spezie, G.

2003-12-01

The analysis of some high-resolution hydrological data sets acquired during the 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2003 austral summers across the Ross Sea continental shelf break are here presented. The main focus of these cruises carried out in the framework of the Italian National Antarctic Program was the investigation of the downslope flow of the dense waters originated inside the Ross Sea. Such dense waters, flow near the bottom and, reaching the continental shelf break, ventilate the deep ocean. Two Antarctic continental shelf mechanisms can originate dense and deep waters. The former mechanism involves the formation, along the Victoria Land coasts, of a dense and saline water mass, the High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW). The HSSW formation is linked to the rejection of salt into the water column as sea ice freezes, especially during winter, in the polynya areas, where the ice is continuously pushed offshore by the strong katabatic winds. The latter one is responsible of the formation of a supercold water mass, the Ice Shelf Water (ISW). The salt supplied by the HSSW recirculated below the Ross Ice Shelf, the latent heat of melting and the heat sink provided by the Ross Ice Shelf give rise to plumes of ISW, characterized by temperatures below the sea-surface freezing point. The dense shelf waters migrate to the continental shelf-break, spill over the shelf edge and descend the continental slope as a shelf-break gravity current, subject to friction and possibly enhanced by topographic channelling. Friction, in particular, breaks the constraint of potential vorticity conservation, counteracting the geostrophic tendency for along slope flow. The density-driven downslope motion or cascading entrains ambient water, namely the lower layer of the CDW, reaches a depth where density is the same and spreads off-slope. In fact, the cascading event is inhibited by friction without entrainment. The downslope processes are important for the ocean and climate system because they play a crucial role in the formation of oceanic deep water responsible for ocean/continental shelf exchange of organic carbon, suspended material and dissolved gases around Antarctica. In this context, this work presents the analysis of the 1997, 2001 and 2003 high-resolution surveys carried out in the western Ross Sea near Cape Adare, where the HSSW flows down the continental slope. The second study area was investigated during the 1998 survey of the Italian National Programme for Antarctic Research of the CLIMA Project, in order to follow the ISW overflow path at the shelf break in the central Ross Sea. A 3D primitive equation model was also implemented as a first step in the construction of a high-resolution process study model to explore the dynamical constraints involved in the downslope motion.

Managing the visual effects of outer continental shelf and other petroleum-related coastal development

Treesearch

Philip A. Marcus; Ethan T. Smith

1979-01-01

Five petroleum-related facilities often sited in the coastal zone during development of Outer Continental oil and gas can change the visual appearance of coastal areas. These facilities are service bases, platform fabrication yards, marine terminals and associated storage facilities, oil and gas processing facilities, and liquified natural gas terminals. Examples of...

77 FR 7148 - Notice of Approval of Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf Permits Issued to Shell Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

... Shelf Permits Issued to Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc., and Shell Offshore, Inc. for the Discoverer... Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) permit applications, one from Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc., for operation of the Discoverer drillship in the Chukchi Sea and one from Shell Offshore, Inc...

30 CFR 280.80 - Paperwork Reduction Act statement-information collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OFFSHORE PROSPECTING FOR MINERALS OTHER THAN OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF... CFR part 280, Prospecting for Minerals other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur on the Outer Continental Shelf...

Population genetic structure of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) in the Southeast Pacific and Southwest Atlantic Ocean

PubMed Central

Canales-Aguirre, Cristian B.; Galleguillos, Ricardo; Oyarzun, Fernanda X.; Hernández, Cristián E.

2018-01-01

Previous studies of population genetic structure in Dissostichus eleginoides have shown that oceanographic and geographic discontinuities drive in this species population differentiation. Studies have focused on the genetics of D. eleginoides in the Southern Ocean; however, there is little knowledge of their genetic variation along the South American continental shelf. In this study, we used a panel of six microsatellites to test whether D. eleginoides shows population genetic structuring in this region. We hypothesized that this species would show zero or very limited genetic structuring due to the habitat continuity along the South American shelf from Peru in the Pacific Ocean to the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. We used Bayesian and traditional analyses to evaluate population genetic structure, and we estimated the number of putative migrants and effective population size. Consistent with our predictions, our results showed no significant genetic structuring among populations of the South American continental shelf but supported two significant and well-defined genetic clusters of D. eleginoides between regions (South American continental shelf and South Georgia clusters). Genetic connectivity between these two clusters was 11.3% of putative migrants from the South American cluster to the South Georgia Island and 0.7% in the opposite direction. Effective population size was higher in locations from the South American continental shelf as compared with the South Georgia Island. Overall, our results support that the continuity of the deep-sea habitat along the continental shelf and the biological features of the study species are plausible drivers of intraspecific population genetic structuring across the distribution of D. eleginoides on the South American continental shelf. PMID:29362690

The Pennsylvanian-early permian bird spring carbonate shelf, Southeastern California: Fusulinid biostratigraphy, paleogeographic evolution, and tectonic implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, C.H.; Stone, P.

2007-01-01

The Bird Spring Shelf in southeastern California, along with coeval turbidite basins to the west, records a complex history of late Paleozoic sedimentation, sea-level changes, and deformation along the western North American continental margin. We herein establish detailed correlations between deposits of the shelf and the flanking basins, which we then use to reconstruct the depositional history, paleogeography, and deformational history, including Early Permian emplacement of the regionally significant Last Chance allochthon. These correlations are based on fusulinid faunas, which are numerous both on the shelf and in the adjoining basins. Study of 69 fusulinid species representing all major fusulinid-bearing Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian limestone outcrops of the Bird Spring Shelf in southeastern California, including ten new species of the genera Triticites, Leptotriticites, Stewartina, Pseudochusenella, and Cuniculinella, forms the basis for our correlations. We group these species into six fusulinid zones that we correlate with fusulinid-bearing strata in east-central and southern Nevada, Kansas, and West Texas, and we propose some regional correlations not previously suggested. In addition, we utilize recent conodont data from these areas to correlate our Early Permian fusulinid zones with the standard Global Permian Stages, strengthening their chronostratigraphic value. Our detailed correlations between the fusulinid-bearing rocks of the Bird Spring Shelf and deep-water deposits to the northwest reveal relationships between the history of shelf sedimentation and evolution of basins closer to the continental margin. In Virgilian to early Asselian (early Wolfcampian) time (Fusulinid Zones 1 and 2), the Bird Spring Shelf was flanked on the west by the deep-water Keeler Basin in which calcareous turbidites derived from the shelf were deposited. In early Sakmarian (early middle Wolfcampian) time (Fusulinid Zone 3), the Keeler Basin deposits were uplifted and transported eastward on the Last Chance thrust. By middle Sakmarian (middle middle Wolfcampian) time (within Fusulinid Zone 4), emplacement of the Last Chance allochthon was complete, and subsidence caused by thrust loading had resulted in development of a new turbidite basin (Darwin Basin) along the former western part of the Bird Spring Shelf. At the same time, farther east into the craton, paralic facies began prograding westward, so that the youngest fusulinid-bearing limestones on the shelf in this area become progressively younger to the west. Eventually, in Artinskian to Kungurian (late Wolfcampian to Leonardian) time (Fusulinid Zones 5 and 6), deposition of fusulinid-bearing limestone on the shelf was restricted to a marginal belt between the prograding paralic facies to the east and the Darwin Basin to the west. Development of the Keeler Basin in Pennsylvanian to earliest Permian time was approximately coeval with collision between South America-Africa (Gondwana) and North America (Laurentia) on the Ouachita-Marathon orogenic belt. This basin developed inboard of a northwest-trending, sinistral fault zone that truncated the continental margin. Later, in the Early Permian, the Last Chance allochthon, which was part of a northeast-trending belt of deformation that extended into northeastern Nevada, was emplaced. This orogenic belt probably was driven by convergence at the continental margin to the northwest. This work adds significant detail to existing interpretations of the late Paleozoic as a time of major tectonic instability on the continental margin of southeastern California as it changed from a relatively passive margin that had characterized most of the Paleozoic to an active convergent margin that would characterize the Mesozoic. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Coupled ocean-shelf ecosystem modelling of northern North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harle, J.; Holt, J. T.; Butenschön, M.; Allen, J. I.

2016-02-01

The biogeochemistry and ecosystems of the open-ocean and shelf seas are intimately connected. For example Northwest European continental shelf receives a substantial fraction of its nutrients from the wider North Atlantic and exports carbon at depth, sequestering it from atmospheric exchange. In the EC FP7 EuroBasin project (Holt et al 2014) we have developed a 1/12 degree basin-scale NEMO-ERSEM model with specific features relevant to shelf seas (e.g. tides and advanced vertical mixing schemes). This model is eddy resolving in the open-ocean, and resolves barotropic scales on-shelf. We use this model to explore the interaction between finely resolved physical processes and the ecosystem. Here we focus on shelf-sea processes and the connection between the shelf seas and open-ocean, and compare results with a 1/4 degree (eddy permitting) model that does not include shelf sea processes. We find tidal mixing fronts and river plume are well represented in the 1/12 degree model. Using approaches developed for the NW Shelf (Holt et al 2012), we provide estimates of across-shelf break nutrient fluxes to the seas surrounding this basin, and relate these fluxes and their interannual variability to the physical processes driving ocean-shelf exchange. Holt, J., et al, 2012. Oceanic controls on the primary production of the northwest European continental shelf: model experiments under recent past conditions and a potential future scenario. Biogeosciences 9, 97-117. Holt, J., et al, 2014. Challenges in integrative approaches to modelling the marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic: Physics to Fish and Coasts to Ocean. Progress in Oceanography doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.04.024.

Impact of the Extreme Warming of 2012 on Shelfbreak Frontal Structure North of Cape Hatteras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawarkiewickz, G.

2014-12-01

Continental shelf circulation north of Cape Hatteras is complex, with southward flowing Middle Atlantic Bight shelf water intersecting the Gulf Stream and subducting offshore into the Gulf Stream. In May, 2012, a cruise was conducted in order to study the shelf circulation and acoustic propagation through fish schools in the area. An important aspect of the study was to use Autonomous Underwater Vehicles to map fish schools with a sidescan sonar. High-resolution hydrographic surveys to map the continental shelf water masses and shelfbreak frontal structure were sampled to relate oceanographic conditions to the fish school distributions. The cold pool water mass over the continental shelf in May 2012 was extremely warm, with temperature anomalies of up to 5 Degrees C relative to observations from the same area in May, 1996. The normal cross-shelf temperature gradients within the shelfbreak front were not present because of the warming. As a result, the shelf density field was much more buoyant than usual, which led to an accelerated shelfbreak jet. Moored velocity measurements at the 60 m isobath recorded alongshelf flow of as much as 0.6 m/s. The anticipated fish species were not observed over the continental shelf. Some comments on the forcing leading to the large scale warming will be presented, along with a brief discussion of the impact of the warming on the marine ecosystem in the northeast U.S.

30 CFR 256.8 - Leasing maps and diagrams.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General § 256.8 Leasing maps and diagrams. (a) Any area of the OCS...

Denitrification and Nitrogen Fixation in Alaskan Continental Shelf Sediments

PubMed Central

Haines, John R.; Atlas, Ronald M.; Griffiths, Robert P.; Morita, Richard Y.

1981-01-01

Rates of nitrogen fixation and denitrification were measured in Alaskan continental shelf sediments. In some regions, rates of nitrogen fixation and denitrification appeared to be equal; in other areas, rates were significantly different. Potential rates of denitrification were found to be limited primarily by the available nitrate substrate. Major regional differences in rates of denitrification were not statistically significant, but significant differences were found for nitrogen fixation rates in different regions of the Alaskan continental shelf. Estimated net losses of nitrogen from Bering Sea sediments were calculated as 1.8 × 1012 g of N/yr. Experimental exposure of continental shelf sediments to petroleum hydrocarbons reduced rates of nitrogen fixation and denitrification in some cases but not others. Long-term exposure was necessary before a reduction in nitrogen fixation rates was observed; unamended rates of denitrification but not potential denitrification rates (NO3− added) were depressed after exposure to hydrocarbons. PMID:16345716

Sea ice and oceanic processes on the Ross Sea continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, S. S.; Comiso, J. C.

1989-12-01

We have investigated the spatial and temporal variability of Antarctic sea ice concentrations on the Ross Sea continental shelf, in relation to oceanic and atmospheric forcing. Sea ice data were derived from Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) brightness temperatures from 1979-1986. Ice cover over the shelf was persistently lower than above the adjacent deep ocean, averaging 86% during winter with little month-to-month or interannual variability. The large spring Ross Sea polynya on the western shelf results in a longer period of summer insolation, greater surface layer heat storage, and later ice formation in that region the following autumn. Newly identified Pennell and Ross Passage polynyas near the continental shelf break appear to be maintained in part by divergence above a submarine bank and by upwelling of warmer water near the slope front. Warmer subsurface water enters the shelf region year-round and will retard ice growth and enhance heat flux to the atmosphere when entrained in the strong winter vertical circulation. Temperatures at 125-m depth on a mooring near the Ross Ice Shelf during July 1984 averaged 0.15°C above freezing, sufficient to support a vertical heat flux above 100 W/m2. Monthly average subsurface ocean temperatures along the Ross Ice Shelf lag the air temperature cycle and begin to rise several weeks before spring ice breakout. The coarse SMMR resolution and dynamic ice shelf coastlines can compromise the use of microwave sea ice data near continental boundaries.

Stratigraphic and morphologic signatures of continental shelves, IGC 2016, Cape Town: an introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, A. N.; Cooper, J. A. G.

2018-02-01

This special issue of Geo-Marine Letters comprises seven contributions to the session "Stratigraphic and morphologic signatures of continental shelves" of the 35th International Geological Congress held in Cape Town (Republic of South Africa) on 27 August-4 September 2016. There is an additional article not presented at the conference but falling into the same general theme. The guest editors are A.N. Green and J.A.G. Cooper. The eight articles address several contemporary themes in continental shelf geology. They include the role of antecedent conditioning on the development of shelf stratigraphy and geomorphology; erosion of submerged shorelines and their preservation during (stepped) postglacial sea-level rise; the role of glacial processes (e.g. iceberg scouring during ice-sheet retreat); and the utility of archival data in addressing contemporary issues such as Holocene climate change and global oceanographic circulation systems. The continental shelf holds important information for understanding past and present global circulation and earth-ice-atmosphere interactions including sea-level change. It is hoped that these themes will spur further research that is slowly coming to the fore in several new and innovative mapping and exploration programmes emerging from an increasing number of coastal nations.

Source and dispersal of silt on northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, M.; Mazzullo, J.

1988-01-01

The surficial sediment on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico is characterized by abundant silty clay which was deposited during the late Pleistocene lowstand and reworked during and after the Holocene transgression. The purposes of this study were to determine the sources of the silt fraction in this surficial sediment by quartz grain roundness and surface texture analysis, and to determine the effects of modern shelf currents upon the distribution of silt. Areal variations in quartz grain roundness and surface texture define six silt provinces on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf. The Mississippi province ismore » the largest province and stretches from the Chandeleur Islands to Matagorda Bay. It is characterized by a mixture of rounded grains that were derived from the sedimentary rocks of the Gulf coastal plain and the Mid-Continent, and angular, fractured grains that were derived from glacial deposits in the northern United States. A comparison of the areal distribution of these six provinces with the late Pleistocene paleogeography of the continental shelf shows evidence for varying degrees of shore-parallel transport of silt by modern shelf currents.« less

Late Pleistocene sequence architecture on the geostrophic current-dominated southwest margin of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Dong-Lim; Shin, Dong-Hyeok; Kum, Byung-Cheol; Jang, Seok; Cho, Jin-Hyung; Jou, Hyeong-Tae; Jang, Nam-Do

2018-06-01

High-resolution multichannel seismic data were collected to identify depositional sequences on the southwestern shelf of the Ulleung Basin, where a unidirectional ocean current is dominant at water depths exceeding 130 m. Four aggradational stratigraphic sequences with a 100,000-year cycle were recognized since marine isotope stage (MIS) 10. These sequences consist only of lowstand systems tracts (LSTs) and falling-stage systems tracts (FSSTs). Prograding wedge-shaped deposits are present in the LSTs near the shelf break. Oblique progradational clinoforms of forced regressive deposits are present in the FSSTs on the outer continental shelf. Each FSST has non-uniform forced regressional stratal geometries, reflecting that the origins of sediments in each depositional sequence changed when sea level was falling. Slump deposits are characteristically developed in the upper layer of the FSSTs, and this was used as evidence to distinguish the sequence boundaries. The subsidence rates around the shelf break reached as much as 0.6 mm/year since MIS 10, which contributed to the well-preserved depositional sequence. During the Quaternary sea-level change, the water depth in the Korea Strait declined and the intensity of the Tsushima Current flowing near the bottom of the inner continental shelf increased. This resulted in greater erosion of sediments that were delivered to the outer continental shelf, which was the main cause of sediment deposition on the deep, low-angled outer shelf. Therefore, a depositional sequence formation model that consists of only FSSTs and LSTs, excluding highstand systems tracts (HSTs) and transgressive systems tracts (TSTs), best explains the depositional sequence beneath this shelf margin dominated by a geostrophic current.

Late Pleistocene sequence architecture on the geostrophic current-dominated southwest margin of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Dong-Lim; Shin, Dong-Hyeok; Kum, Byung-Cheol; Jang, Seok; Cho, Jin-Hyung; Jou, Hyeong-Tae; Jang, Nam-Do

2017-11-01

High-resolution multichannel seismic data were collected to identify depositional sequences on the southwestern shelf of the Ulleung Basin, where a unidirectional ocean current is dominant at water depths exceeding 130 m. Four aggradational stratigraphic sequences with a 100,000-year cycle were recognized since marine isotope stage (MIS) 10. These sequences consist only of lowstand systems tracts (LSTs) and falling-stage systems tracts (FSSTs). Prograding wedge-shaped deposits are present in the LSTs near the shelf break. Oblique progradational clinoforms of forced regressive deposits are present in the FSSTs on the outer continental shelf. Each FSST has non-uniform forced regressional stratal geometries, reflecting that the origins of sediments in each depositional sequence changed when sea level was falling. Slump deposits are characteristically developed in the upper layer of the FSSTs, and this was used as evidence to distinguish the sequence boundaries. The subsidence rates around the shelf break reached as much as 0.6 mm/year since MIS 10, which contributed to the well-preserved depositional sequence. During the Quaternary sea-level change, the water depth in the Korea Strait declined and the intensity of the Tsushima Current flowing near the bottom of the inner continental shelf increased. This resulted in greater erosion of sediments that were delivered to the outer continental shelf, which was the main cause of sediment deposition on the deep, low-angled outer shelf. Therefore, a depositional sequence formation model that consists of only FSSTs and LSTs, excluding highstand systems tracts (HSTs) and transgressive systems tracts (TSTs), best explains the depositional sequence beneath this shelf margin dominated by a geostrophic current.

Multidecadal warming of Antarctic waters.

PubMed

Schmidtko, Sunke; Heywood, Karen J; Thompson, Andrew F; Aoki, Shigeru

2014-12-05

Decadal trends in the properties of seawater adjacent to Antarctica are poorly known, and the mechanisms responsible for such changes are uncertain. Antarctic ice sheet mass loss is largely driven by ice shelf basal melt, which is influenced by ocean-ice interactions and has been correlated with Antarctic Continental Shelf Bottom Water (ASBW) temperature. We document the spatial distribution of long-term large-scale trends in temperature, salinity, and core depth over the Antarctic continental shelf and slope. Warming at the seabed in the Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas is linked to increased heat content and to a shoaling of the mid-depth temperature maximum over the continental slope, allowing warmer, saltier water greater access to the shelf in recent years. Regions of ASBW warming are those exhibiting increased ice shelf melt. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A model study of sediment transport across the shelf break

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchal, Olivier

2017-04-01

A variety of dynamical processes can contribute to the transport of material (e.g., particulate matter) across the shelf break - the region separating the continental shelf from the continental slope. Among these processes are (i) the reflection of internal waves on the outer shelf and upper slope, and (ii) the instability of hydrographic fronts, roughly aligned with isobaths, that are often present at the shelf break. On the one hand, internal waves reflecting on a sloping boundary can produce bottom shear stresses that are large enough to resuspend non-cohesive sediments into the water column. On the other hand, eddies shed from unstable shelf break fronts can incorporate into their core particle-rich waters from the outer shelf and upper slope, and transport these waters offshore. Here we present numerical experiments with a three-dimensional numerical model of ocean circulation and sediment transport, which illustrate the joint effect of internal waves and eddies on sediment transport across the shelf break. The model is based on the primitive equations and terrain-following coordinates. The model domain is square and idealized, comprising a flat continental shelf, a constant continental slope, and a flat abyssal basin. The model grid has O(1 km) horizontal resolution, so that (sub)mesoscale eddies observed in the vicinity of shelf breaks, such as south of New England, can be represented in detail. Internal waves are excited through the specification of a periodic variation in the across-slope component of velocity at the offshore boundary of the domain, and eddies are generated from the baroclinic instability of a shelf break jet that is initially in strict thermal wind balance. Numerical experiments are conducted that are characterized by (i) different slopes of internal wave characteristics relative to the continental slope, representing sub-critical, critical, and super-critical regimes, and (ii) different values for the dimensionless ratios that emerge from the linear stability analysis of shelf break fronts. Emphasis is placed on the physical conditions that are conducive to the formation and maintenance of bottom and intermediate nepheloid layers - the particle-rich layers that are often observed near oceanic margins in the traces of optical instruments.

Crustal characteristic variation in the central Yamato Basin, Japan Sea back-arc basin, deduced from seismic survey results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Takeshi; No, Tetsuo; Miura, Seiichi; Kodaira, Shuichi

2018-02-01

The crustal structure of the Yamato Bank, the central Yamato Basin, and the continental shelf in the southern Japan Sea back-arc basin is obtained based on a seismic survey using ocean bottom seismographs and seismic shot to elucidate the back-arc basin formation processes. The central Yamato Basin can be divided into three domains based on the crustal structure: the deep basin, the seamount, and the transition domains. In the deep basin domain, the crust without the sedimentary layer is about 12-13 km thick. Very few units have P-wave velocity of 5.4-6.0 km/s, which corresponds to the continental upper crust. In the seamount and transition domains, the crust without the sedimentary layer is about 12-16 km thick. The P-wave velocities of the upper and lower crusts differs among the deep basin, the seamount, and the transition domains. These results indicate that the central Yamato Basin displays crustal variability in different domains. The crust of the deep basin domain is oceanic in nature and suggests advanced back-arc basin development. The seamount domain might have been affected by volcanic activity after basin opening. In the transition domain, the crust comprises mixed characters of continental and oceanic crust. This crustal variation might represent the influence of different processes in the central Yamato Basin, suggesting that crustal development was influenced not only by back-arc opening processes but also by later volcanic activity. In the Yamato Bank and continental shelf, the upper crust has thickness of about 17-18 km and P-wave velocities of 3.3-4.1 to 6.6 km/s. The Yamato Bank and the continental shelf suggest a continental crustal character.

Glacial morphology and depositional sequences of the Antarctic Continental Shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Schneider, Christopher

1995-01-01

Proposes a simple model for the unusual depositional sequences and morphology of the Antarctic continental shelf. It considers the regional stratal geometry and the reversed morphology to be principally the results of time-integrated effects of glacial erosion and sedimentation related to the location of the ice grounding line. The model offers several guidelines for stratigraphic interpretation of the Antarctic shelf and a Northern Hemisphere shelf, both of which were subject to many glacial advances and retreats. -Authors

A modeling study examining the impact of nutrient boundaries on primary production on the Louisiana Continental Shelf

EPA Science Inventory

A mass balance eutrophication model, Gulf of Mexico Dissolved Oxygen Model (GoMDOM), has been developed and applied to describe nitrogen, phosphorus and primary production in the Louisiana shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. Features of this model include bi-directional boundary exchan...

Mean hydrography on the continental shelf from 26 repeat glider deployments along Southeastern Australia

PubMed Central

Schaeffer, Amandine; Roughan, Moninya; Austin, Tim; Everett, Jason D.; Griffin, David; Hollings, Ben; King, Edward; Mantovanelli, Alessandra; Milburn, Stuart; Pasquer, Benedicte; Pattiaratchi, Charitha; Robertson, Robin; Stanley, Dennis; Suthers, Iain; White, Dana

2016-01-01

Since 2008, 26 glider missions have been undertaken along the continental shelf of southeastern Australia. Typically these missions have spanned the continental shelf on the inshore edge of the East Australian Current from 29.5–33.5°S. This comprehensive dataset of over 33,600 CTD profiles from the surface to within 10 m of the bottom in water depths ranging 25–200 m provides new and unprecedented high resolution observations of the properties of the continental shelf waters adjacent to a western boundary current, straddling the region where it separates from the coast. The region is both physically and biologically significant, and is also in a hotspot of ocean warming. We present gridded mean fields for temperature, salinity and density, but also dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a fluorescence indicative of phytoplankton biomass. This data will be invaluable for understanding shelf stratification, circulation, biophysical and bio-geochemical interactions, as well as for the validation of high-resolution ocean models or serving as teaching material. PMID:27575831

Study of crustal structure and stretch mechanism of central continental shelf of northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, J.; Xia, S.; Sun, J.; Wan, K.; Xu, H.

2017-12-01

Known as a significant region to study tectonic relationship between South China block and South China Sea (SCS) block and the evolution of rifted basin in continental margin, the continental shelf of northern SCS documents the evolution from continental splitting to seafloor spreading of SCS. To investigate crustal structure of central continental shelf in northern SCS, two wide-angle onshore-offshore seismic experiments and coincident multi-channel seismic (MCS) profiles were carried out across the onshore-offshore transitional zone in northern SCS, 2010 and 2012. A total of 34 stations consisted of ocean bottom seismometers, portable and permanent land stations were deployed during the survey. The two-dimensional precise crustal structure models of central continental shelf in northern SCS was constructed from onshore to offshore, and the stretching factors along the P-wave velocity models were calculated. The models reveal that South China block is a typical continental crust with a 30-32 km Moho depth, and a localized high-velocity anomaly in middle-lower crust under land area near Hong Kong was imaged, which may reflect magma underplating caused by subduction of paleo-Pacific plate in late Mesozoic. The littoral fault zone is composed of several parallel, high-angle, normal faults that mainly trend northeast to northeast-to-east and dip to the southeast with a large displacement, and the fault is divided into several segments separated by the northwest-trending faults. The shelf zone south of LFZ was consisted of a differential thinning upper and lower continental crust, which indicate stretch thinning of passive continent margin during the Cenozoic spreading of the SCS. The results appear to further confirm that the northern margin of SCS experienced a transition from active margin to passive one during late Mesozoic and Cenozoic.

Abbot Ice Shelf, the Amundsen Sea Continental Margin and the Southern Boundary of the Bellingshausen Plate Seaward of West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochran, J. R.; Tinto, K. J.; Bell, R. E.

2014-12-01

The Abbot Ice Shelf extends 450 km along the coast of West Antarctica between 103°W and 89°W and straddles the boundary between the Bellingshausen Sea continental margin, which overlies a former subduction zone, and Amundsen Sea rifted continental margin. Inversion of NASA Operation IceBridge airborne gravity data for sub-ice bathymetry shows that the western part of the ice shelf, as well as Cosgrove Ice Shelf to the south, are underlain by a series of east-west trending rift basins. The eastern boundary of the rifted terrain coincides with the eastern boundary of rifting between Antarctica and Zealandia and the rifts formed during the early stages of this rifting. Extension in these rifts is minor as rifting quickly jumped north of Thurston Island. The southern boundary of the Cosgrove Rift is aligned with the southern boundary of a sedimentary basin under the Amundsen Embayment continental shelf to the west, also formed by Antarctica-Zealandia rifting. The shelf basin has an extension factor, β, of 1.5 - 1.7 with 80 -100 km of extension occurring in an area now ~250 km wide. Following this extension early in the rifting process, rifting centered to the north of the present shelf edge and proceeded to continental rupture. Since then, the Amundsen Embayment continental shelf has been tectonically quiescent and has primarily been shaped though subsidence, sedimentation and the passage of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet back and forth across it. The former Bellingshausen Plate was located seaward of the Amundsen Sea margin prior to its incorporation into the Antarctic Plate at ~62 Ma. During the latter part of its existence, Bellingshausen plate motion had a clockwise rotational component relative to Antarctica producing convergence between the Bellingshausen and Antarctic plates east of 102°W. Seismic reflection and gravity data show that this convergence is expressed by an area of intensely deformed sediments beneath the continental slope from 102°W to 95°W and by incipient subduction beneath the Bellingshausen Gravity Anomaly on the western edge of a salient of the Antarctic plate near 94°W. West of 102°W, relative motion was extensional and occurred in a diffuse zone occupied by the Marie Byrd Seamounts that are dated at 65-56 Ma and extend 800 km along the continental margin near the base of the continental rise.

33 CFR 106.300 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Facility Security Assessment (FSA) § 106.300 General. (a) The Facility Security Assessment (FSA) is a written document that is...

33 CFR 106.300 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Facility Security Assessment (FSA) § 106.300 General. (a) The Facility Security Assessment (FSA) is a written document that is...

33 CFR 106.300 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Facility Security Assessment (FSA) § 106.300 General. (a) The Facility Security Assessment (FSA) is a written document that is...

33 CFR 106.300 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Facility Security Assessment (FSA) § 106.300 General. (a) The Facility Security Assessment (FSA) is a written document that is...

An instrument system for long-term sediment transport studies on the continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford; Folger, David W.

1979-01-01

A bottom-mounted instrument system has been designed and built to monitor processes of bottom sediment movement on the continental shelf. The system measures bottom current speed and direction, pressure, temperature, and light transmission and photographs the bottom. The system can be deployed for periods of 2–6 months to monitor intermitent processes of sediment movement such as storms and to assess seasonal variability. Deployments of the system on the U.S. east coast continental shelf show sediment resuspension and changes in bottom microtopography due to surface waves, tidal currents, and storms.

Change in Dense Shelf Water and Adélie Land Bottom Water Precipitated by Iceberg Calving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, K.; Rintoul, S. R.; Sloyan, B. M.; Hogg, A. McC.

2018-03-01

Antarctic Bottom Water supplies the deep limb of the global overturning circulation and ventilates the abyssal ocean. Antarctic Bottom Water has warmed, freshened, and contracted in recent decades, but the causes remain poorly understood. We use unique multiyear observations from the continental shelf and deep ocean near the Mertz Polynya to examine the sensitivity of this bottom water formation region to changes on the continental shelf, including the calving of a large iceberg. Postcalving, the seasonal cycle of Dense Shelf Water (DSW) density almost halved in amplitude and the volume of DSW available for export reduced. In the deep ocean, the density and volume of Adélie Land Bottom Water decreased sharply after calving, while oxygen concentrations remained high, indicating continued ventilation by DSW. This natural experiment illustrates how local changes in forcing over the Antarctic continental shelf can drive large and rapid changes in the abyssal ocean.

Eastern U.S. Continental Shelf Carbon Budget: Integrating Models,Data Assimilation, and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, Eileen; Mannino, Antonio; McClain, Charles R.

2007-01-01

The U.S. East Coast Continental Shelf (USECoS) project was initiated in 2004 with the overall goal of developing carbon budgets for Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic regions of the eastern U.S. coast. We addressed this goal through a series of specific research questions that were designed to understand carbon inputs and fates in the two regions, dominant food web pathways for carbon cycling, and similarities/differences in carbon cycling in the two continental shelf systems. The USECoS project represents a major effort to simultaneously synthesize and integrate diverse data sets, field measurements, models, and modeling approaches. We expect that the type of approach taken here will result in more insight than would be possible if each component of the program moved forward independently. The primary significance of this project is in providing a strong quantitative basis for the development of future observational and modeling studies of carbon budgets of continental shelf systems. A strong aspect of the USECoS project is the integration of modeling and extensive physical, chemical, and biological data sets, which provides an opportunity for modeling and data analyses to inform one another from the outset. This research is particularly germane to NASA's carbon cycle research focus and coastal research initiative and the U.S. Climate Change Research Program, all of which support the goals of the North American Carbon Program. We highlight primary approaches that have been used, and some of the challenges and results that have come from interactions among our team of investigators. The global scale and interdisciplinary nature of the science questions that we now face in Earth Science are such that integrated teams of investigators are needed to address them.

Sedimentation patterns in the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa, and the Pilbara Block, Australia: Evidence for Archean rifted continental margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksson, Kenneth A.

1982-01-01

Archean supracrustal sequences in the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa, and the Pilbara Block, Australia, consist of lower volcanic and upper dominantly terrigenous clastic intervals. As evidenced by the paleoenvironments of intercalated sedimentary horizons, volcanism occurred mainly in shallow waters. The overlying ca 3.3 Ga sedimentary intervals contain various common as well as unique paleoenvironments, the understanding of which places significant constraints on Archean crustal models. Lateral and vertical associations of inferred paleoenvironments are used to interpret the geotectonic history of the Archean depositories. The early sedimentary history of the greenstone belts is characterized by terrestrial and subaqueous graben-fill associations of facies related to the initial rift stage of basin development. Continued rifting and initial spreading produced submarine grabens within which ironformations accumulated in response to waning volcanism. Source area uplift resulted in progradation of submarine fans across the basinal chemical sediments. The turbidites are gradational directly into braided alluvial sediments, in part of fan delta origin, suggesting that the continental to marine transition occurred along a narrow continental shelf. In the Barberton Mountain Land the steep-rift margin was succeeded by the development of a stable continental shelf or shelf rise margin through progradation of the turbidite wedge possibly in association with a eustatic rise in sea-level related to continued spreading. On this shelf extensive tidal, deltaic and barrier beach sediments accumulated. Sedimentation was terminated by closure of the passive margin oceans. The late-Archean Pongola Supergroup in South Africa is considered to be the late-orogenic molasse response to this closure and represents the completion of the Wilson cycle.

Manganese, Iron, and sulfur cycling in Louisiana continental shelf sediments

EPA Science Inventory

Sulfate reduction is considered the primary pathway for organic carbon remineralization on the northern Gulf of Mexico Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) where bottom waters are seasonally hypoxic, yet limited information is available on the importance of iron and manganese cyclin...

50 CFR 300.151 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... regulations that concern fishing for fishery resources over which Russia exercises sovereign rights or fishery... entity of its government. Russian continental shelf or continental shelf of Russia means the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas over which, consistent with international law, Russia exercises sovereign...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations across the Florida Panhandle continental shelf and slope after the BP MC 252 well failure.

PubMed

Snyder, Richard A; Ederington-Hagy, Melissa; Hileman, Fredrick; Moss, Joseph A; Amick, Lauren; Carruth, Rebecca; Head, Marie; Marks, Joel; Tominack, Sarah; Jeffrey, Wade H

2014-12-15

The Florida Panhandle continental shelf environment was exposed to oil from the BP oil well failure in the Gulf of Mexico during 2010. Floating mats of oil were documented by satellite, but the distribution of dissolved components of the oil in this region was unknown. Shipek® grab samples of sediments were taken during repeated cruises between June 2010 and June 2012 to test for selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as indicators of this contamination. Sediments were collected as composite samples, extracted using standard techniques, and PAHs were quantified by GC/MS-SIM. PAHs in samples from the continental slope in May 2011 were highest near to the failed well site and were reduced in samples taken one year later. PAHs from continental shelf sediments during the spill (June 2010) ranged from 10 to 165 ng g(-1). Subsequent cruises yielded variable and reduced amounts of PAHs across the shelf. The data suggest that PAHs were distributed widely across the shelf, and their subsequent loss to background levels suggests these compounds were of oil spill origin. PAH half-life estimates by regression were 70-122 days for slope and 201 days for shelf stations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 256.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General § 256.1... Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) will exercise the authority to administer a leasing program for oil...

30 CFR 256.4 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General... Secretary of the Interior to issue, on a competitive basis, leases for oil and gas, and sulphur, in...

76 FR 38555 - Reorganization of Title 30, Code of Federal Regulations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-01

..., Royalty relief. 30 CFR Part 1206 Coal, Continental shelf, Geothermal energy, Government contracts, Indians... recordkeeping requirements. 30 CFR Part 1218 Continental shelf, Electronic funds transfers, Geothermal energy... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 30 CFR...

Development of the benethic nepheloid layer on the south Texas continental shelf, western Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shideler, G.L.

1981-01-01

A monitoring study of suspended sediment on the South Texas Continental Shelf indicates that a turbid benthic nepheloid layer is regionally persistent. A sequence of quasi-synoptic measurements of the water column obtained during six cruises in an 18-month period indicates substantial spatial and temporal variability in nepheloidlayer characteristics. Regionally, the thickness of the shelf nepheloid layer increases both seaward and in a convergent alongshelf direction. Greatest thicknesses occur over a muddy substrate, indicating a causal relationship; maximum observed local thickness is 35 m which occurs along the southern shelf break. Analyses of suspended particulate matter in shelf bottom waters indicate mean concentrations ranging from 49 ?? 104 to 111 ?? 104 particle counts/cc; concentrations persistently increase shoreward throughout the region. Bottom particulate matter is predominantly composed of inorganic detritus. Admixtures of organic skeletal particles, primarily diatoms, are generally present but average less than 10% of the total particulate composition. Texturally, the particulate matter in bottom waters is predominantly poorly sorted sediment composed of very fine silt (3.9-7.8 ??m). The variability in nepheloid-layer characteristics indicates a highly dynamic shelf feature. The relationship of nepheloid-layer characteristics to hydrographic and substrate conditions suggests a conceptual model whereby nepheloid-layer development and maintenance are the results of the resuspension of sea-floor sediment. Bottom turbulence is attributed primarily to vertical shear and shoaling progressive internal waves generated by migrating shelf-water masses, especially oceanic frontal systems, and secondarily to shoaling surface gravity waves. ?? 1981.

An oilspill risk analysis for the eastern Gulf of Mexico (proposed sale 65) Outer Continental Shelf lease area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wyant, Timothy; Slack, James R.

1978-01-01

An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine the relative environmental hazards of developing oil in different regions of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed the probability of spill occurrence, likely paths of the spills, and locations in space and time of such objects as recreational and biological resources likely to be vulnerable. These results combined to yield estimates of the overall oilspill risk associated with development of the proposed lease area. This risk is compared to the existing oilspill risk from existing leases in the area. The analysis implicitly includes estimates of weathering rates and slick dispersion and an indication of the possible mitigating effects of cleanups.

A novel method for determination of aragonite saturation state on the continental shelf of central Oregon using multi-parameter relationships with hydrographic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juranek, L. W.; Feely, R. A.; Peterson, W. T.; Alin, S. R.; Hales, B.; Lee, K.; Sabine, C. L.; Peterson, J.

2009-12-01

We developed a multiple linear regression model to robustly determine aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) from observations of temperature and oxygen (R2 = 0.987, RMS error 0.053), using data collected in the Pacific Northwest region in late May 2007. The seasonal evolution of Ωarag near central Oregon was evaluated by applying the regression model to a monthly (winter)/bi-weekly (summer) water-column hydrographic time-series collected over the shelf and slope in 2007. The Ωarag predicted by the regression model was less than 1, the thermodynamic calcification/dissolution threshold, over shelf/slope bottom waters throughout the entire 2007 upwelling season (May-November), with the Ωarag = 1 horizon shoaling to 30 m by late summer. The persistence of water with Ωarag < 1 on the continental shelf has not been previously noted and could have notable ecological consequences for benthic and pelagic calcifying organisms such as mussels, oysters, abalone, echinoderms, and pteropods.

Dissolved organic carbon fluxes in the Middle Atlantic Bight: An integrated approach based on satellite data and ocean model products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannino, Antonio; Signorini, Sergio R.; Novak, Michael G.; Wilkin, John; Friedrichs, Marjorie A. M.; Najjar, Raymond G.

2016-02-01

Continental margins play an important role in global carbon cycle, accounting for 15-21% of the global marine primary production. Since carbon fluxes across continental margins from land to the open ocean are not well constrained, we undertook a study to develop satellite algorithms to retrieve dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and combined these satellite data with physical circulation model products to quantify the shelf boundary fluxes of DOC for the U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB). Satellite DOC was computed through seasonal relationships of DOC with colored dissolved organic matter absorption coefficients, which were derived from an extensive set of in situ measurements. The multiyear time series of satellite-derived DOC stocks (4.9 Teragrams C; Tg) shows that freshwater discharge influences the magnitude and seasonal variability of DOC on the continental shelf. For the 2010-2012 period studied, the average total estuarine export of DOC into the MAB shelf is 0.77 Tg C yr-1 (year). The integrated DOC tracer fluxes across the shelf boundaries are 12.1 Tg C yr-1 entering the MAB from the southwest alongshore boundary, 18.5 Tg C yr-1 entering the MAB from the northeast alongshore boundary, and 29.0 Tg C yr-1 flowing out of the MAB across the entire length of the 100 m isobath. The magnitude of the cross-shelf DOC flux is quite variable in time (monthly) and space (north to south). The highly dynamic exchange of water along the shelf boundaries regulates the DOC budget of the MAB at subseasonal time scales.

Dissolved organic carbon fluxes in the Middle Atlantic Bight: An integrated approach based on satellite data and ocean model products.

PubMed

Mannino, Antonio; Signorini, Sergio R; Novak, Michael G; Wilkin, John; Friedrichs, Marjorie A M; Najjar, Raymond G

2016-02-01

Continental margins play an important role in global carbon cycle, accounting for 15-21% of the global marine primary production. Since carbon fluxes across continental margins from land to the open ocean are not well constrained, we undertook a study to develop satellite algorithms to retrieve dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and combined these satellite data with physical circulation model products to quantify the shelf boundary fluxes of DOC for the U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB). Satellite DOC was computed through seasonal relationships of DOC with colored dissolved organic matter absorption coefficients, which were derived from an extensive set of in situ measurements. The multiyear time series of satellite-derived DOC stocks (4.9 Teragrams C; Tg) shows that freshwater discharge influences the magnitude and seasonal variability of DOC on the continental shelf. For the 2010-2012 period studied, the average total estuarine export of DOC into the MAB shelf is 0.77 Tg C yr -1 (year). The integrated DOC tracer fluxes across the shelf boundaries are 12.1 Tg C yr -1 entering the MAB from the southwest alongshore boundary, 18.5 Tg C yr -1 entering the MAB from the northeast alongshore boundary, and 29.0 Tg C yr -1 flowing out of the MAB across the entire length of the 100 m isobath. The magnitude of the cross-shelf DOC flux is quite variable in time (monthly) and space (north to south). The highly dynamic exchange of water along the shelf boundaries regulates the DOC budget of the MAB at subseasonal time scales.

Abbot Ice Shelf, structure of the Amundsen Sea continental margin and the southern boundary of the Bellingshausen Plate seaward of West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochran, James R.; Tinto, Kirsty J.; Bell, Robin E.

2015-05-01

Inversion of NASA Operation IceBridge airborne gravity over the Abbot Ice Shelf in West Antarctica for subice bathymetry defines an extensional terrain made up of east-west trending rift basins formed during the early stages of Antarctica/Zealandia rifting. Extension is minor, as rifting jumped north of Thurston Island early in the rifting process. The Amundsen Sea Embayment continental shelf west of the rifted terrain is underlain by a deeper, more extensive sedimentary basin also formed during rifting between Antarctica and Zealandia. A well-defined boundary zone separates the mildly extended Abbot extensional terrain from the deeper Amundsen Embayment shelf basin. The shelf basin has an extension factor, β, of 1.5-1.7 with 80-100 km of extension occurring across an area now 250 km wide. Following this extension, rifting centered north of the present shelf edge and proceeded to continental rupture. Since then, the Amundsen Embayment continental shelf appears to have been tectonically quiescent and shaped by subsidence, sedimentation, and the advance and retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Bellingshausen Plate was located seaward of the Amundsen Sea margin prior to incorporation into the Antarctic Plate at about 62 Ma. During the latter part of its independent existence, Bellingshausen plate motion had a clockwise rotational component relative to Antarctica producing convergence across the north-south trending Bellingshausen Gravity Anomaly structure at 94°W and compressive deformation on the continental slope between 94°W and 102°W. Farther west, the relative motion was extensional along an east-west trending zone occupied by the Marie Byrd Seamounts. The copyright line for this article was changed on 5 JUN 2015 after original online publication.

Infaunal community responses to a gradient of trawling disturbance and a long-term Fishery Exclusion Zone in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangano, M. Cristina; Kaiser, Michel J.; Porporato, Erika M. D.; Lambert, Gwladys I.; Rinelli, Paola; Spanò, Nunziacarla

2014-03-01

Historically the majority of Mediterranean trawl fisheries occur on the continental shelf with a smaller proportion focused on the shelf slope and deep sea areas. Understanding how trawl fisheries affect the wider ecosystem is an important component of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management. In this context the current study examined the impact of the otter trawl fishery on the infaunal communities found on the continental shelf and upper slope off the coast of Sicily and Calabria, Italy. A total of thirty six sites were sampled across a gradient of fishing intensity and from within a large bay from which trawling has been excluded for 22 years. Fishing intensities were ascertained post-hoc from vessel monitoring system data. Seabed characteristics of the sites studied were uniform across the continental shelf and slope areas that were studied, such that the only factor that varied was fishing intensity. The density index (DI) and total number of species (S) were significantly higher in the fishery closure area compared with other continental shelf sites. In particular, bioturbating decapod fauna occurred only within the fishery closure area. Fished sites were dominated primarily by burrowing deposit feeding worms, small bivalves and scavenging biota. In contrast, the response to fishing on the upper slope was less clear. This observation was treated with caution as the power to detect fishing effects was lower for the upper slope sites as a result of possible illegal fishing that had compromised two of the four replicate sites within the closed area. While the present study was able to quantify the effect of the demersal trawl fleet on the benthic infauna of the continental shelf, the effects of trawling on the upper shelf slope remain unclear and warrant further study.

Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene climate evolution controlled by sea-level change, Leeuwin Current, and Australian Monsoon in the Northwestern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishiwa, T.; Yokoyama, Y.; McHugh, C.; Reuning, L.; Gallagher, S. J.

2017-12-01

The transition from cold to warm conditions during the last deglaciation influenced climate variability in the Indian Ocean and Pacific as a result of submerge of continental shelf and variations in the Indonesian Throughflow and Australian Monsoon. The shallow continental shelf (< 200 m water depth) developed along the northwestern Australian margin is influenced by the Australian Monsoon and Leeuwin Current (one of branch of the Indonesian Throughflow). The International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 356 Indonesian Throughflow drilled in the northwestern Australian shallow continental shelf and recovered an interval from the Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene in Site U1461. Radiocarbon dating on macrofossils, foraminifera, and bulk organic matter provided a precise age-depth model, leading to high-resolved paleoclimate reconstruction. X-ray elemental analysis results are interpreted as an indicator of sedimentary environmental changes. The upper 20-m part of Site U1461 apparently records the climate transition from the LGM to Holocene in the northwestern Australia, which could be associated with sea-level change, Leeuwin Current activity, and the Australian Monsoon.

Assessment of the U. S. outer continental shelf environmental studies program. 1. Physical oceanography. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Federal responsibility for oil and gas development on the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS) resides with the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The DOI's Environmental Studies Program (ESP) is the program through which MMS conducts environmental studies on the OCS and collects information to prepare environmental impact statements (EISs). It appeared to MMS in 1986 that the time was ripe to assess the status of the present program and to explore the needs for future studies. MMS requested an evaluation of the adequacy and applicability of ESP studies, a review of the generalmore » state of knowledge in the appropriate disciplines, and recommendations for future studies. Three panels were established, one of which, the Physical Oceanography Panel, investigated the physical oceanographic aspects of the ESP, the subject of the report, which is the first of three in a series. In reviewing the ESP's physical oceanography program, the panel evaluated the quality and relevance of studies carried out in waters under federal control, which extend from the limits of state jurisdictions (3-12 miles offshore) and include the central and outer continental shelf waters and the continental slope.« less

Reactive Iron and Iron-Reducing Bacteria in Louisiana Continental Shelf Sediments

EPA Science Inventory

The Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers release sediments containing 15 x 106 t of iron onto the Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) each year. Iron oxides reaching the seafloor may be utilized as electron acceptors by iron-reducing bacteria for organic matter oxidation or become r...

30 CFR 256.12 - Supplemental sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Supplemental sales. 256.12 Section 256.12 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management...

30 CFR 256.2 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Policy. 256.2 Section 256.2 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and...

76 FR 29156 - Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations Consistency Update for California

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-20

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 55 [OAR-2004-0091; FRL-9304-4] Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations Consistency Update for California AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... ``significant regulatory action'' subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order...

Microbial Communities in Sediments across the Louisiana Continental Shelf

EPA Science Inventory

The Louisiana continental Shelf (LCS) is a dynamic system that receives discharges from two large rivers. It has a stratified water column that is mixed by winter storms, hypoxic bottom water from spring to fall, and a muddy seafloor with highly mixed surficial sediments. Spatia...

75 FR 20859 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Policy Committee; Notice and Agenda for Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-21

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Policy Committee; Notice and Agenda for Meeting AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior. ACTION: Notice.... Jeryne Bryant at Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 4001, Herndon, Virginia 20170...

Inorganic geochemistry of surface sediments of the Ebro shelf and slope, northwestern Mediterranean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, J.V.; Dean, W.E.; Alonso, B.

1990-01-01

Distributions of major, minor, and trace elements in surface sediment of the continental shelf and upper slope of the northeastern Spanish continental margin reflect the influences of discharge from the Ebro River and changes in eustatic sea levels. Multivariate factor analysis of sediment geochemistry was used to identify five groupings of samples (factors) on the shelf and slope. The first factor is an aluminosilicate factor that represents detrital clastic material. The second factor is a highly variable amount of excess SiO2 and probably represents a quartz residuum originating from winnowing of relict detrital sediments. A carbonate factor (Factor 3) has no positive correlation with other geochemical parameters but is associated with the sand-size fraction. The carbonate in these sediments consists of a mixture of biogenic calcite and angular to subangular detrital grains. Organic carbon is associated with the aluminosilicate factor (Factor 1) but also factors out by itself (Factor 4); this suggests that there may be two sources of organic matter, terrestrial and marine. The fifth factor comprises upper slope sediments that contain high concentrations of manganese. The most likely explanation for these high manganese concentrations is precipitation of Mn oxyhydroxides at the interface between Mn-rich, oxygen-deficient, intermediate waters and oxygenated surface waters. During eustatic low sea levels of the glacial Pleistocene, the Ebro Delta built across the outer continental shelf and deposited sediment with fairly high contents of organic carbon and continental components. The period of marine transgression from eustatic low (glacial) to eustatic high (interglacial) sea levels was characterized by erosion of the outer shelf delta and surficial shelf sediments and the transport of sediment across the slope within numerous canyons. Once eustatic high sea level was reached, delta progradation resumed on the inner shelf. Today, coarse-grained sediment (silt and sand) is transported to the continental shelf by Ebro River and is distributed along the inner shelf by currents generated by dominant northeasterly winds. Clay-size material is deposited on the mid- and outer-shelf. However, erosion and delta progradation during the last glacial period, and fine-grained Holocene sedimentation, have probably produced a distribution of sediment on a diachronous surface. ?? 1990.

The Project for the Extension of the Continental Shelf - the Portuguese experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madureira, Pedro; Ribeiro, Luísa P.; Roque, Cristina; Henriques, Guida; Brandão, Filipe; Dias, Frederico; Simões, Maria; Neves, Mariana; Conceição, Patricia; Botelho Leal, Isabel; Emepc, Equipa

2017-04-01

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the continental shelf is a juridical term used to define a submarine area that extends throughout the natural prolongation of a land territory, where the coastal State exercises sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources. Article 76 provides a methodology for determining the outer edge of the continental margin and to delineate the outer limits of the continental shelf. The task of preparing the Portuguese submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf was committed to the Task Group for the Extension of the Continental Shelf (EMEPC), which formally began its activity in January 2005. At that time, the existing national capacity to conduct such a task was very limited in its hydrographic, geological and geophysical components. A great effort has been made by Portugal to overcome these weaknesses and develop a strategy to submit the proposal for the extension of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles on 11th May of 2009. The execution of the project involved the implementation of several complementary strategies including: 1) intensive bathymetric, geophysical and, locally, geological data acquisition; 2) acquisition/development of new stand-alone and ship mounted equipment; 3) interactions with universities and research institutes, with emphasis in R&D initiatives; 4) creation of critical mass in deep-sea research by promoting advanced studies on: International Law, Geophysics, Geology, Hydrography, Biology, amongst others; 5) promotion of the sea as a major national goal, coupled with an outreach strategy. Until now, more than 1050 days of surveying have resulted in a large scale seafloor mapping using two EM120 and one EM710 multibeam echosounders from Kongsberg mounted on two hydrographic vessels. The surveys follow IHO Order 2 Standard (SP44, 5th Edition) and cover an area over 2.6 million km2. A multichannel reflection and wide angle refraction seismic survey provided 2600 km of high quality MCS data, allowing an accurate imaging of the sediment cover. Also, the data collected under the project has been used to foster the collaboration with universities and research institutes and to support research projects and post graduate studies on the deep-sea. An educational strategy has been emplaced in order to promote Ocean Literacy among children and youngsters. Since 2008, EMEPC is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Luso, a work class ROV rated to 6,000 metres depth. More than 170 ROV dives allowed the direct observation of the deep-sea for almost 800 hours of video footages, which also provided key information on biodiversity and deep sea ecosystems, which stand as the base for the creation of a database on biological data and to develop a strategy to protect the marine environment. Portugal has now the capacity to access its entire maritime areas, reinforcing the knowledge on the natural processes that shape the deep-sea. Some views on the Portuguese interpretation and application of article 76 will be discussed based on the data gathered within the scope of the project, which is still ongoing.

A PROBABILISTIC SURVEY OF FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION FROM THE CONTINENTAL SHELF OF THE US WEST COAST

EPA Science Inventory

A probabilistic survey of environmental condition of the continental shelf of the US West Coast was conducted in 2003 by the US EPA National Coastal Assessment (NCA), with collaboration by the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service. Metals and organic contaminants were analyzed ...

75 FR 24966 - Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior. ACTION: List of Restricted Joint Bidders. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of the Minerals Management Service by...

77 FR 24734 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Renewable Energy Program Leasing for Marine Hydrokinetic Technology...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

... Continental Shelf (OCS) Renewable Energy Program Leasing for Marine Hydrokinetic Technology Testing Offshore... found online at: http://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/Florida.aspx . [[Page.... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Morin, BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden...

30 CFR 285.101 - What is the purpose of this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF General Provisions...) grants for renewable energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and RUEs for the alternate... obligations when you undertake activities authorized in this part; and (c) Ensure that renewable energy...

76 FR 13205 - Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation... the name of an oil company listed under Group VIII in that notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

30 CFR 256.8 - Leasing maps and diagrams.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Leasing maps and diagrams. 256.8 Section 256.8 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management...

30 CFR 256.2 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Policy. 256.2 Section 256.2 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management, General § 256.2 Policy...

30 CFR 256.10 - Information to States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information to States. 256.10 Section 256.10 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Management...

75 FR 51968 - Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations Consistency Update for Massachusetts

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-24

... comments to: Ida McDonnell, Air Permits, Toxics and Indoor Air Unit, Office of Ecosystem Protection, U.S... INFORMATION CONTACT: Ida E. McDonnell, Air Permits, Toxics and Indoor Air Unit, U.S. Environmental Protection... Continental Shelf Air Regulations Consistency Update for Massachusetts AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency...

Sediment and Lower Water Column Oxygen Consumption in the Seasonally-hypoxic Region of the Louisiana Continental Shelf

EPA Science Inventory

We report sediment and bottom water respiration rates from 10 cruises from 2003-2007 on the Louisiana Continental Shelf (LSC) where summer hypoxia regularly occurs. Cruises were conducted during spring (5 cruises), summer (3 cruises) and fall (2 cruises). Cruise average sediment ...

75 FR 17155 - Preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for Proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... all requirements of NEPA, the Coastal Zone Management Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and... consistent with each affected state's federally approved Coastal Zone Management program. Finally, the MMS...-circulation modeling, ecological effects of oil and gas activities, and hurricane impacts on coastal...

Notices of Intent for Coverage Under the NPDES General Permit for Oil and Gas Exploration Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Chukchi Sea

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Notices of Intent (NOIs) submitted to EPA for coverage under the NPDES general permit for discharges from oil and gas exploration facilities on the outer continental shelf in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska.

76 FR 7518 - Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations Consistency Update for Alaska

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 55 [EPA-R10-OAR-2011-0045; FRL-9265-3] Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations Consistency Update for Alaska AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA... Greaves, Federal and Delegated Air Programs Unit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, 1200...

Resuspended sediments can contribute to the establishment and maintenance of hypoxia on the Louisiana continental shelf - Eldridge

EPA Science Inventory

Hypoxia occurs during summer on the Louisiana Continental Shelf. We investigated whether resuspension of sediment organic matter and the reduced end products of anaerobic microbial metabolism contributes to the onset and maintenance of hypoxia. The potential oxygen demand due to...

30 CFR 250.1401 - Index table.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Index table. 250.1401 Section 250.1401 Mineral... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Civil Penalties § 250.1401 Index table. The following table is an index of the sections in this subpart: § 250.1401Table Definitions...

77 FR 4294 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-27

... Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Air Pollution Regulations for Outer... electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov . Title: Air Pollution Regulations for Outer Continental Shelf... Act gives EPA responsibility for regulating air pollution from outer continental shelf (OCS) sources...

Impact of Satellite Remote Sensing Data on Simulations of Coastal Circulation and Hypoxia on the Louisiana Continental Shelf

EPA Science Inventory

We estimated surface salinity flux and solar penetration from satellite data, and performed model simulations to examine the impact of including the satellite estimates on temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen distributions on the Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) near the ...

75 FR 61511 - Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-05

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation...

Nutrient distributions, transports, and budgets on the inner margin of a river-dominated continental shelf

EPA Science Inventory

Physical and biogeochemical processes determining the distribution and fate of nutrients delivered by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers to the inner (<50 m depth) Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) were examined using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the LCS and obse...

Measurements of slope currents and internal tides on the Continental Shelf and slope off Newport Beach, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Noble, Marlene A.; Norris, Benjamin

2014-01-01

An array of seven moorings housing current meters and oceanographic sensors was deployed for 6 months at 5 sites on the Continental Shelf and slope off Newport Beach, California, from July 2011 to January 2012. Full water-column profiles of currents were acquired at all five sites, and a profile of water-column temperature was also acquired at two of the five sites for the duration of the deployment. In conjunction with this deployment, the Orange County Sanitation District deployed four bottom platforms with current meters on the San Pedro Shelf, and these meters provided water-column profiles of currents. The data from this program will provide the basis for an investigation of the interaction between the deep water flow over the slope and the internal tide on the Continental Shelf.

Impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development on recreation and tourism. Volume 1. Executive summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The study was intended to provide the Mineral Management Service (MMS) with an analytical tool to evaluate possible economic impacts from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development. In particular, the study was designed to provide MMS staff who work on lease sale Energy Impact Statements with an objective technique for estimating the impacts to coastal communities from events that might occur as a result of lease sales: oil spills, onshore construction, and construction of platforms offshore. The project had several specific objectives: (1) provide profiles of 1982 socio-economic conditions in coastal communities, including an analysis of the relative importance of themore » tourist industry in each coastal county; (2) develop a methodology for determining the effects of OCS development on coastal recreation; and recommend mitigation measure that may reduce the negative effect of OCS development on coastal recreation using gravity and economic effects models.« less

Upwelling rebound, ephemeral secondary pycnoclines, and the creation of a near-bottom wave guide over the Monterey Bay continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cheriton, Olivia M.; McPhee-Shaw, Erika E.; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Shaw, William J.; Raanan, Ben Y.

2014-01-01

Several sequential upwelling events were observed in fall 2012, using measurements from the outer half of the continental shelf in Monterey Bay, during which the infiltration of dense water onto the shelf created a secondary, near-bottom pycnocline. This deep pycnocline existed in concert with the near-surface pycnocline and enabled the propagation of near-bottom, cold, semidiurnal internal tidal bores, as well as energetic, high-frequency, nonlinear internal waves of elevation (IWOE). The IWOE occurred within 20 m of the bottom, had amplitudes of 8–24 m, periods of 6–45 min, and depth-integrated energy fluxes up to 200 W m−1. Iribarren numbers (<0.03) indicate that these IWOE were nonbreaking in this region of the shelf. These observations further demonstrate how regional upwelling dynamics and the resulting bulk, cross-margin hydrography is a first-order control on the ability of internal waves, at tidal and higher frequencies, to propagate through continental shelf waters.

A Laboratory Model of a Cooled Continental Shelf

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

26 Abstract A laboratory model of wintertime cooling over a continental shelf has a water surface cooled by air in an annular rotating...singular point where Froude number u/(g’hl)1/2 equaled a given value and flowed out along the bottom. In this formula, u is velocity of the water onto...support cross-shelf geostrophic currents. To accomplish this, an annular geometry was used. A cylindrical tank was fitted with a shallow but wide

Sustaining nutrient supply and carbon export in a seasonally-stratifying shelf sea through inconsistent production and remineralisation stoichiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humphreys, Matthew; Moore, Mark; Achterberg, Eric; Chowdhury, Mohammed; Griffiths, Alex; Hartman, Susan; Hopkins, Joanne; Hull, Tom; Kivimäe, Caroline; Sivyer, Dave; Smilenova, Angelina; Wihsgott, Juliane; Woodward, Malcolm

2017-04-01

Continental shelf seas support 15-20% of global primary productivity despite covering only about 5% of the Earth's ocean surface area. As a result, they may have a significant role in oceanic uptake and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, through the 'continental shelf pump' mechanism. The northwest European continental shelf, in particular the Celtic Sea (50°N 8°W), was the target of extensive biogeochemical sampling from March 2014 to September 2015, as part of the UK Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry research programme (UK-SSB). Here, we use the UK-SSB carbonate chemistry and macronutrient measurements to investigate the biogeochemical seasonality in the temperate, seasonally-stratifying Celtic Sea. During the spring-summer, near-surface biological activity removed dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrients, some of which were then exported into the deeper layer. We calculated vertical inventories of these variables throughout 1.5 seasonal cycles and attempted to correct these for air-sea CO2 exchange, advection and denitrification, thus isolating the combined effect of net community production and remineralisation on the inorganic macronutrient inventories, and revealing fluctuating deviations from Redfield stoichiometry. Here, we discuss the capacity of these stoichiometric inconsistencies to sustain the Celtic Sea nutrient supply, and thus examine whether an effective continental shelf pump for CO2 could operate in this region.

Development and application of a new comprehensive image-based classification scheme for coastal and benthic environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makowski, Christopher

The coastal (terrestrial) and benthic environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf show a unique biophysical succession of marine features from a highly urbanized, developed coastal region in the north (i.e. northern Miami-Dade County) to a protective marine sanctuary in the southeast (i.e. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary). However, the establishment of a standard bio-geomorphological classification scheme for this area of coastal and benthic environments is lacking. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis and answer the research question of whether new parameters of integrating geomorphological components with dominant biological covers could be developed and applied across multiple remote sensing platforms for an innovative way to identify, interpret, and classify diverse coastal and benthic environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf. An ordered manageable hierarchical classification scheme was developed to incorporate the categories of Physiographic Realm, Morphodynamic Zone, Geoform, Landform, Dominant Surface Sediment, and Dominant Biological Cover. Six different remote sensing platforms (i.e. five multi-spectral satellite image sensors and one high-resolution aerial orthoimagery) were acquired, delineated according to the new classification scheme, and compared to determine optimal formats for classifying the study area. Cognitive digital classification at a nominal scale of 1:6000 proved to be more accurate than autoclassification programs and therefore used to differentiate coastal marine environments based on spectral reflectance characteristics, such as color, tone, saturation, pattern, and texture of the seafloor topology. In addition, attribute tables were created in conjugation with interpretations to quantify and compare the spatial relationships between classificatory units. IKONOS-2 satellite imagery was determined to be the optimal platform for applying the hierarchical classification scheme. However, each remote sensing platform had beneficial properties depending on research goals, logistical restrictions, and financial support. This study concluded that a new hierarchical comprehensive classification scheme for identifying coastal marine environments along the southeast Florida continental shelf could be achieved by integrating geomorphological features with biological coverages. This newly developed scheme, which can be applied across multiple remote sensing platforms with GIS software, establishes an innovative classification protocol to be used in future research studies.

Impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development on recreation and tourism. Volume 3. Detailed methodology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The final report for the project is presented in five volumes. This volume, Detailed Methodology Review, presents a discussion of the methods considered and used to estimate the impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas development on coastal recreation in California. The purpose is to provide the Minerals Management Service with data and methods to improve their ability to analyze the socio-economic impacts of OCS development. Chapter II provides a review of previous attempts to evaluate the effects of OCS development and of oil spills on coastal recreation. The review also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of differentmore » approaches and presents the rationale for the methodology selection made. Chapter III presents a detailed discussion of the methods actually used in the study. The volume contains the bibliography for the entire study.« less

Space-for-time substitution and the evolution of submarine canyons in a passive, progradational margin.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micallef, Aaron; Ribó, Marta; Canals, Miquel; Puig, Pere; Lastras, Galderic; Tubau, Xavier

2013-04-01

40% of submarine canyons worldwide are located in passive margins, where they constitute preferential conduits of sediment and biodiversity hotspots. Recent studies have presented evidence that submarine canyons incising passive, progradational margins can co-evolve with the adjacent continental slope during long-term margin construction. The stages of submarine canyon initiation and their development into a mature canyon-channel system are still poorly constrained, however, which is problematic when attempting to reconstruct the development of passive continental margins. In this study we analyse multibeam echosounder and seismic reflection data from the southern Ebro margin (western Mediterranean Sea) to document the stages through which a first-order gully develops into a mature, shelf-breaching canyon and, finally, into a canyon-channel system. This morphological evolution allows the application of a space-for-time substitution approach. Initial gully growth on the continental slope takes place via incision and downslope elongation, with limited upslope head retreat. Gravity flows are the main driver of canyon evolution, whereas slope failures are the main agent of erosion; they control the extent of valley widening, promote tributary development, and their influence becomes more significant with time. Breaching of the continental shelf by a canyon results in higher water/sediment loads that enhance canyon development, particularly in the upper reaches. Connection of the canyon head with a paleo-river changes evolution dynamics significantly, promoting development of a channel and formation of depositional landforms. Morphometric analyses demonstrate that canyons develop into geometrically self-similar systems that approach steady-state and higher drainage efficiency. Canyon activity in the southern Ebro margin is pulsating and enhanced during sea level lowstands. Rapid sedimentation by extension of the palaeo-Millars River into the outermost shelf and upper slope is inferred as the source of gravity flows driving canyon evolution. Canyon morphology is shown to be maintained over the course of more than one fall and rise in sea-level. Our model of canyon evolution is applicable to other passive margins (e.g. Argentine continental margin).

Oceanic core complexes in the Philippine Sea: results from Japan's extended continental shelf mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohara, Y.; Yoshida, T.; Nishizawa, A.

2013-12-01

The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) issued its recommendations on Japan's extended continental shelf in April 2012, confirming Japan's rights over the vast areas within the Philippine Sea and Pacific Plates. Japan submitted information on the limits of its continental shelf beyond the EEZ to the CLCS on November 2008, which was the result of 25 years of nation's continental shelf survey project since 1983, involving all of Japan's agency relevant to geosciences. The huge geological and geophysical data obtained through the project give the scientists unprecedented opportunity to study the geology and tectonics of the Philippine Sea and Pacific Plates. In this contribution, we show such an example from the Philippine Sea Plate, relevant to the global mid-ocean ridge problem. Oceanic core complexes (OCC) are dome-shaped bathymetric highs identified in mid-ocean ridges, interpreted as portions of the lower crust and/or upper mantle denuded via low-angle detachment faulting. OCCs are characterized morphologically by axis-normal striations (corrugations, or mullion structure) on the dome, and exposures of mantle peridotite and/or lower crustal gabbro. A strikingly giant OCC (named 'Godzilla Megamullion') was discovered in the Parece Vela Basin by the continental shelf survey project in 2001. Godzilla Megamullion is morphologically the largest OCC in the world, consisting mainly of fertile mantle peridotite along its entire length of over 125 km. Following its discovery in 2001, several academic cruises investigated the structure in detail, providing numerous important findings relevant to mid-ocean ridge tectono-magmatic processes and Philippine Sea evolution, including the slow- to ultraslow-spreading environment for denudation of the detachment fault (< 2.5 cm/y) and associated decreasing degree of partial melting of the peridotites towards the termination of Godzilla Megamullion. In addition to Godzilla Megamullion, several potential OCCs have been discovered in the Philippine Sea Plate by the continental shelf survey project. These are: (1) the ones in the Shikoku Basin spreading axis at around 24 degrees north, (2) the Chaotic Terrain in the Parece Vela Basin, (3) Chaotic Terrain in the West Philippine Basin, near the CBF Rift (formerly known as the Central Basin Fault), (4) Chaotic Terrain in the Kita-Daito Basin, (5) the one in the Shikoku Basin floor to the east of Kyushu-Palau Ridge at 25 degrees north, (6) the Higashi-Ryusei Spur of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge at 26 degrees north, and (7) the one in the Daito Ridge adjoining to the Kida-Daito Basin. OCCs are commonly developed in slow-spreading ridges, providing excellent opportunities as tectonic windows to study the composition and structure of deep oceanic lithosphere. The OCCs in the Philippine Sea Plate in turn provide the opportunities to study the backarc basin lithosphere as well as the continental lithosphere (at the above examples 6 and 7). Although Godzilla Megamullion has been studied very well, the other OCCs are not well documented yet. The next step is to focus on these interesting targets to understand the lithospheric process in the Philippine Sea Plate.

78 FR 48180 - Consolidation of Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection For Outer Continental Shelf Activities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-07

... for all Mobile Offshore Drilling Units and Floating Outer Continental Shelf Facilities (as defined in... Commander. Vessels requiring Coast Guard inspection include Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), Floating... engage directly in oil and gas exploration or production in the offshore waters of the Eighth Coast Guard...

78 FR 1759 - Notice of Approval of Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf Minor Source/Title V Minor Permit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-09

... Outer Continental Shelf Minor Source/Title V Minor Permit Modification Issued to Shell Offshore, Inc. for the Kulluk Conical Drilling Unit AGENCY: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... decision granting Shell Offshore Inc.'s (``Shell'') request for minor modifications of Clean Air Act Outer...

77 FR 15118 - Information Collection Activities: Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-14

...-0005; OMB Number 1014-NEW] Information Collection Activities: Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other Than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB... (ICR) for approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Operations in the Outer...

76 FR 5189 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activities: 1010-0081, Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-28

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement [Docket ID No. BOEM-2010-0069] BOEMRE Information Collection Activities: 1010-0081, Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other Than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur, Submitted for Office of Management and Budget...

76 FR 11079 - Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf-Safety and Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-01

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 30 CFR Part 250 [Docket ID: BOEM-2010-0076] Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf--Safety and Environmental Management Systems; Public Workshop AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management...

76 FR 79705 - Information Collection Activities: Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-22

.... BSEE-2011-0005; OMB Control Number 1014-NEW] Information Collection Activities: Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget... Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR...

76 FR 50245 - Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning Area (WPA), Oil and Gas...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-12

... (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact... sale's incremental contribution to the cumulative impacts on environmental and socioeconomic resources... Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning Area (WPA), Oil and Gas Lease Sale for the...

78 FR 45965 - Research Lease on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Virginia, Request for Competitive...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

...; MMAA104000] Research Lease on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Virginia, Request for Competitive... Unsolicited Request for an OCS Research Lease; Request for Competitive Interest (RFCI); and Request for Public... for wind energy research activities; (2) solicit indications of interest in a renewable energy lease...

78 FR 33859 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Geological and Geophysical Exploration Activities in the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-05

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [MMAA104000] Outer Continental Shelf...: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent; Notice of Scoping Meetings... 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-3233. For information on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS...

ON THE WIND-INDUCED EXCHANGE BETWEEN INDIAN RIVER BAY, DELAWARE AND THE ADJACENT CONTINENTAL SHELF. (R826945)

EPA Science Inventory

The structure of the wind-induced exchange between Indian River Bay, Delaware and the adjacent continental shelf is examined based on current measurements made at the Indian River Inlet which represents the only conduit of exchange between the bay and the coastal ocean. Local ...

77 FR 44232 - Delegation of Authority To Implement and Enforce Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations to the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-27

... Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and.... SUMMARY: On July 21, 2010, EPA sent the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control... of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, 89 Kings Highway, P.O. Box 1401, Dover, Delaware. FOR...

78 FR 36571 - North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Provisional Official...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-18

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [MMAA104000] North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Provisional Official Protraction Diagram (OPDs) AGENCY... OPDs. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that effective with this publication two NAD 83-based OCS...

33 CFR 106.415 - Amendment and audit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amendment and audit. 106.415 Section 106.415 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Facility Security Plan (FSP) § 106.415 Amendment and...

Plankton community respiration, net ecosystem metabolism, and oxygen dynamics on the Louisiana continental shelf: implications for hypoxia

EPA Science Inventory

We conducted a multi-year study of the Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) to better understand the linkages between water column metabolism and the formation of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen <2 mg L-1) in the region. Water column community respiration rates (WR) were measured on 10 cr...

76 FR 14681 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Massachusetts...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-17

... No. BOEM-2010-0063] Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore..., Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION: Request for Interest (RFI) in Commercial Wind Energy... (BOEMRE) is reopening the comment period on the RFI in Commercial Wind Energy Leasing Offshore...

Temporal coherence of the acoustic field forward propagated through a continental shelf with random internal waves.

PubMed

Gong, Zheng; Chen, Tianrun; Ratilal, Purnima; Makris, Nicholas C

2013-11-01

An analytical model derived from normal mode theory for the accumulated effects of range-dependent multiple forward scattering is applied to estimate the temporal coherence of the acoustic field forward propagated through a continental-shelf waveguide containing random three-dimensional internal waves. The modeled coherence time scale of narrow band low-frequency acoustic field fluctuations after propagating through a continental-shelf waveguide is shown to decay with a power-law of range to the -1/2 beyond roughly 1 km, decrease with increasing internal wave energy, to be consistent with measured acoustic coherence time scales. The model should provide a useful prediction of the acoustic coherence time scale as a function of internal wave energy in continental-shelf environments. The acoustic coherence time scale is an important parameter in remote sensing applications because it determines (i) the time window within which standard coherent processing such as matched filtering may be conducted, and (ii) the number of statistically independent fluctuations in a given measurement period that determines the variance reduction possible by stationary averaging.

Depositional history of Louisiana-Mississippi outer continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kindinger, J.L.; Miller, R.J.; Stelting, C.E.

1982-01-01

A geological study was undertaken in 1981 in the Louisiana-Mississippi outer continental shelf for the Bureau of Land Management. The study included a high-resolution seismic reflection survey, surficial sediment sampling and surface current drifter sampling. Approximately 7100 sq km of the Louisiana-Mississippi shelf and upper slope were surveyed. The sea floor of the entire area is relatively smooth except for occasional areas of uplift produced by diapiric intrusion along the upper slope. Characteristics of the topography and subsurface shelf sediments are the result of depositional sequences due to delta outbuilding over transgressive sediments with intervening periods of erosion during low sea level stands. Little evidence of structural deformation such as faults, diapirs, and shallow gas is present on the shelf and only a few minor faults and scarps are found on the slope. Minisparker seismic records in combination with air gun (40 and 5 cu in) and 3.5-kHz subbottom profile records reveal that seven major stages of shelf development have occurred since the middle Pleistocene. The shelf development has been controlled by the rise and fall of sea level. These stages are defined by four major unconformities, several depositions of transgressive sediments, sequences of river channeling and progradational delta deposits. Surficial sediment sample and seismic records indicate tat the last major depositional event was the progradation of the St. Bernard Delta lobe. This delta lobe covered the northwestern and central regions. Surficial sediments in most of the study area are the product of the reworking of the San Bernard Delta lobe and previous progradations.

Understanding Ice Shelf Basal Melting Using Convergent ICEPOD Data Sets: ROSETTA-Ice Study of Ross Ice Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, R. E.; Frearson, N.; Tinto, K. J.; Das, I.; Fricker, H. A.; Siddoway, C. S.; Padman, L.

2017-12-01

The future stability of the ice shelves surrounding Antarctica will be susceptible to increases in both surface and basal melt as the atmosphere and ocean warm. The ROSETTA-Ice program is targeted at using the ICEPOD airborne technology to produce new constraints on Ross Ice Shelf, the underlying ocean, bathymetry, and geologic setting, using radar sounding, gravimetry and laser altimetry. This convergent approach to studying the ice-shelf and basal processes enables us to develop an understanding of the fundamental controls on ice-shelf evolution. This work leverages the stratigraphy of the ice shelf, which is detected as individual reflectors by the shallow-ice radar and is often associated with surface scour, form close to the grounding line or pinning points on the ice shelf. Surface accumulation on the ice shelf buries these reflectors as the ice flows towards the calving front. This distinctive stratigraphy can be traced across the ice shelf for the major East Antarctic outlet glaciers and West Antarctic ice streams. Changes in the ice thickness below these reflectors are a result of strain and basal melting and freezing. Correcting the estimated thickness changes for strain using RIGGS strain measurements, we can develop decadal-resolution flowline distributions of basal melt. Close to East Antarctica elevated melt-rates (>1 m/yr) are found 60-100 km from the calving front. On the West Antarctic side high melt rates primarily develop within 10 km of the calving front. The East Antarctic side of Ross Ice Shelf is dominated by melt driven by saline water masses that develop in Ross Sea polynyas, while the melting on the West Antarctic side next to Hayes Bank is associated with modified Continental Deep Water transported along the continental shelf. The two sides of Ross Ice Shelf experience differing basal melt in part due to the duality in the underlying geologic structure: the East Antarctic side consists of relatively dense crust, with low amplitude magnetic anomalies, and deep bathymetry. The West Antarctic side displays high amplitude magnetic anomalies, lower densities and shallower water depths. The geologically-controlled bathymetry influences the access of water masses capable of basal melting into the ice shelf cavity with the deep troughs on the East Antarctic side facilitating melting.

Dissolved organic carbon fluxes in the Middle Atlantic Bight: An integrated approach based on satellite data and ocean model products

PubMed Central

Mannino, Antonio; Signorini, Sergio R.; Novak, Michael G.; Wilkin, John; Friedrichs, Marjorie A. M.; Najjar, Raymond G.

2017-01-01

Continental margins play an important role in global carbon cycle, accounting for 15–21% of the global marine primary production. Since carbon fluxes across continental margins from land to the open ocean are not well constrained, we undertook a study to develop satellite algorithms to retrieve dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and combined these satellite data with physical circulation model products to quantify the shelf boundary fluxes of DOC for the U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB). Satellite DOC was computed through seasonal relationships of DOC with colored dissolved organic matter absorption coefficients, which were derived from an extensive set of in situ measurements. The multiyear time series of satellite-derived DOC stocks (4.9 Teragrams C; Tg) shows that freshwater discharge influences the magnitude and seasonal variability of DOC on the continental shelf. For the 2010–2012 period studied, the average total estuarine export of DOC into the MAB shelf is 0.77 Tg C yr−1 (year). The integrated DOC tracer fluxes across the shelf boundaries are 12.1 Tg C yr−1 entering the MAB from the southwest alongshore boundary, 18.5 Tg C yr−1 entering the MAB from the northeast alongshore boundary, and 29.0 Tg C yr−1 flowing out of the MAB across the entire length of the 100 m isobath. The magnitude of the cross-shelf DOC flux is quite variable in time (monthly) and space (north to south). The highly dynamic exchange of water along the shelf boundaries regulates the DOC budget of the MAB at subseasonal time scales. PMID:29201582

Circulation, Water Temperature, and Larval Settlement Over the Inner Continental Shelves of the Santa Barbara Channel, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fewings, M. R.; Washburn, L.; Ohlmann, C.; Blanchette, C.; Caselle, J.; Gotschalk, C.

2008-12-01

We use seven-year time series of wind stress, water velocity, and temperature in 15-18 m water depth to describe the circulation and water temperature over the inner continental shelves of the Channel Islands and California mainland in the Santa Barbara Basin. This area is strongly influenced by the California Current upwelling system. In turn, the water circulation in the Santa Barbara Basin influences the local marine ecosystem by affecting the water temperature and the supply of nutrients and larval fish and invertebrates. Larvae and nutrients traveling from the coast to the open ocean and back again must somehow pass through the inner shelf. The water circulation over the inner continental shelf of the Northern Channel Islands has not been described. Due to the shallowness of the water, an inner shelf has different physical dynamics than either the surfzone or the middle and outer continental shelf. We discuss the relative importance of upwelling- favorable along-shelf winds and of cross-shelf winds as forcing mechanisms for coastal upwelling circulations over the inner shelf; test whether the cross-shelf wind stress and surface gravity waves are important for cross-shelf circulation in the Santa Barbara Basin; and describe the subtidal patterns of water temperature, stratification, and velocity around the Channel Islands and their relation to observed larval settlement patterns. Cross-shelf circulation and the movement of water masses into and out of the Basin have implications for settlement and recruitment of many coastal species, including the economically important kelp rockfish, kelp bass, and sea urchin. Understanding the circulation of the Santa Barbara Basin and its inner shelves is a precursor to determining the source locations of the planktonic larvae. That information on source locations is essential for the design, siting, and assessment of existing and future marine protected areas in California and elsewhere.

Nutrient Distributions, Transports, and Budgets on the Inner Margin of a River-Dominated Continental Shelf

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-02

and budgets on the inner margin of a river-dominated continental shelf, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans , 118, 4822–4838, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20362. 1...13/10.1002/jgrc.20362 4822 JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH: OCEANS , VOL. 118, 4822–4838, doi:10.1002/jgrc.20362, 2013 Report Documentation Page Form...shelf, and current velocities obtained from a three-dimensional (3-D) hydro- dynamic model (the Navy Coastal Ocean Model). The budget terms were used to

Map of Distribution of Bottom Sediments on the Continental Shelf, Gulf of Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, Kevin R.; Carlson, Paul R.; Hampton, Monty A.; Marlow, Michael S.; Barnes, Peter W.

2000-01-01

Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey has a long history of exploring marine geology in the Gulf of Alaska. As part of a cooperative program with other federal and state agencies, the USGS is investigating the relations between ocean-floor geology and benthic marine biohabitats. This bottom sediment map, compiled from published literature will help marine biologists develop an understanding of sea-floor geology in relation to various biological habitats. The pattern of sea-floor sedimentation and bottom morphology in the Gulf of Alaska reflects a complex interplay of regional tectonism, glacial advances and retreats, oceanic and tidal currents, waves, storms, eustatic change, and gravity-driven processes. This map, based on numerous cruises during the period of 1970-1996, shows distribution of bottom sediments in areas of study on the continental shelf. The samples were collected with piston, box, and gravity corers, and grab samplers. The interpretations of sediment distribution are the products of sediment size analyses combined with interpretations of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles. The sea floor was separated into several areas as follows: Cook Inlet -- Hazards studies in this embayment emphasized sediment distribution, sediment dynamics, bedforms, shallow faults, and seafloor stability. Migrating mega-sandwaves, driven by strong tidal currents, influence seabed habitats and stability of the seafloor, especially near pipelines and drilling platforms. The coarseness of the bottom sediment reinforces the influence of the strong tidal currents on the seafloor habitats. Kodiak Shelf -- Tectonic framework studies demonstrate the development of an accretionary wedge as the Pacific Plate underthrusts the Alaskan landmass. Seismic data across the accretionary wedge reveal anomalies indicative of fluid/gas vent sites in this segment of the continental margin. Geologic hazards research shows that movement along numerous shallow faults poses a risk to sea floor structures. Sea-floor sediment on shallow banks is eroded by seasonal wave-generated currents. The winnowing action of the large storm waves results in concentrations of gravel over broad segments of the Kodiak shelf. Northeastern Gulf of Alaska -- Tectonic framework studies demonstrate that rocks of distant origin (Yakutat terrane) are currently attached to and moving with the Pacific Plate, as it collides with and is subducted beneath southern Alaska. This collision process has led to pronounced structural deformation of the continental margin and adjacent southern Alaska. Consequences include rapidly rising mountains and high fluvial and glacial sedimentation rates on the adjacent margin and ocean floor. The northeastern Gulf of Alaska shelf also has concentrations of winnowed (lag) gravel on Tarr Bank and on the outer shelf southeast of Yakutat Bay. Between Kayak Island and Yakutat Bay the outer shelf consists of pebbly mud (diamict). This diamict is a product of glacial marine sedimentation during the Pleistocene and is present today as a relict sediment. A prograding wedge of Holocene sediment consisting of nearshore sand grading seaward into clayey silt and silty clay covers the relict pebbly mud to mid-shelf and beyond. Shelf and slope channel systems transport glacially derived sediment across the continental margin into Surveyor Channel, an abyssal fan and channel system that reaches over 1,000 km to the Aleutian Trench.

Structure and development of the Southeast Georgia Embayment and northern Blake Plateau: Preliminary analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.; Paull, Charles K.; Buffler, Richard T.; Fail, Jean-Pierre

1979-01-01

Multichannel seismic reflection profiles from the Southeast Georgia Embayment and northern Blake Plateau show reflectors that have been correlated tentatively with horizons of known age. The top of the Cretaceous extends smoothly seaward beneath the continental shelf and Blake Plateau, unaffected at the present shelf edge. A reflector inferred to correspond approximately to the top of the Jurassic section onlaps and pinches out against rocks below. A widespread smooth reflector probably represents a volcanic layer of Early Jurassic age that underlies only the northwestern part of the research area. A major unconformity beneath the inferred volcanic layer is probably of Late Triassic or Early Jurassic age. This unconformity dips rather smoothly seaward beneath the northern Blake Plateau, but south of a geological boundary near 31°N, it has subsided much more rapidly, and reaches depths of more than 12 km. Development of the continental margin north of the boundary began with rifting and subsidence of continental basement in the Triassic. An episode of volcanism may have been due to stresses associated with a spreading center jump at about 175 million years ago. Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits form an onlapping wedge above the inferred early Jurassic volcanics and Triassic sedimentary rocks. During Cenozoic times, development of Gulf Stream flow caused a radical decrease in sedimentation rates so that a shelf that was much narrower than the Mesozoic shelf was formed by progradation against the inner edge of the stream. South of the 31°N geological boundary, the basement probably is semi-oceanic and reef growth, unlike that in the area to the north, has been very active at the outer edge of the plateau.

The effects of trawling, dredging and ocean dumping on the eastern Canadian continental shelf seabed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messieh, S. N.; Rowell, T. W.; Peer, D. L.; Cranford, P. J.

1991-08-01

This paper presents an overview of current knowledge on the effects of trawling, dredging and ocean dumping on the eastern Canadian continental shelf seabed. The impact of trawling and dredging for fish and shellfish on marine habitats has recently attracted international attention among fisheries and environmental scientists. In Atlantic Canada, trawling and dredging are the principal methods of harvesting groundfish and scallops and ocean clams, respectively. It is estimated that fish trawlers and scallop dredges have swept tracks, cris-crossing the Canadian continental shelf, approximately 4.3 million km in length in 1985. In the past few years several studies were carried out by scientists from Canada, the United States and Europe to assess the impacts of trawling and dredging but results were inconclusive. Some studies showed physical damage as well as biological effects, whereas others indicated that the adverse effects were not considered to be serious. Fishermen are not the only potential users of the resources of the continental shelf. There is an increasing demand for good-quality sand and gravel aggregate and the ocean seabed is being seen as a possible source. The eastern Canadian continental shelf also exhibits hydrocarbon potential and operational and accidental discharges are an environmental concern. Increased marine transportation and expansion of the fishing fleet have resulted in a greater need for harbour dredging. Dredging and dredge spoil disposal were controlled by the Ocean Dumping Control Act and now the Canadian Environmental Protection Act which places restrictions on the composition of material that can be disposed of in the sea. Nevertheless some harbours contain contaminant concentrations exceeding the maximum allowable limits. It is concluded that the impacts of human activities on the continental shelf seabed environment are inevitable and the long-term effects, while difficult to determine, must be assessed. The sub-lethal effects of increased suspended sediment loads on benthic organisms and potential changes to benthic community structure are major concerns and should be the focus of further research.

A source of CO2 to the atmosphere throughout the year in the Maranhense continental shelf (2°30'S, Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefèvre, Nathalie; da Silva Dias, Francisco Jose; de Torres, Audálio Rebelo; Noriega, Carlos; Araujo, Moacyr; de Castro, Antonio Carlos Leal; Rocha, Carlos; Jiang, Shan; Ibánhez, J. Severino P.

2017-06-01

To reduce uncertainty regarding the contribution of continental shelf areas in low latitude regions to the air-sea CO2 exchange, more data are required to understand the carbon turnover in these regions and cover gaps in coverage. For the first time, inorganic carbon and alkalinity were measured along a cross-shelf transect off the coast of Maranhão (North Brazil) in 9 cruises spawning from April 2013 to September 2014. On the last 4 transects, dissolved organic matter and nutrients were also measured. The highest inorganic and organic carbon concentrations are observed close to land. As a result of low productivity and significant remineralization, heterotrophy dominates along the transect throughout the year. Although the temporal variability is significantly reduced at the offshore station with carbon concentrations decreasing seaward, the fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) at this station remains significantly higher, especially during the wet season, than the open ocean values measured routinely by a merchant ship further west. Overall, the continental shelf is a weak source of CO2 to the atmosphere throughout the year with an annual mean flux of 1.81±0.84 mmol m-2 d-1. The highest magnitudes of fCO2 are observed during the wet season when the winds are the weakest. As a result, the CO2 flux does not show a clear seasonal pattern. Further offshore, fCO2 is significantly lower than on the continental shelf. However, the oceanic CO2 flux, with an annual mean of 2.32±1.09 mmol m-2 d-1, is not statistically different from the CO2 flux at the continental shelf because the wind is stronger in the open ocean.

A preliminary assessment of geologic framework and sediment thickness studies relevant to prospective US submission on extended continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, Deborah R.; Childs, Jonathan R.; Hammar-Klose, Erika; Dadisman, Shawn; Edgar, N. Terrence; Barth, Ginger A.

2004-01-01

Under the provisions of Articles 76 and 77 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal States have sovereign rights over the continental shelf territory beyond 200-nautical mile (nm) from the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured if certain conditions are met regarding the geologic and physiographic character of the legal continental shelf as defined in those articles. These claims to an extended continental shelf must be supported by relevant bathymetric, geophysical and geological data according to guidelines established by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS, 1999). In anticipation of the United States becoming party to UNCLOS, Congress in 2001 directed the Joint Hydrographic Center/Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire to conduct a study to evaluate data relevant to establishing the outer limit of the juridical continental shelf beyond 200 nm and to recommend what additional data might be needed to substantiate such an outer limit (Mayer and others, 2002). The resulting report produced an impressive and sophisticated GIS database of data sources. Because of the short time allowed to complete the report, all seismic reflection data were classified together; the authors therefore recommended that USGS perform additional analysis on seismic and related data holdings. The results of this additional analysis are the substance of this report, including the status of geologic framework, sediment isopach research, and resource potential in the eight regions1 identified by Mayer and others (2002) where analysis of seismic data might be crucial for establishing an outer limit . Seismic reflection and refraction data are essential in determining sediment thickness, one of the criteria used in establishing the outer limits of the juridical continental shelf. Accordingly, the initial task has been to inventory public-domain seismic data sources, primarily those regionally extensive data held within the Department of the Interior (DOI). The numerous seismic reflection and refraction surveys collected prior to 1970 by academic and governmental institutions are generally not included in this compilation, except where they provide unique data in a region. These data sources were omitted from this report because they were deemed to be of insufficient quality (poorly navigated or low resolution) to meet the CLCS standards for a submission, or they were redundant with higher-quality, more modern data. Hence, this report attempts to identify those data sets of highest utility for establishing the outer limits of the juridical continental shelf. If there was any ambiguity or uncertainty about the relevance of a data set to a continental shelf submission, either by its quality, location, or other parameter, it was included in this compilation. This report does not summarize other geophysical data (such as marine magnetics or gravity) that might be relevant to understanding crustal provenance and geological continuity. Detailed metadata tables and maps are included to facilitate the location and utilization of these sources when a comprehensive assessment (?desktop study?) is undertaken.

Morphologic and seismic evidence of rapid submergence offshore Cide-Sinop in the southern Black Sea shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocakoğlu, Neslihan; İşcan, Yeliz; Kılıç, Fatmagül; Özel, Oğuz

2018-06-01

Multi-beam bathymetric and multi-channel seismic reflection data obtained offshore Cide-Sinop have revealed important records on the latest transgression of the Black Sea for the first time. A relatively large shelf plain within the narrow southern continental shelf characterized by a flat seafloor morphology at -100 water depth followed by a steep continental slope leading to -500 m depth. This area is widely covered by submerged morphological features such as dunes, lagoons, possible aeolianites, an eroded anticline and small channels that developed by aeolian and fluvial processes. These morphological features sit upon an erosional surface that truncates the top of all seismic units and constitutes the seafloor over the whole shelf. The recent prograded delta deposits around the shelf break are also truncated by the similar erosional surface. These results indicate that offshore Cide-Sinop was once a terrestrial landscape that was then submerged. The interpreted paleoshoreline varies from -100 to -120 m. This variation can be explained by not only sea level changes but also the active faults observed on the seismic section. The effective protection of morphological features on the seafloor is the evidence of abrupt submergence rather than gradual. In addition, the absence of coastal onlaps suggests that these morphological features should have developed at low sea level before the latest sea level rise in the Black Sea.

Exploring the Eastern United States Continental Shelf with the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glickson, D.; Pomponi, S. A.

2016-02-01

The Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) serves NOAA priorities in three theme areas: exploring the eastern U.S. continental shelf, improving the understanding of coral and sponge ecosystems, and developing advanced underwater technologies. CIOERT focuses on the exploration and research of ecosystems and habitats along frontier regions of the eastern U.S. continental shelf that are of economic, scientific, or cultural importance or of natural hazards concern. One particular focus is supporting ocean exploration and research through the use of advanced underwater technologies and techniques in order to improve the understanding of vulnerable deep and shallow coral and sponge ecosystems. CIOERT expands the scope and efficiency of exploration and research by developing, testing, and applying new and/or innovative uses of existing technologies to ocean exploration and research activities. In addition, CIOERT is dedicated to expanding ocean literacy and building NOAA's technical and scientific workforce through hands-on, at-sea experiences. A recent CIOERT cruise characterized Gulf of Mexico mesophotic and deepwater reef ecosystems off the west Florida shelf, targeting northern Pulley Ridge. This project created and ground-truthed new sonar maps made with an autonomous underwater vehicle; conducted video and photographic transects of benthic habitat and fish using a remotely operated vehicle; and examined the connectivity of fauna from shallow to deep reef ecosystems. CIOERT was established in 2009 by FAU-Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, with University of North Carolina, Wilmington, SRI International, and the University of Miami. The primary NOAA partner is the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Exploring the Eastern United States Continental Shelf with the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glickson, D.; Pomponi, S.

2015-12-01

The Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) serves NOAA priorities in three theme areas: exploring the eastern U.S. continental shelf, improving the understanding of coral and sponge ecosystems, and developing advanced underwater technologies. CIOERT focuses on the exploration and research of ecosystems and habitats along frontier regions of the eastern U.S. continental shelf that are of economic, scientific, or cultural importance or of natural hazards concern. One particular focus is supporting ocean exploration and research through the use of advanced underwater technologies and techniques in order to improve the understanding of vulnerable deep and shallow coral and sponge ecosystems. CIOERT expands the scope and efficiency of exploration and research by developing, testing, and applying new and/or innovative uses of existing technologies to ocean exploration and research activities. In addition, CIOERT is dedicated to expanding ocean literacy and building NOAA's technical and scientific workforce through hands-on, at-sea experiences. A recent CIOERT cruise characterized Gulf of Mexico mesophotic and deepwater reef ecosystems off the west Florida shelf, targeting northern Pulley Ridge. This project created and ground-truthed new sonar maps made with an autonomous underwater vehicle; conducted video and photographic transects of benthic habitat and fish using a remotely operated vehicle; and examined the connectivity of fauna from shallow to deep reef ecosystems. CIOERT was established in 2009 by FAU-Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, with University of North Carolina, Wilmington, SRI International, and the University of Miami. The primary NOAA partner is the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.

Patterns of Deep-Water Coral Diversity in the Caribbean Basin and Adjacent Southern Waters: An Approach based on Records from the R/V Pillsbury Expeditions

PubMed Central

Hernández-Ávila, Iván

2014-01-01

The diversity of deep-water corals in the Caribbean Sea was studied using records from oceanographic expeditions performed by the R/V Pillsbury. Sampled stations were sorted according to broad depth ranges and ecoregions and were analyzed in terms of species accumulation curves, variance in the species composition and contributions to alpha, beta and gamma diversity. According to the analysis of species accumulation curves using the Chao2 estimator, more diversity occurs on the continental slope (200–2000 m depth) than on the upper continental shelf (60–200 m depth). In addition to the effect of depth sampling, differences in species composition related to depth ranges were detected. However, the differences between ecoregions are dependent on depth ranges, there were fewer differences among ecoregions on the continental slope than on the upper continental shelf. Indicator species for distinctness of ecoregions were, in general, Alcyonaria and Antipatharia for the upper continental shelf, but also the scleractinians Madracis myriabilis and Cladocora debilis. In the continental slope, the alcyonarian Placogorgia and the scleractinians Stephanocyathus and Fungiacyathus were important for the distinction of ecoregions. Beta diversity was the most important component of gamma diversity in the Caribbean Basin. The contribution of ecoregions to alpha, beta and gamma diversity differed with depth range. On the upper continental shelf, the Southern Caribbean ecoregion contributed substantially to all components of diversity. In contrast, the northern ecoregions contributed substantially to the diversity of the Continental Slope. Strategies for the conservation of deep-water coral diversity in the Caribbean Basin must consider the variation between ecoregions and depth ranges. PMID:24671156

30 CFR 250.1602 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... development and production of elemental sulphur. Sulphur operations also include activities conducted for... INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Sulphur Operations..., development, and production operations under an OCS sulphur lease. Sulphur operations include all activities...

Habitat-specific foraging strategies in Australasian gannets

PubMed Central

Wells, Melanie R.; Arnould, John P. Y.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Knowledge of top predator foraging adaptability is imperative for predicting their biological response to environmental variability. While seabirds have developed highly specialised techniques to locate prey, little is known about intraspecific variation in foraging strategies with many studies deriving information from uniform oceanic environments. Australasian gannets (Morus serrator) typically forage in continental shelf regions on small schooling prey. The present study used GPS and video data loggers to compare habitat-specific foraging strategies at two sites of contrasting oceanographic regimes (deep water near the continental shelf edge, n=23; shallow inshore embayment, n=26), in south-eastern Australia. Individuals from the continental shelf site exhibited pelagic foraging behaviours typical of gannet species, using local enhancement to locate and feed on small schooling fish; in contrast only 50% of the individuals from the inshore site foraged offshore, displaying the typical pelagic foraging strategy. The remainder adopted a strategy of searching sand banks in shallow inshore waters in the absence of conspecifics and other predators for large, single prey items. Furthermore, of the individuals foraging inshore, 93% were male, indicating that the inshore strategy may be sex-specific. Large inter-colony differences in Australasian gannets suggest strong plasticity in foraging behaviours, essential for adapting to environmental change. PMID:27305927

Sea ice and oceanic processes on the Ross Sea continental shelf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, S. S.; Comiso, J. C.

1989-01-01

The spatial and temporal variability of Antarctic sea ice concentrations on the Ross Sea continental shelf have been investigated in relation to oceanic and atmospheric forcing. Sea ice data were derived from Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) brightness temperatures from 1979-1986. Ice cover over the shelf was persistently lower than above the adjacent deep ocean, averaging 86 percent during winter with little month-to-month of interannual variability. The large spring Ross Sea polynya on the western shelf results in a longer period of summer insolation, greater surface layer heat storage, and later ice formation in that region the following autumn.

Pathways of warm water to the Northeast Greenland outlet glaciers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffer, Janin; Timmermann, Ralph; Kanzow, Torsten; Arndt, Jan Erik; Mayer, Christoph; Schauer, Ursula

2015-04-01

The ocean plays an important role in modulating the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet by delivering heat to the marine-terminating outlet glaciers surrounding the Greenland coast. The warming and accumulation of Atlantic Water in the subpolar North Atlantic has been suggested to be a potential driver of the glaciers' retreat over the last decades. The shelf regions thus play a critical role for the transport of Atlantic Water towards the glaciers, but also for the transfer of freshwater towards the deep ocean. A key region for the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet is the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. This large ice stream drains the second-largest basin of the Greenland Ice Sheet and feeds three outlet glaciers. The largest one is Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden (79°N-Glacier) featuring an 80 km long floating ice tongue. Both the ocean circulation on the continental shelf off Northeast Greenland and the circulation in the cavity below the ice tongue are weakly constrained so far. In order to study the relevant processes of glacier-ocean interaction we combine observations and model work. Here we focus on historic and recent hydrographic observations and on the complex bathymetry in the Northeast Greenland shelf region, which is thought to steer the flux of warm Atlantic water onto the continental shelf and into the sub-ice cavity beneath the 79°N-Glacier. We present a new global topography data set, RTopo-2, which includes the most recent surveys on the Northeast Greenland continental shelf and provides a detailed bathymetry for all around Greenland. In addition, RTopo-2 contains ice and bedrock surface topographies for Greenland and Antarctica. Based on the updated ocean bathymetry and a variety of hydrographic observations we show the water mass distribution on the continental shelf off Northeast Greenland. These maps enable us to discuss possible supply pathways of warm modified Atlantic waters on the continental shelf and thus potential ways of heat transport towards the base of the 79°N-Glacier.

The extent and timing of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet offshore of west Ireland-preliminary findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Jared; Benetti, Sara; Dunlop, Paul; Cofaigh, Colm Ó.

2014-05-01

Recently interpreted marine geophysical data from the western Irish shelf has provided the first direct evidence that the last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) extended westwards onto the Irish continental shelf as a grounded ice mass composed of several lobes with marine-terminating margins. Marine terminating ice margins are known to be sensitive to external forcing mechanisms and currently there is concern regarding the future stability of marine based ice sheets, such as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, in a warming world. Given its position, the glaciated western Irish continental shelf is a prime location to investigate the processes of how marine-based ice sheets responded to past climatic and oceanic events, which may in turn help us better predict the future trajectory of the marine sectors of modern Ice Sheets. However, despite the potential importance of the former Irish ice margin to our understanding of ice sheet behaviour, the timing and nature of its advance and retreat is currently poorly understood. This study aims to describe the depositional history of the last BIIS on the continental shelf west of Ireland and age-constrain the rate of retreat of two ice lobes that extended from Galway Bay and Clew Bay. This is being accomplished through a multifaceted analysis of at least 29 sediment cores gathered across the continental shelf offshore of counties Galway and Mayo, Ireland. This poster shows results from initial sedimentological descriptions of cores from the mid to outer shelf, which support previous geomorphic interpretations of BIIS history. Preliminary palaeoenvironmental results from ongoing micropaleontological analyses are also discussed and provide new data that verifies sedimentary interpretations on ice proximity. Finally, results from several radiocarbon dates are discussed, which limit these deposits to the last glacial maximum and constrain the timings of ice advance and retreat on the continental shelf west of Ireland.

Was the exposed continental shelf a long-distance colonization route in the ice age? The Southeast Asia origin of Hainan and Taiwan partridges.

PubMed

Chen, De; Chang, Jiang; Li, Shou-Hsien; Liu, Yang; Liang, Wei; Zhou, Fang; Yao, Cheng-Te; Zhang, Zhengwang

2015-02-01

Research on island biotas has greatly contributed to the development of modern evolutionary and biogeographic theories. Until now, most studies have suggested that continental islands received their biotas directly from the adjacent mainland. However, only a few studies have indicated that species on continental islands might originate from other distantly non-adjacent regions. Here, we used the hill partridges (genus Arborophila) that are widely distributed in the southwest and southeast China mainland, Indochina, Hainan and Taiwan islands to test whether species on continental islands might originate from distant regions rather than the adjacent mainland. Based on molecular phylogenies inferred from three mitochondrial fragments and three nuclear introns, together with ancestral area reconstruction, we found that the ancestors of the endemic Hainan and Taiwan partridges (A. ardens and A. crudigularis) likely originated from Indochina, rather than the nearby southeast China mainland. The divergence time estimates demonstrate that their ancestors likely colonized Hainan and Taiwan islands using the long exposed continental shelf between Indochina, Hainan and Taiwan islands during glacial periods, which had not been demonstrated before. Thus, integrating distribution data with phylogenetic information can shed new lights on the historical biogeography of continental islands and surrounding mainland regions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 8190 - Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-05

...] Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore... Assessment (EA) for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the OCS Offshore North Carolina... INFORMATION: Background: On December 13, 2012, BOEM published the Notice in the Federal Register (77 FR 74218...

Elephant teeth from the atlantic continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitmore, F.C.; Emery, K.O.; Cooke, H.B.S.; Swift, D.J.P.

1967-01-01

Teeth of mastodons and mastodons have been recovered by fishermen from at least 40 sites on the continental shelf as deep as 120 meters. Also present are submerged shorelines, peat deposits, lagoonal shells, and relict sands. Evidently elephants and other large mammals ranged this region during the glacial stage of low sea level of the last 25.000 years.

77 FR 10711 - Safety Zone; KULLUK, Outer Continental Shelf Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), Beaufort Sea, AK

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone; KULLUK, Outer Continental Shelf Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), Beaufort Sea... on location in order to drill exploratory wells at various prospects located in the Beaufort Sea... in order to drill exploratory wells in several prospects located in the Beaufort Sea during the 2012...

EMAP/NOAA 2003 SURVEY OF ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE WESTERN U.S. CONTINENTAL SHELF, INCLUDING GULF OF FARALLONES NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

In June of 2003 a partnership between EPA, NOAA, and the western coastal states conducted a joint survey of ecological condition of aquatic resources along the U.S. western continental shelf (30-120 m), using multiple indicators of ecological condition. The study is an element o...

75 FR 18404 - Safety Zone; FRONTIER DISCOVERER, Outer Continental Shelf Drillship, Chukchi and Beaufort Sea...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-12

... on location in order to drill exploratory wells at various prospects located in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska, during the 2010 drilling season. The purpose of the temporary... allisions, oil spills, and releases of natural gas, and thereby protect the safety of life, property, and...

30 CFR 250.1497 - When will BOEMRE monitor my financial solvency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When will BOEMRE monitor my financial solvency? 250.1497 Section 250.1497 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Outer Continental Shelf Civil Penaltie...

Carbon and oxygen dynamics on the Louisiana continental shelf: role of water column primary production and respiration

EPA Science Inventory

We conducted a multi-year study of the Louisiana continental shelf (LCS) to better understand the linkages between water column net metabolism and the formation of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen <2 ml O2 L-1) in the region. Rates of water column community respiration (R) and primary p...

77 FR 47877 - Potential Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Maine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-10

... Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Maine; Request for Interest... Request for a Commercial OCS Wind Lease, Request for Interest, and Request for Public Comment SUMMARY: The... (Statoil NA) to acquire an OCS wind lease; (2) solicit public input regarding the proposal, its potential...

76 FR 20367 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Off Delaware...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-12

... No. BOEM-2011-0008] Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Off... determination that no competitive interest exists in acquiring a commercial wind lease in the area offshore... a Request for Interest (RFI) in the Federal Register on April 26, 2010 (75 FR 21653). Bluewater Wind...

78 FR 8190 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore North Carolina...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-05

...] Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore North Carolina--Call for... Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Offshore North Carolina (Call), published on December 13, 2012 (77 FR 7204). DATES: BOEM must receive your nomination describing your interest in obtaining a commercial wind lease...

The George V Land Continental Margin (East Antarctica): new Insights Into Bottom Water Production and Quaternary Glacial Processes from the WEGA project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caburlotto, A.; de Santis, L.; Lucchi, R. G.; Giorgetti, G.; Damiani, D.; Macri', P.; Tolotti, R.; Presti, M.; Armand, L.; Harris, P.

2004-12-01

The George Vth Land represents the ending of one of the largest subglacial basin (Wilkes Basin) of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Furthermore, its coastal areas are zone of significant production of High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW). Piston and gravity cores and high resolution echo-sounding (3.5 kHz) and Chirp profiles collected in the frame of the joint Australian and Italian WEGA (WilkEs Basin GlAcial History) project provide new insights into the Quaternary history of the EAIS and the HSSW across this margin: from the sediment record filling and draping valleys and banks along the continental shelf, to the continuous sedimentary section of the mound-channel system on the continental rise. The discovery of a current-lain sediment drift (Mertz Drift, MD) provides clues to understanding the age of the last glacial erosive events, as well as to infer flow-pathways of bottom-water masses changes. The MD shows disrupted, fluted reflectors due to glacial advance during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) in shallow water, while undisturbed sediment drift deposited at greater water depth, indicates that during the LGM the ice shelf was floating over the deep sector of the basin. The main sedimentary environment characterising the modern conditions of the continental rise is dominated by the turbiditic processes with a minor contribution of contour currents action. Nevertheless, some areas (WEGA Channel) are currently characterised by transport and settling of sediment through HSSW, originating in the shelf area. This particular environment likely persisted since pre-LGM times. It could indicate a continuous supply of sedimentary material from HSSW during the most recent both glacial and interglacial cycles. This would be consistent with the results obtained in the continental shelf suggesting that the Ice Sheet was not grounding over some parts of the continental shelf. Furthermore, the comparison of the studied area with other Antarctic margins indicate that, contrary to what happens on the Antarctic Peninsula margin, the relation between the Quaternary sedimentation and the glacial - interglacial cycles are less evident in the lithofacies observed on the continental rise area. This characteristic suggests a different glacial dynamic along the Wilkes Land continental margin that is less sensitive to the small climatic changes, with respect to the western (Antarctic Peninsula) margin.

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 178 (Antarctic Peninsula): Sedimentology of glacially influenced continental margin topsets and foresets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eyles, N.; Daniels, J.; Osterman, L.E.; Januszczak, N.

2001-01-01

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 178 (February-April 1998) drilled two sites (Sites 1097 and 1103) on the outer Antarctic Peninsula Pacific continental shelf. Recovered strata are no older than late Miocene or early Pliocene (<4.6 Ma). Recovery at shallow depths in loosely consolidated and iceberg-turbated bouldery sediment was poor but improved with increasing depth and consolidation to allow description of lithofacies and biofacies and interpretation of depositional environment. Site 1097 lies on the outer shelf within Marguerite Trough which is a major outlet for ice expanding seaward from the Antarctic Peninsula and reached a maximum depth drilled of 436.6 m below the sea floor (mbsf). Seismic stratigraphic data show flat-lying upper strata resting on strata that dip gently seaward. Uppermost strata, to a depth of 150 mbsf, were poorly recovered, but data suggest they consist of diamictites containing reworked and abraded marine microfauna. This interval is interpreted as having been deposited largely as till produced by subglacial cannibalization of marine sediments (deformation till) recording ice sheet expansion across the shelf. Underlying gently dipping strata show massive, stratified and graded diamictite facies with common bioturbation and slump stuctures that are interbedded with laminated and massive mudstones with dropstones. The succession contains a well-preserved in situ marine microfauna typical of open marine and proglacial marine environments. The lower gently dipping succession at Site 1097 is interpreted as a complex of sediment gravity flows formed of poorly sorted glacial debris. Site 1103 was drilled in that part of the continental margin that shows uppermost flat-lying continental shelf topsets overlying steeper dipping slope foresets seaward of a structural mid-shelf high. Drilling reached a depth of 363 mbsf with good recovery in steeply dipping continental slope foreset strata. Foreset strata are dominated by massive and chaotically stratified diamictites interbedded with massive and graded sandstones and mudstones. The sedimentary record and seismic stratigraphy is consistent with deposition on a continental slope from debris flows and turbidity currents released from a glacial source. Data from Sites 1097 and 1103 suggest the importance of aggradation of the Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf by tilt deposition and progradation of the slope by mass flow. This may provide a model for the interpretation of Palaeozoic and Proterozoic glacial successions that accumulated on glacially influenced continental margins.

Sediments, structural framework, petroleum potential, environmental conditions, and operational considerations of the United States South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1975-01-01

The area designated for possible oil and gas lease sale in Bureau of Land Management memorandum 3310 #43 (722) and referred to therein as part of the United States South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) contains about 98,000 square kilometres of the continental margin seaward of the 3 mile offshore limit and within the 600 metre isobath. The designated area, offshore of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, encompasses parts of three physiographic provinces: the Continental Shelf, the Florida-Hatteras Slope, and the Blake Plateau. The structural framework of the U.3. South Atlantic region is dominated by the Southeast Georgia Embayment --an east-plunging depression recessed into the Atlantic Coastal Plain and shelf between Cape Fear, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. The embayment is bounded to the north by the Cape Fear Arch and to southeast by the Peninsular Arch. Refraction data indicate a minor basement(?) ridge beneath the outer shelf between 30? and 32?N at 80?W. Drill hole data also suggest a gentle fold or accretionary structure (reef?) off the east coast of Florida. Several other structural features have been identified by refraction and reflection techniques and drilling. These are the Yamacraw Uplift, Burton High, Stone Arch, and the Suwannee Channel. Gravity and magnetic anomalies within the area probably result from emplacement of magma bodies along linear features representing fundamental crustal boundaries. Of these anomalies, the most prominent, is a segment of the East Coast Magnetic Anomaly which crosses the coast at Brunswick, Georgia. This anomaly has been interpreted as representing an ancient continental boundary where two formerly separate continental plates collided and were welded together. There may be as much as 5,000 m of sedimentary rocks in the Southeast Georgia Embayment out to the 600 m isobath. Basement rocks beneath the Southeast Georgia Embayment are expected to be similar to those exposed in the Appalachian Piedmont province. Triassic deposits are likely to exist beneath the inner Continental Shelf, and probably consist of nonmarine arkosic sandstones, shales, basalt flows, and diabase intrusions deposited in relatively narrow northeast-trending grabens. Jurassic marine carbonates in the Bahamas grade northward to carbonates, shales, sand, and arkose in North Carolina. Salt may be present in the basal Jurassic section in the Southeast Georgia Embayment. Up to 4,000 m of Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous rocks are expected out to the 600 m water depth. Lower Cretaceous rocks in southern Florida are shallow-water marine limestone and dolomites with beds of anhydrite. In coastal North Carolina the Lower Cretaceous is a marine section made up of shales, sand, and sandy limestone. The Upper Cretaceous is composed almost entirely of marine carbonates in southern Florida grading northward to nonmarine to marginal marine, sandstones and shales with minor amounts of carbonates. In general, Upper Cretaceous rocks will probably maintain a fairly constant thickness (600 m) on the Continental Shelf and grade downdip from terrigeneous sands and shales to more marine chalks, limestones, and dolomites. The Cenozoic rocks are predominantly shallow-water marine carbonates in Florida grading northward into a marginal marine to marine clastic facies composed of sands, marls, and limestones. The offshore Cenozoic section is expected to range in thickness from 600 to 1100 m. A reconstruction of the geologic history suggests that the present continental margin is a result of a collision of the North American and African continental plates during late Paleozoic time and later modification during Late Triassic time when the continental plates separated, forming the present Atlantic Ocean. No commercial production of hydrocarbons has been developed on the Atlantic Coastal Plain immediately adjacent to the studied area even though hydrocarbon shows have been encountered in ons

Summary report on the regional geology, environmental considerations for development, petroleum potential, and estimates of undiscovered recoverable oil and gas resources of the United States southeastern Atlantic continental margin in the area of proposed oil and gas lease sale No. 78

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1981-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential, as well as potential problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources, of the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 78. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to approximately Cape Canaveral, Florida, including the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales and the previous areas leased are shown in figure 1; physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2. Six exploration wells have been drilled within the proposed lease area (figs. 3 and 4) but no commercial discoveries have been made. All six wells were drilled on the Continental Shelf in the Southeast Georgia Embayment. No commercial production has been obtained onshore in the region. The areas already drilled have thin sedimentary sections, and the deeper rocks are dominantly continental facies. Petroleum formation may have been hindered by a lack of organic material and sufficient burial for thermal maturation. Analysis of drill and seismic profiling data presented here, however, indicates that a much thicker sedimentary rock section containing a much higher proportion of marine deposits exists seaward of the exploratory wells on the Continental Shelf. These geologic conditions imply that the offshore basins may be more favorable environments for generating petroleum.

The Asymmetric Continental Shelf Wave in Response to the Synoptic Wind Burst in a Semienclosed Double-Shelf Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Lixin; Lin, Xiaopei; Hetland, Robert D.; Guo, Jingsong

2018-01-01

The primary goal of this study is to investigate the asymmetric structure of continental shelf wave in a semienclosed double-shelf basin, such as the Yellow Sea. Supported by in situ observations and realistic numerical simulations, it is found that in the Yellow Sea, the shelf wave response to the synoptic wind forcing does not match the mathematically symmetric solution of classic double-shelf wave theory, but rather exhibits a westward shift. To study the formation mechanism of this asymmetric structure, an idealized model was used and two sets of experiments were conducted. The results confirm that the asymmetric structure is due to the existence of a topographic waveguide connecting both shelves. For a semienclosed basin, such as the Yellow Sea, a connection at the end of the basin eliminates the potential vorticity barrier between the two shelves and hence plays a role as a connecting waveguide for shelf waves. This waveguide enables the shelf wave to propagate from one shelf to the other shelf and produces the asymmetric response in sea level and upwind flow evolutions.

Morphology and stratal geometry of the Antarctic continental shelf: Insights from models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooper, Alan K.; Barker, Peter F.; Brancolini, Giuliano

1997-01-01

Reconstruction of past ice-sheet fluctuations from the stratigraphy of glaciated continental shelves requires understanding of the relationships among the stratal geometry, glacial and marine sedimentary processes, and ice dynamics. We investigate the formation of the morphology and the broad stratal geometry of topsets on the Antarctic continental shelf with numerical models. Our models assume that the stratal geometry and morphology are principally the results of time-integrated effects of glacial erosion and sedimentation related to the location of the seaward edge of the grounded ice. The location of the grounding line varies with time almost randomly across the shelf. With these simple assumptions, the models can successfully mimic salient features of the morphology and the stratal geometry. The models suggest that the current shelf has gradually evolved to its present geometry by many glacial advances and retreats of the grounding line to different locations across the shelf. The locations of the grounding line do not appear to be linearly correlated with either fluctuations in the 5 l s O record (which presumably represents changes in the global ice volume) or with the global sea-level curve, suggesting that either a more complex relationship exists or local effects dominate. The models suggest that erosion of preglacial sediments is confined to the inner shelf, and erosion decreases and deposition increases toward the shelf edge. Some of the deposited glacial sediments must be derived from continental erosion. The sediments probably undergo extensive transport and reworking obliterating much of the evidence for their original depositional environment. The flexural rigidity and the tectonic subsidence of the underlying lithosphere modify the bathymetry of the shelf, but probably have little effect on the stratal geometry. Our models provide several guidelines for the interpretation of unconformities, the nature of preserved topset deposits, and the significance of progradation versus aggradation of shelf sediments.

Maps showing late Pleistocene and Holocene evolution of the South Texas continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pyle, Carroll A.; Berryhill, Henry L.; Trippet, Anita R.

1979-01-01

Interpretation of acoustical profiles has provided insight into the late Quaternary geologic history of the Continental Shelf off South Texas. (See the geographic index map on sheet 1 for location of the area studied.) The profiles reveal the interplay of tectonism, sedimentation, and cyclic fluctuations of sea level in the building and geologic evolution of the continental terrace. The sequence of sediments studied extends to about 200 meters (m) beneath the sea-floor surface. Four seismic-stratigraphic units underlain by four prominent sound reflectors were identified and mapped. This geologic synthesis, for which the research was funded by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is but one aspect of a coordinated, multidisciplinary environmental study of the South Texas Outer Continental Shelf sponsored by BLM (Berryhill, 1976, 1977). The environmental studies are keyed to the leasing of Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands for petroleum exploration and production. Their purpose is to provide the data development of petroleum resources on the OCS, as well as to provide the basis for predicting the impact of oil and gas exploration and production on the marine environment. Of primary concern is the recognition of geologic conditions that might be hazardous to structures placed on the sea floor. Geologic hazards relate directly to the potential for significant movement of the sea floor in the future. Judging sea-floor stability and recognizing geologic features that are potentially hazardous require an understanding of the recent geologic history of the area, which, in turn, entails determining the relative rates and interactions of sedimentation and tectonism through time. In addition to the primary objective, the synthesis provides knowledge about the magnitude and extent of sea-level fluctuations in the western Gulf of Mexico, and it provides a depositional facies model of possible use in appraising the resource potential of the more deeply buried sediments.

Potential geologic hazards and constraints for blocks in proposed North Atlantic OCS Oil and gas lease sale 52

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carpenter, G.B.; Cardinell, A.P.; Francois, D.K.; Good, L.K.; Lewis, R.L.; Stiles, N.T.

1982-01-01

Analysis of high-resolution geophysical data collected over 540 blocks tentatively selected for leasing in proposed OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 52 (Georges Bank) revealed a number of potential geologic hazards to oil and gas exploration and development activities: evidence of mass movements and shallow gas deposits on the continental slope. No potential hazards were observed on the continental shelf or rise. Other geology-related problems, termed constraints because they pose a relatively low degree of risk and can be routinely dealt with by the use of existing technology have been observed on the continental shelf. Constraints identified in the proposed sale area are erosion, sand waves, filled channels and deep faults. Piston cores were collected for geotechnical analysis at selected locations on the continental slope in the proposed lease sale area. The core locations were selected to provide information on slope stability and to establish the general geotechnical properties of the sediments. Preliminary results of a testing program suggest that the surficial sediment cover is stable with respect to mass movement.

78 FR 27427 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Geological and Geophysical Exploration Activities in the Gulf of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

... in support of oil and gas exploration and development, including electromagnetic surveys, deep... surveys, electromagnetic surveys, magnetic surveys, gravity surveys, remote sensing surveys, marine...

Seasonal variation in chaetognath and parasite species assemblages along the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

PubMed

Lozano-Cobo, Horacio; Prado-Rosas, María Del Carmen Gómez Del; Sánchez-Velasco, Laura; Gómez-Gutiérrez, Jaime

2017-03-30

Chaetognaths are abundant carnivores with broad distributions that are intermediate hosts of trophically transmitted parasites. Monthly variations in chaetognath and parasite species distributions, abundance, prevalence, and intensity related to seasonal environmental changes were recorded in 2004 and 2005 in Laguna Nichupté, a coral reef, and the adjoining continental shelf of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Of 12 chaetognath species plus Sagitta spp., only 5 (Ferosagitta hispida, Flaccisagitta enflata, Sagitta spp., Serratosagitta serratodentata, and Pterosagitta draco) were parasitized. These species were parasitized with 33 types of flatworms and unidentified cysts (likely protozoan ciliates), having an overall mean prevalence of 6%. Digenean metacercaria larvae numerically dominated the parasite assemblages. Cluster analysis defined 2 chaetognath species assemblages. One included 7 species inside Laguna Nichupté, where F. hispida was numerically dominant (98.9%); the other contained 13 chaetognath species in the continental shelf-coral reef region, where F. enflata was abundant (53%). Canonical correspondence analysis showed that Laguna Nichupté had highly variable and hostile conditions (relatively low salinity and high temperature) for chaetognath species except for F. hispida. The higher density of F. hispida promoted greater parasite diversity (23 types), dominated by Brachyphallus sp. metacercariae. F. enflata prevailed in the continental shelf-coral reef area, which had stable high salinity and relatively low temperature. Monilicaecum and unidentified digenean 'type g' infected 5 chaetognath species on the continental shelf. Distinct primary hosts (mollusks and copepods) and contrasting environmental conditions (salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, and temperature) between Laguna Nichupté and the continental shelf promoted distinct chaetognath species assemblages, resulting in distinct parasite diversity and prevalence patterns.

California State Waters Map Series: offshore of Tomales Point, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Samuel Y.; Dartnell, Peter; Golden, Nadine E.; Hartwell, Stephen R.; Greene, H. Gary; Erdey, Mercedes D.; Cochrane, Guy R.; Watt, Janet Tilden; Kvitek, Rikk G.; Manson, Michael W.; Endris, Charles A.; Dieter, Bryan E.; Krigsman, Lisa M.; Sliter, Ray W.; Lowe, Erik N.; Chinn, John L.; Johnson, Samuel Y.; Cochran, Susan A.

2015-01-01

Potential marine benthic habitats in the Offshore of Tomales Point map area range from unconsolidated continental-shelf sediment, to rocky continental-shelf substrate, to unconsolidated estuary sediments. Rocky-shelf outcrops and rubble are considered to be promising potential habitats for rockfish and lingcod, both of which are recreationally and commercially important species. Dynamic bedforms, such as the sand waves at the mouth of Tomales Bay, are considered potential foraging habitat for juvenile lingcod and possibly migratory fishes, as well as for forage fish such as Pacific sand lance.

Continental shelf landscapes of the southeastern United States since the last interglacial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, M. Scott; Sautter, Leslie Reynolds; Johnson, Kacey L.; Luciano, Katherine E.; Sedberry, George R.; Wright, Eric E.; Siuda, Amy N. S.

2013-12-01

The wide, sediment-starved continental shelf and modern coastal areas of the southeastern United States retain well-preserved but scattered remnants of a submerged paleolandscape. This paper presents a conceptual model of stratigraphic deposition and landscape formation since the last interglacial on the continental shelf of South Carolina, with portions of North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida (USA). Data for this study include multibeam bathymetry surveys, sidescan sonar mosaics, high-resolution subbottom profiles, and ground-truth surveys from - 250 m to the modern tidewater region. Four bathymetric zones are recognized with eleven landforms and landform indicators. The described zones range in depths from the modern shoreline, across the shelf, and over the shelf edge to - 250 m MSL. Relative sea level curves are presented for the area and discussed in conjunction with cultural and climatic events. The potential for preservation of Paleoamerican sites is high at the shelf edge between - 130 m and - 45 m, with Archaic and later occupations likely in depths of less than - 25 m. Prominent vantage points for Paleoamericans (> 11 kya) would have existed at the shelf edge, and tidewater resources would have been available nearby for a period of almost 6 ka. Rapid transgression rates (> 60 km/ka) after the sea level rose over the shelf edge make preservation of tidewater sites less likely on the outer and middle shelf. Searches for the earliest Paleoamericans should focus on promontories at the edge of the shelf and along future discoveries of paleoincisions on the shelf. Mapping and delineating this paleolandscape and associated unconsolidated sedimentary deposits interspersed with rocky plains and ledges will continue to be a priority to marine archeologists, coastal managers, fishery scientists, and marine spatial planners over the next several decades.

Trichodesmium slicks associated with environmental conditions of continental shelf-break at the southwestern of the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detoni, A. M. S.; Yunes, J. S., Sr.; Ciotti, Á. M.; Calil, P. H. R.; Tavano, V. M.

2016-02-01

Trichodesmium can accumulate high biomass, particularly in the oligotrophic regions of North and Tropical Atlantic, and North Pacific. Large Trichodesmium slicks have been reported in the South Atlantic as well, associated with the Brazil Currrent (BC) that flows southwards over the continental shelf-break. Regional variations of the width of the Brazilian continental shelf, as well as changes in the bottom topography, generate cyclonic and anti-cyclonic eddies as BC crosses the southeastern Brazil. Thus, the general conditions of the BC - characterized as a warm, saline and oligotrophic current - are expected to change not only with latitude but also by the influence of mesoscale instabilities. In this study, three oceanographic cruises were carried out to characterize the distribution of Trichodesmium along the southeastern Brazilian continental shelf-break and their relationship with temperature and upper layer nutrients concentrations. As in other oceanic regions, high concentrations of Trichodesmium (maximum 212.6 × 105 trichomes L-1) were observed in waters with temperatures between 22° C to 25° C, low nitrogen (< 2.4 μM), and moderate phosphate concentrations (> 0.08 μM), where wind speeds were low (< 11 m s-1). Generally, slicks were present where phosphate concentration in the upper 25 m was slightly higher than that of adjacent waters. Wind and hydrographic observations suggested that wind divergence at micro-regions (approximately 625 km2), as well as shelf-break dynamics can drive sporadic shelf-break upwelling, favouring Trichodesmium growth between 23° S to 28° S. Although shelf-break upwelling may occur along the entire domain of the BC flow, Trichodesmium densities were low at latitudes between 28° S to 33° S likely a result of the lower sea surface temperature.

Application of remote sensing to study nearshore circulation. [and the continental shelf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, J.; Lobecker, R.; Stauble, D.; Welch, C.; Haas, L.; Fang, C. S.

1974-01-01

The research to use remote sensing techniques for studying the continental shelf is reported. The studies reported include: (1) nearshore circulation in the vincinity of a natural tidal inlet; (2) identification of indicators of biological activity; (3) remote navigation system for tracking free drifting buoys; (4) experimental design of an estuaring tidal circulation; and (5) Skylab support work.

76 FR 70748 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-15

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales for Years 2012-2017 AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean... 229, Western GOM 2012 Sale 227, Central GOM 2013 Sale 233, Western GOM 2013 Sale 231, Central GOM 2014...

75 FR 16833 - Preliminary Revised 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012 AGENCY: Minerals Management Service... (MMS) requests comments on the Preliminary Revised 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007... Elden Street, MS-4010; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference ``Remand of the 2007-2012 OCS Oil...

75 FR 17156 - Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf, Western Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 215 (2010...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... environmental assessment (EA) for proposed Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sale... Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-018) and in the Gulf of...; Western Planning Area Sales 210, 215, and 218--Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement...

Storm-Generated Sediment Distribution Along the Northwest Florida Inner Continental Shelf

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-04

grain shape, direct shear, radiocarbon isotope, and lignin -phenol analyses were performed on grab or vibracore samples collected after the storm...near-shore continental shelf. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Lignin , seafloor imagery, sedimentation, sediments 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: a. REPORT...direct shear, radiocarbon isotope, and lignin -phenol analyses were performed on grab or vibracore samples collected after the storm. Sonar

Macrobenthic assemblages of the Changjiang River estuary (Yangtze River, China) and adjacent continental shelf relative to mild summer hypoxia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Yibo; Shou, Lu; Tang, Yanbin; Zeng, Jiangning; Gao, Aigen; Chen, Quanzhen; Yan, Xiaojun

2017-05-01

To assess the effects of hypoxia, macrobenthic communities along an estuarine gradient of the Changjiang estuary and adjacent continental shelf were analyzed. This revealed spatial variations in the communities and relationships with environmental variables during periods of reduced dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in summer. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in macrobenthic community composition among the three zones: estuarine zone (EZ), mildly hypoxic zone (MHZ) in the continental shelf, and normoxic zone (NZ) in the continental shelf (Global R =0.206, P =0.002). Pairwise tests showed that the macrobenthic community composition of the EZ was significantly different from the MHZ (pairwise test R =0.305, P =0.001) and the NZ (pairwise test R =0.259, P =0.001). There was no significant difference in macrobenthic communities between the MHZ and the NZ (pairwise test R =0.062, P =0.114). The taxa included small and typically opportunistic polychaetes, which made the greatest contribution to the dissimilarity between the zones. The effects of mild hypoxia on the macrobenthic communities are a result not only of reduced DO concentration but also of differences in environmental variables such as temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations caused by stratification.

Updating the distribution and habitat pattern of Maurolicus stehmanni (Sternoptychidae, Stomiformes) in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belleggia, Mauro; Villanueva-Gomila, Gabriela Lujan; Buratti, Claudio; Colombo, Gustavo Alvarez; Figueroa, Daniel Enrique; Venerus, Leonardo Ariel

2018-06-01

We updated the distribution and habitat patterns of Maurolicus stehmanni in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean by compiling data obtained from research surveys conducted on the Argentinean continental shelf, as well as from opportunistic records. This paper confirms the presence of M. stehmanni in the Argentinean continental shelf, extending its southernmost distributional limit by ca. 1000 km (from 43.0°S to 52.2°S). Adult specimens of M. stehmanni were collected in various locations from 2004 to 2016. Eggs and larvae of Maurolicus spp. were caught during ichthyoplankton tows carried out from 2003 to 2013. The present paper furthermore extends the habitat type in which this species was recorded: specimens were found in the inner continental shelf (between 46.2°S and 52.2°S) instead of the shelf break and continental slope. Two specimens were found lying dead upon the beach of Puerto Madryn, Nuevo Gulf (42.8°S). The presence of eggs and larvae in coastal embayments (San Matías and San José gulfs), in concomitant occurrence with adults, may suggest the establishment of this species in the region.

Morphology, distribution, and development of submarine canyons on the United States Atlantic continental slope between Hudson arid Baltimore Canyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twichell, David C.; Roberts, David G.

1982-08-01

The distribution and morphology of submarine canyons off the eastern United States between Hudson and Baltimore Canyons have been mapped by long-range sidescan sonar. In this area canyons are numerous, and their spacing correlates with overall slope gradient; they are absent where the gradient is less than 3°, are 2 to 10 km apart where the gradient is 3° to 5°, and are 1.5 to 4 km apart where the gradient exceeds 6°. Canyons range from straight to sinuous; those having sinuous axes indent the edge of the continental shelf and appear to be older than those that head on the upper slope and have straighter axes. A difference in canyon age would suggest that canyons are initiated on the continental slope and only with greater age erode headward to indent the shelf. Shallow gullies on the middle and upper slope parts of the canyon walls suggest that submarine erosion has been a major process in a recent phase of canyon development. *Present address: British Petroleum, Moorgate, London EC2Y 9BU, England

Prospects of developing the Shtokman and Prirazlomnoe Fields in the Barents Sea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dubin, I.B.

1994-09-01

Russia, having the world`s largest oil and gas resources on the shelf, exceeding 60 billion tons of hydrocarbons, has hardly begun to develop them. Such a situation developed because more than 95% of the oil and gas resources of the shelf of the Russian Federation are concentrated in arctic and Far Eastern seas with harsh natural and climatic conditions and require large and long-term capital investments. Nine oil and gas fields have been discovered on the shelf of arctic seas, including three unique ones: the Shtokman gas-condensate field in the Barents Sea with gas reserves of category C{sub 1} ofmore » 1.7 trillion m{sup 3} and of category C{sub 2} of 1.3 trillion m{sup 3}, Rusanov gas-condensate field, and the Leningrad gas field in the Kara Sea with estimated natural gas resources up to 4.0 trillion m{sup 3}. Furthermore, an oil field, the Prirazlomnoe, the recoverable reserves of which are estimated to be up to 70 million tons, was discovered in the Perchora Sea. To execute the orders of the government of the Russian Federation, in 1992 the Russian joint-stock company for developing the oil and gas resources of the continental shelf {open_quotes}Rosshelf{close_quotes} was created for exploration of useful resources on the continental shelf, their extraction and transportation, processing, and sale of the products, as well as design, construction, and manufacture of equipment needed for developing the fields on the basis of converting defence enterprises of the northwestern shipbuilding complex and design departments, institutes, organizations, and enterprises related to them.« less

Octocoral Species Assembly and Coexistence in Caribbean Coral Reefs.

PubMed

Velásquez, Johanna; Sánchez, Juan A

2015-01-01

What are the determinant factors of community assemblies in the most diverse ecosystem in the ocean? Coral reefs can be divided in continental (i.e., reefs that develop on the continental shelf, including siliciclastic reefs) and oceanic (i.e., far off the continental shelf, usually on volcanic substratum); whether or not these habitat differences impose community-wide ecological divergence or species exclusion/coexistence with evolutionary consequences, is unknown. Studying Caribbean octocorals as model system, we determined the phylogenetic community structure in a coral reef community, making emphasis on species coexistence evidenced on trait evolution and environmental feedbacks. Forty-nine species represented in five families constituted the species pool from which a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using mtDNA. We included data from 11 localities in the Western Caribbean (Colombia) including most reef types. To test diversity-environment and phenotype-environment relationships, phylogenetic community structure and trait evolution we carried out comparative analyses implementing ecological and evolutionary approaches. Phylogenetic inferences suggest clustering of oceanic reefs (e.g., atolls) contrasting with phylogenetic overdispersion of continental reefs (e.g., reefs banks). Additionally, atolls and barrier reefs had the highest species diversity (Shannon index) whereas phylogenetic diversity was higher in reef banks. The discriminant component analysis supported this differentiation between oceanic and continental reefs, where continental octocoral species tend to have greater calyx apertures, thicker branches, prominent calyces and azooxanthellate species. This analysis also indicated a clear separation between the slope and the remaining habitats, caused by the presence or absence of Symbiodinium. K statistic analysis showed that this trait is conserved as well as the branch shape. There was strong octocoral community structure with opposite diversity and composition patterns between oceanic and continental reefs. Even habitats with similar depths and overall environmental conditions did not share similar communities between oceanic and continental reefs. This indicates a strong regional influence over the local communities, probably due to water transparency differences between major reef types, i.e., oceanic vs. continental shelf-neritic. This was supported by contrasting patterns found in morphology, composition and evolutionary history of the species between atolls and reef banks.

Octocoral Species Assembly and Coexistence in Caribbean Coral Reefs

PubMed Central

Velásquez, Johanna; Sánchez, Juan A.

2015-01-01

Background What are the determinant factors of community assemblies in the most diverse ecosystem in the ocean? Coral reefs can be divided in continental (i.e., reefs that develop on the continental shelf, including siliciclastic reefs) and oceanic (i.e., far off the continental shelf, usually on volcanic substratum); whether or not these habitat differences impose community-wide ecological divergence or species exclusion/coexistence with evolutionary consequences, is unknown. Methods Studying Caribbean octocorals as model system, we determined the phylogenetic community structure in a coral reef community, making emphasis on species coexistence evidenced on trait evolution and environmental feedbacks. Forty-nine species represented in five families constituted the species pool from which a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using mtDNA. We included data from 11 localities in the Western Caribbean (Colombia) including most reef types. To test diversity-environment and phenotype-environment relationships, phylogenetic community structure and trait evolution we carried out comparative analyses implementing ecological and evolutionary approaches. Results Phylogenetic inferences suggest clustering of oceanic reefs (e.g., atolls) contrasting with phylogenetic overdispersion of continental reefs (e.g., reefs banks). Additionally, atolls and barrier reefs had the highest species diversity (Shannon index) whereas phylogenetic diversity was higher in reef banks. The discriminant component analysis supported this differentiation between oceanic and continental reefs, where continental octocoral species tend to have greater calyx apertures, thicker branches, prominent calyces and azooxanthellate species. This analysis also indicated a clear separation between the slope and the remaining habitats, caused by the presence or absence of Symbiodinium. K statistic analysis showed that this trait is conserved as well as the branch shape. Discussion There was strong octocoral community structure with opposite diversity and composition patterns between oceanic and continental reefs. Even habitats with similar depths and overall environmental conditions did not share similar communities between oceanic and continental reefs. This indicates a strong regional influence over the local communities, probably due to water transparency differences between major reef types, i.e., oceanic vs. continental shelf-neritic. This was supported by contrasting patterns found in morphology, composition and evolutionary history of the species between atolls and reef banks. PMID:26177191

Seasonal patterns of winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus abundance and reproductive condition on the New York Bight continental shelf.

PubMed

Wuenschel, M J; Able, K W; Byrne, D

2009-05-01

To resolve varied and sometimes conflicting accounts of spawning and habitat characteristics for winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, seasonal patterns in abundance and reproductive condition were investigated in the New York Bight, near the southern edge of their current reproductive range. Fish were collected from trawl surveys on the inner continental shelf from October 2006 to October 2007. Pseudopleuronectes americanus were most abundant during January and April surveys, were rarely collected in August, with intermediate abundances in June and October. Measurements of fish condition [hepato-somatic index (I(H)), condition factor (K) and the per cent dry mass of muscle tissue (%M(D))] and reproductive condition [gonado-somatic index (I(G))] were determined to evaluate seasonal changes in energy accumulation and depletion and reproduction. Males and females had similar patterns in body and reproductive condition, although the magnitude of change was greater for females. I(H) values were highest during spring and early summer, suggesting increased feeding following spawning. K and %M(D) increased through spring and summer then declined in the autumn and winter concurrent with gonadal development. Gonads began developing in the autumn, and in January, I(G) values approached spawning levels, with many spent individuals collected in spring. Within these general patterns, however, there was a large degree of variability among individuals, and a few mature non-reproductive ('skipped spawning') females were observed. In the period after spawning, increased energy intake, indicated by increased I(H), may influence reproductive output since this energy is gradually transferred to the muscle and used for gonadal development in the forthcoming year. The occurrence of ripening individuals on the inner continental shelf in January suggests that these fish either rapidly move into estuaries to spawn by February-March or they remain on the inner shelf to spawn, or some combination of these. Future studies should evaluate these possibilities, as both estuarine and inner shelf habitats are potentially affected by activities such as dredging, sand dredging and wind energy development.

Internal tidal mixing as a control on continental margin ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharples, Jonathan; Moore, C. Mark; Hickman, Anna E.; Holligan, Patrick M.; Tweddle, Jacqueline F.; Palmer, Matthew R.; Simpson, John H.

2009-12-01

We show that a breaking internal tide at a shelf edge is a fundamental control on the structural and functional properties of ecosystems. Contrasts in vertical mixing of nitrate between the shelf and the open ocean correspond with horizontal and vertical changes in phytoplankton communities, with largest cells found in surface waters at the shelf edge. Intense fishing activity is commonly seen at continental shelf edges, targeting spawning fish stocks. We suggest that the internal tide, a globally ubiquitous physical process at steep shelf edge bathymetry, supports shelf edge fisheries by providing large-celled phytoplankton for first-feeding fish larvae. The repeatability of the internal tide removes fish from the need to time spawning with a spring bloom. Also, with large phytoplankton cells dominating particulate organic carbon export, the internal tides could be an important influence on spatial and temporal variability in patterns of global carbon sequestration in deep water and sediments.

The influence of surface waves on water circulation in a mid-Atlantic continental shelf region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, C. H.; Talay, T. A.

1974-01-01

The importance of wave-induced currents in different weather conditions and water depths (18.3 m and 36.6 m) is assessed in a mid-Atlantic continental-shelf region. A review of general circulation conditions is conducted. Factors which perturb the general circulation are examined using analytic techniques and limited experimental data. Actual wind and wave statistics for the region are examined. Relative magnitudes of the various currents are compared on a frequency of annual occurrence basis. Results indicated that wave-induced currents are often the same order of magnitude as other currents in the region and become more important at higher wind and wave conditions. Wind-wave and ocean-swell characteristics are among those parameters which must be monitored for the analytical computation of continental-shelf circulation.

Interactions between Freshwater Input, Light, and Phytoplankton Dynamics on the Louisiana Continental Shelf.

EPA Science Inventory

Light attenuation (kd), chlorophyll a (chl a), and primary production (PP) were measured across the Louisiana shelf, encompassing the area of the shelf where summer hypoxia forms, on 7 spring/summer cruises from 2005 to 2007. Shelf-wide average kd (1/m) co-varied with Mississipp...

Bowhead whale, balaena mysticetus bibliography. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Setzler-Hamilton, E.M.; Oliver, G.W.

1987-01-01

This report categorizes the research literature on bowhead whales according to major research topics, issues of concern to Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas development, and geographic areas. The report has an extensive cross index.

30 CFR 250.1300 - What is the purpose of this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF... competitive reservoir and unitization situations. The purpose of joint development and unitization is to: (a...

Modelling the bathymetry of the Antarctic continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

ten Brink, Uri S.; Rogers, William P.; Kirkham, R.M.

1992-01-01

Continental shelves are typically covered by relatively shallow waters (<200 m) which deepen gradually from the coast to the shelf edge. The continental shelf around Antarctica is deeper than normal (400-700m) and is characterized in many areas by a nearshore trough (up to 1 km deep) that gradually shallows toward the shelf edge. We examine the cause for the unusual shelf bathymetry of Antarctica by 2-D numerical models that simulate the bathymetry along seismic line ODP-119 in Prydz Bay. Line ODP-119 was chosen because it is tied to to 5 ODP boreholes, and because the margin underwent little recent tectonic activity or changes in the glacial drainage pattern. The numerical models incorporate several factors that are likely to influence the bathymetry, such as the load of the ice cap, the isostatic response of the lithosphere, thermal and tectnoic subsidence of the margin, sea level changes, and the patterns of erosion and sedimentation across the margin. The models show that the observed bathymetry can be produced almost entirely by the sum of the outer-shelf sediment loading and inner-shelf unloading and by the load of the slope sediments. A simple statistical mdoel demonstrates that this distribution pattern of erosion and deposition can be generated by multiple cycles of ice sheet advances across the shelf, whereby in each cycle a thin (a few tens of meters) uniform layer of sediments is eroded from under the ice sheet and is redeposited seaward of the grounding line.

Summer Drivers of Atmospheric Variability Affecting Ice Shelf Thinning in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Pranab; Orr, Andrew; Bromwich, David H.; Nicolas, Julien P.; Turner, John; Hosking, J. Scott

2018-05-01

Satellite data and a 35-year hindcast of the Amundsen Sea Embayment summer climate using the Weather Research and Forecasting model are used to understand how regional and large-scale atmospheric variability affects thinning of ice shelves in this sector of West Antarctica by melting from above and below (linked to intrusions of warm water caused by anomalous westerlies over the continental shelf edge). El Niño episodes are associated with an increase in surface melt but do not have a statistically significant impact on westerly winds over the continental shelf edge. The location of the Amundsen Sea Low and the polarity of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) have negligible impact on surface melting, although a positive SAM and eastward shift of the Amundsen Sea Low cause anomalous westerlies over the continental shelf edge. The projected future increase in El Niño episodes and positive SAM could therefore increase the risk of disintegration of West Antarctic ice shelves.

Post-LGM Grounding-Line Positions of the Bindschadler Paleo Ice Stream in the Ross Sea Embayment, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bart, Philip J.; Anderson, John B.; Nitsche, Frank

2017-10-01

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) retreated more than 1,000 km since last grounding at the Ross Sea outer continental shelf. Here we show an interpretation of former grounding line positions from a new large-area multibeam survey and a regional grid of chirp cross-sectional data from the Whales Deep Basin in eastern Ross Sea. The basin is a paleo-glacial trough that was occupied by the Bindschadler Ice Stream when grounded ice advanced to the shelf edge during the Last Glacial Maximum. These new geophysical data provide unambiguous evidence that the WAIS occupied at least seven grounding line positions within 60 km of the shelf edge. Four of seven grounding zone wedges (GZWs) are partly exposed over large areas of the trough. The overlapping stratal arrangement created a large-volume compound GZW. Some of the groundings involved local readvance of the grounding line. Subsequent to these seven outer continental shelf groundings, the ice sheet retreated more than 200 km towards Roosevelt Island on the middle continental shelf. The major retreat across the middle continental shelf is recorded by small-scale moraine ridges that mantle the top of GZW7, and these are suggestive of relatively continuous grounding line recession. The results indicate that retreat was considerably more complex than was possible to reconstruct with reconnaissance-level data. The added details are important to climate models, which must first be able to reproduce the recent retreat pattern in all of its complexities to improve confidence in model predictions of the system's future response.

Observed bottom boundary layer transport and uplift on the continental shelf adjacent to a western boundary current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaeffer, A.; Roughan, M.; Wood, J. E.

2014-08-01

Western boundary currents strongly influence the dynamics on the adjacent continental shelf and in particular the cross-shelf transport and uplift through the bottom boundary layer. Four years of moored in situ observations on the narrow southeastern Australian shelf (in water depths of between 65 and 140 m) were used to investigate bottom cross-shelf transport, both upstream (30°S) and downstream (34°S) of the separation zone of the East Australian Current (EAC). Bottom transport was estimated and assessed against Ekman theory, showing consistent results for a number of different formulations of the boundary layer thickness. Net bottom cross-shelf transport was onshore at all locations. Ekman theory indicates that up to 64% of the transport variability is driven by the along-shelf bottom stress. Onshore transport in the bottom boundary layer was more intense and frequent upstream than downstream, occurring 64% of the time at 30°S. Wind-driven surface Ekman transport estimates did not balance the bottom cross-shelf flow. At both locations, strong variability was found in bottom water transport at periods of approximately 90-100 days. This corresponds with periodicity in EAC fluctuations and eddy shedding as evidenced from altimeter observations, highlighting the EAC as a driver of variability in the continental shelf waters. Ocean glider and HF radar observations were used to identify the bio-physical response to an EAC encroachment event, resulting in a strong onshore bottom flow, the uplift of cold slope water, and elevated coastal chlorophyll concentrations.

Change in morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York between 2011 and 2014: Analysis of hurricane impact

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Warner, John C.; List, Jeffrey; Denny, Jane F.; Liste Munoz, Maria; Safak, Ilgar

2017-01-01

Seafloor mapping investigations conducted on the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2011 and 2014, the period encompassing the impacts of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, provide an unprecedented perspective regarding regional inner continental shelf sediment dynamics during large storm events. Analyses of these studies demonstrate that storm-induced erosion and sediment transport occurred throughout the study area in water depths up to 30 m. Acoustic backscatter patterns were observed to move from ~1 m to 450 m with a mean of 20 m and movement tended to decrease with increasing water depth. These patterns indicate that both of the primary inner continental shelf sedimentary features in the study area, linear sorted bedforms offshore of eastern Fire Island and shoreface-attached sand ridges offshore of central and western Fire island, migrated alongshore to the southwest. The migration of the sorted bedforms represents the modification of an active ravinement surface and is thought to have liberated a significant volume of sediment. Comparison of isopach maps of sediment thickness show that the volume of modern sediment composing the lower shoreface and shoreface-attached sand ridges decreased by ~2.8 × 106 m3 across the ~73 km2 of common seafloor mapped in both surveys. However, a similar analysis for the relatively calmer 15-yr period prior to 2011 revealed significant accretion. This allows speculation that the shoreface-attached sand ridges are maintained over decadal timescales via sediment supplied through erosion of Pleistocene outwash and lower Holocene transgressive channel-fill deposits exposed on the inner continental shelf, but that the sand ridges also periodically erode and move to the southwest during large storm events. Analyses show that significant storminduced erosion and sediment transport occurs far seaward of the 5 to 9 m depth of closure assumed for Fire Island, where it is thought that an onshore-directed sediment flux from the inner continental shelf to the littoral system is required to balance the coastal sediment budget. It is also thought that the morphology of the shoreface-attached sand ridges controls the persistent shape of the adjacent shoreline through modification of incident waves. Thus, we suggest that the sediment dynamics of the inner continental shelf and both storminduced and anthropogenic modification of the field of shoreface-attached sand ridges be considered in future coastal resiliency planning.

Large-scale evolution of the central-east Greenland margin: New insights to the North Atlantic glaciation history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez, Lara F.; Nielsen, Tove; Knutz, Paul C.; Kuijpers, Antoon; Damm, Volkmar

2018-04-01

The continental shelf of central-east Greenland is shaped by several glacially carved transverse troughs that form the oceanward extension of the major fjord systems. The evolution of these troughs through time, and their relation with the large-scale glaciation of the Northern Hemisphere, is poorly understood. In this study seismostratigraphic analyses have been carried out to determine the morphological and structural development of this important sector of the East Greenland glaciated margin. The age of major stratigraphic discontinuities has been constrained by a direct tie to ODP site 987 drilled in the Greenland Sea basin plain off Scoresby Sund fan system. The areal distribution and internal facies of the identified seismic units reveal the large-scale depositional pattern formed by ice-streams draining a major part of the central-east Greenland ice sheet. Initial sedimentation along the margin was, however, mainly controlled by tectonic processes related to the margin construction, continental uplift, and fluvial processes. From late Miocene to present, progradational and erosional patterns point to repeated glacial advances across the shelf. The evolution of depo-centres suggests that ice sheet advances over the continental shelf have occurred since late Miocene, about 2 Myr earlier than previously assumed. This cross-shelf glaciation is more pronounced during late Miocene and early Pliocene along Blosseville Kyst and around the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary off Scoresby Sund; indicating a northward migration of the glacial advance. The two main periods of glaciation were separated by a major retreat of the ice sheet to an inland position during middle Pliocene. Mounded-wavy deposits interpreted as current-related deposits suggest the presence of changing along-slope current dynamics in concert with the development of the modern North Atlantic oceanographic pattern.

Influence of submarine morphology on bottom water flow across the western Ross Sea continental margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davey, F.J.; Jacobs, S.S.

2007-01-01

Multibeam sonar bathymetry documents a lack of significant channels crossing outer continental shelf and slope of the western Ross Sea. This indicates that movement of bottom water across the shelf break into the deep ocean in this area is mainly by laminar or sheet flow. Subtle, ~20 m deep and up to 1000 m wide channels extend down the continental slope, into tributary drainage patterns on the upper rise, and then major erosional submarine canyons. These down-slope channels may have been formed by episodic pulses of rapid down slope water flow, some recorded on bottom current meters, or by sub-ice melt water erosion from an icesheet grounded at the margin. Narrow, mostly linear furrows on the continental shelf thought to be caused by iceberg scouring are randomly oriented, have widths generally less than 400 m and depths less than 30m, and extend to water depths in excess of 600 m.

Revised oil-spill risk analysis: Beaufort Sea outer continental shelf lease sale 170. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, C.; Johnson, W.; Marshall, C.

1997-11-01

The Federal Government has proposed to offer Outer Continental Shelf lands in the Beaufort Sea for oil and gas leasing. Because oil spills may occur from activities associated with offshore oil production, the Minerals Management Service conducts a formal risk assessment. This report summarizes results of oil-spill risk analysis conducted for the proposed Beaufort Sea lease sale.

76 FR 30956 - Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-27

... Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 AGENCY: Bureau of...: BOEMRE announces the availability of a Revised Draft SEIS, OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193, Chukchi Sea.... The Revised Draft SEIS augments the analysis of the Final EIS, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193, Chukchi Sea...

75 FR 17159 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... Notice of Sale (NOS) for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 215 in the Western Planning... matter of information to the public. With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the... NOS for Sale 215 and a ``Proposed Notice of Sale Package'' containing information essential to...

76 FR 52344 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-22

... Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 218... matter of information to the public. With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the... NOS for Sale 218 and a ``Proposed Notice of Sale Package'' containing information essential to...

76 FR 82319 - Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning Area (WPA) and Central...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-30

... Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning Area (WPA) and Central Planning Area (CPA), Oil and Gas Lease Sales... prepared a Draft EIS on oil and gas lease sales tentatively scheduled in 2012-2017 in the WPA and CPA... scheduled for the WPA and five annual areawide lease sales are scheduled for the CPA. The proposed WPA lease...

77 FR 43355 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-24

... Proposed Notice of Sale for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 229 in the Western...: Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Proposed Sale 229. SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for proposed Sale 229 in the WPA. This sale will be the first...

77 FR 4360 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-27

... Proposed Notice of Sale for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 216/222 in the Central...: Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Proposed Sale 216/222. SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for proposed Sale 216/222 in the CPA. This...

Natural constraints on exploring Antarctica's continental margin, existing geophysical and geological data basis, and proposed drilling program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, J.B.

1987-05-01

There have been a number of multichannel seismic reflection and seismic refraction surveys of the Antarctic continental shelf. While glacial erosion has left acoustic basement exposed on portions of the inner shelf, thick sedimentary sequences occur on the passive margin of east Antarctica. The thickness and age of these strata vary due to different breakup histories of the margin. Several sedimentary basins have been identified. Most are rift basins formed during the early stages of Antarctica's separation from other Gondwana continents and plateaus. The west Antarctic continental shelf is extensive, being approximately twice the size of the Gulf of Mexicomore » shelf. It has been poorly surveyed to date, owing mainly to its perennial sea ice cover. Gradual subduction of the spreading center from south to north along the margin resulted in old active margin sequences being buried beneath passive margin sequences. The latter should increase in thickness from north to south along the margin although no data bear this out. Hydrocarbon potential on the northern portion of the west Antarctic margin is considered low due to a probable lack of reservoir rocks. Establishment of ice sheets on Antarctica caused destruction of land vegetation and greatly restricted siliciclastic sand-producing environments. So only sedimentary basins which contain pre-early Miocene deposits have good hydrocarbon prospectivity. The Antarctic continental shelf is the deepest in the world, averaging 500 m and in places being more than a kilometer deep. The shelf has been left rugged by glacial erosion and is therefore prone to sediment mass movement. Widespread sediment gravity flow deposits attest to this. The shelf is covered with sea ice most of the year and in a few areas throughout the year. Icebergs, drift freely in the deep waters of the shelf; drift speeds of 1 to 2.5 km/year are not uncommon.« less

Trend and dynamic cause of sediment particle size on the adjacent continental shelf of the Yangtze Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yun-ping; Zhang, Ming-jin; Li, Yi-tian; Fan, Yong-yang

2016-12-01

Based on the measured data in recent 20 years, the variation trends of the median grain size of the surface sediment, the sand-silt boundary and the mud area on the adjacent continental shelf of the Yangtze Estuary were analyzed in depth, and the effects of natural mechanism and human activities were discussed. The results show that: (1) In recent years (2006-2013), the median grain size of sediment and the distribution pattern of grouped sediments in the adjacent continental shelf area to the Yangtze Estuary have presented no obvious change compared with those before 2006; (2) The median diameter of the surface sediment in the continental shelf area displayed a coarsening trend with the decrease of sediment discharge from the basin and the drop in suspended sediment concentration in the shore area; (3) In 2004-2007, the sand-silt boundary in the north part (31°30'N) of the continental shelf area presented no significant changes, while that in the south part (31°30'S) moved inwards; In 2008-2013, both the sand-silt boundaries in the north and south parts of the continental shelf area moved inwards, mainly due to the fact that in the dry season, a relatively enhanced hydrodynamic force of the tides was generated in the Yangtze River, as well as a decreased suspended sediment concentration and a flow along the banks in North Jiangsu; (4) The mud area where the maximum deposition rate is found in the Yangtze Estuary, tends to shrink due to the drop in sediment discharge from the basin, and the decrease in suspended sediment concentration in the shore area and erosion in the delta. Moreover, it tended to shift to the south at the same time because the implement of the training works on the deep-water channel of the North Passage changed the split ratio between the North and South Passages with an increase in the power of the discharged runoff in the South Passage.

Physical oceanography of continental shelves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, J.S.; Beardlsey, R.C.; Blanton, J.O.

Knowledge of the physical oceanography of continental shelves has increased tremendously in recent years, primarily as a result of new current and hydrographic measurements made in locations where no comparable measurements existed previously. In general, observations from geographically distinct continental shelves have shown that the nature of the flow may vary considerably from region to region. Although some characteristics, such as the response of currents to wind forcing, are common to many shelves, the relative importance of various physical processes in influencing the shelf flow field frequently is different. In the last several years, the scientific literature on shelf studiesmore » has expanded rapidly, with that for separate regions, to some extent, developing independently because of the variable role played by different physical effects. Consequently, it seems that a simultaneous review of progress in physical oceanographic research in different shelf regions would be especially useful at this time in order to help assess the overall progress in the field. This multi-author report has been compiled as a result. Included are sections on the physical oceanography of continental shelves, in or off of, the eastern Bering Sea, northern Gulf of Alaska, Pacific Northwest, southern California, west Florida, southeastern US, Middle Atlantic Bight, Georges Bank and Peru. These discussions clearly point to the diverse nature of the dominant physics in several of the regions, as well as to some of the dynamical features they share in common. 390 references, 23 figures.« less

The Influence of a Western Boundary Current on Continental Shelf Processes Along Southeastern Australia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roughan, M.

2016-02-01

The East Australian Current (EAC) flows as a jet over the narrow shelf of southeastern Australia, dominating shelf circulation, and shedding vast eddies at the highly variable separation point. These characteristics alone make it a dynamically challenging region to measure, model and predict. In recent years a significant effort has been placed on understanding continental shelf processes along the coast of SE Australia, adjacent to the EAC, our major Western Boundary Current. We have used a multi-pronged approach by combining state of the art in situ observations and data assimilation modelling. Observations are obtained from a network of moorings, HF Radar and ocean gliders deployed in shelf waters along SE Australia, made possible through Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). In addition, we have developed a high resolution reanalysis of the East Australian Current using ROMS and 4DVar data Assimilation. In addition to the traditional data streams (SST, SSH and ARGO) we assimilate the newly available IMOS observations in the region. These include velocity and hydrographic observations from the EAC transport array, 1km HF radar measurements of surface currents, CTD casts from ocean gliders, and temperature, salinity and velocity measurements from a network of shelf mooring arrays. We use these vast data sets and numerical modelling tools combined with satellite remote sensed data to understand spatio-temporal variability of shelf processes and water mass distributions on synoptic, seasonal and inter-annual timescales. We have quantified the cross shelf transport variability inshore of the EAC, the driving mechanisms, the seasonal cycles in shelf waters and to some extent variability in the biological (phytoplankton) response. I will present a review of some of the key results from a number of recent studies.

Deep sea sedimentation processes and geomorphology: Northwest Atlantic continental margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosher, David; Campbell, Calvin; Gardner, Jim; Chaytor, Jason; Piper, David; Rebesco, Michele

2017-04-01

Deep-sea sedimentation processes impart a fundamental control on the morphology of the western North Atlantic continental margin from Blake Spur to Hudson Strait. This fact is illustrated by the variable patterns of cross-margin gradients that are based on extensive new multibeam echo-sounder data informed by subbottom profiler and seismic reflection data. Erosion by off-shelf sediment transport in turbidity currents creates gullies, canyons and channels and a steep upper slope. Amalgamation of these conduits produces singular channels and turbidite fan complexes on the lower slope, flattening slope-profile gradients. The effect is an exponentially decaying "graded" slope profile. Comparatively, sediment mass failure produces steeper upper slopes due to head scarp development and a wedging architecture to the lower slope as deposits thin in the downslope direction. This process results in either a "stepped" slope, and/or a significant downslope gradient change where MTDs pinch out. Large drift deposits created by geostrophic currents are developed all along the margin. Blake Ridge, Sackville Spur, and Hamilton Spur are large detached drifts on disparate parts of the margin. They form a linear "above grade" profile along their crests from the shelf to abyssal plain. Deeper portions of the US continental margin are dominated by the Chesapeake Drift and Hatteras Outer Ridge; both plastered elongate mounded drifts. Farther north, particularly on the Grand Banks margin, are plastered and separated drifts. These drifts form "stepped" slope profiles, where they onlap the margin. Trough-mouth fan complexes become more common along the margin with increasing latitude. Sediment deposition and retention, particularly those dominated by glacigenic debris flows, characterize these segments producing an "above grade" slope profile. Understanding these geomorphological consequences of deep sea sedimentation processes is important to extended continental shelf mapping in which gradients and gradient change is a critical metric.

30 CFR 285.629 - May I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Requirements Contents of the Construction and Operations Plan § 285.629 May I develop my lease in phases? In... operations and what portions of the lease will be reserved for subsequent phased development. ...

50 CFR 296.7 - Burden of proof and presumption of causation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... commercial fishing and was located in an area affected by OCS oil and gas exploration, development, or... associated with oil and gas exploration, development, or production activities on the Outer Continental Shelf... by items associated with oil and gas exploration, development, or production activities on the OCS if...

Very large dune formation along the Ebro outer continental shelf (Western Mediterranean)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Iacono, Claudio; Guillén, Jorge; Puig, Pere; Ribó, Marta; Ballesteros, Maria; Palanques, Albert; Farrán, Marcelli; Acosta, Juan

2010-05-01

Large and very large subaqueous dunes have been observed in a number of outer shelf regions around the world, tipically developing on fossil sand bodies and ridges. Dunes observed on outer shelves usually display large dimensions with maximum wavelength reaching up to 500 m and heights up to 20 m. Forcing mechanisms able to induce their formation have been described as strong bottom currents related to tidal variations and water masses flowing under geostrophic conditions, generally controlled and enhanced by local geomorphologic configurations. In this study, such bed features have been recognized, mapped and measured around the Columbretes Islands (Ebro continental shelf - Western Mediterranean) with the aim to reconstruct which are the potential forcing processes that could generate them in relation to the local settings of the area. Swath-bathymetry around the Columbretes Islands was collected using 30 kHz and 180 kHz Multi Beam echo-sounders for a 50-400 m water depth range. Bathymetric data revealed the presence of three main relict sand bodies along the outer shelf, for a 80-116 m depth range, above which asymmetrical, slightly asymmetrical and symmetrical large and very large 2D and 3D subaqueous dunes were observed. Dunes range from 150 to 760 m in wavelength and from tens of cm to 6 m in height. These bedforms are composed of sandy sediments, presumably coming from the degraded relict sand bodies on which they developed, mixed to the fine fractions coming from the recent draping holocenic sediments. The orientation of the dunes is SSW and progressively turns to W directions moving towards the southernmost sector of the area, following the trend of the shelf-edge. Observed dunes display a strong asymmetric profile for those occurring along the shelf-edge (Symmetry Index (SI): 2.6) and lose progressively their asymmetry towards the inner portion of the shelf (SI: 0.5), being 0.6 the minimum SI value to classify the dunes as asymmetric. The subaqueous dunes observed along the studied region are amongst the largest ever recognized on an outer shelf setting. Morphologic characters and the orientation towards SW and W directions suggest the Liguro-Provenzal-Catalan geostrophic current as the primary forcing factor in their formation. Contemporary hydrodynamic measurement at the Ebro continental shelf-edge show that near-bottom wave action is negligible in this area, whereas maximum shear stresses induced by currents are able to resuspend fine sand particles and prevent the relict transgressive deposits from being covered by mud. However, recorded nearbottom currents generate shear stresses below the critical value for transport the relict coarse sands found in the study area and form large bedforms. The comparison of successive bathymetric images and the relation wavelength/height suggest that the described very large dunes are inactive features over long periods, as observed in similar environments along several continental margins. Thus, the morphological configuration of the Columbretes outer shelf must have played a crucial role in enhancing the southward flowing bottom currents during energetic hydrodynamic events, giving them the potential to generate such bedforms.

30 CFR 550.200 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information General Information § 550.200 Definitions... of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. CID means Conservation Information Document. CZMA means Coastal Zone Management Act. DOCD means Development Operations Coordination Document. DPP means...

Earth resources programs at the Langley Research Center. Part 2: Coastal zone oceanography program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bressette, W. E.

1972-01-01

The approaches used to develop the coastal zone oceanic research program are outlined, and activities in the areas of satellite application, estuaries, continental shelf and environmental modeling are briefly described.

OESbathy version 1.0: a method for reconstructing ocean bathymetry with realistic continental shelf-slope-rise structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goswami, A.; Olson, P. L.; Hinnov, L. A.; Gnanadesikan, A.

2015-04-01

We present a method for reconstructing global ocean bathymetry that uses a plate cooling model for the oceanic lithosphere, the age distribution of the oceanic crust, global oceanic sediment thicknesses, plus shelf-slope-rise structures calibrated at modern active and passive continental margins. Our motivation is to reconstruct realistic ocean bathymetry based on parameterized relationships of present-day variables that can be applied to global oceans in the geologic past, and to isolate locations where anomalous processes such as mantle convection may affect bathymetry. Parameters of the plate cooling model are combined with ocean crustal age to calculate depth-to-basement. To the depth-to-basement we add an isostatically adjusted, multicomponent sediment layer, constrained by sediment thickness in the modern oceans and marginal seas. A continental shelf-slope-rise structure completes the bathymetry reconstruction, extending from the ocean crust to the coastlines. Shelf-slope-rise structures at active and passive margins are parameterized using modern ocean bathymetry at locations where a complete history of seafloor spreading is preserved. This includes the coastal regions of the North, South, and Central Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica, and the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America. The final products are global maps at 0.1° × 0.1° resolution of depth-to-basement, ocean bathymetry with an isostatically adjusted, multicomponent sediment layer, and ocean bathymetry with reconstructed continental shelf-slope-rise structures. Our reconstructed bathymetry agrees with the measured ETOPO1 bathymetry at most passive margins, including the east coast of North America, north coast of the Arabian Sea, and northeast and southeast coasts of South America. There is disagreement at margins with anomalous continental shelf-slope-rise structures, such as around the Arctic Ocean, the Falkland Islands, and Indonesia.

Diversity, distribution and population size structure of deep Mediterranean gorgonian assemblages (Menorca Channel, Western Mediterranean Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinyó, Jordi; Gori, Andrea; Ambroso, Stefano; Purroy, Ariadna; Calatayud, Clara; Dominguez-Carrió, Carlos; Coppari, Martina; Lo Iacono, Claudio; López-González, Pablo J.; Gili, Josep-Maria

2016-06-01

Gorgonians are a key group of organisms in benthic marine communities with a wide bathymetric and geographical distribution. Although their presence on continental shelves and slopes has been known for more than 100 years, knowledge concerning the ecology of deep gorgonian species is still in a very preliminary stage. To overcome this situation, gorgonian assemblages located at 40-360 m depth were studied over a large geographical area on the continental shelf and upper slope of the Menorca Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea). A quantitative analysis of video transects recorded by a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle, were used to examine the diversity, distribution and demography of gorgonian species. Results showed high gorgonian diversity within this depth range (a total of nine species were observed) compared to Mediterranean coastal areas. Gorgonian assemblages on the continental shelf and upper slope were mostly monospecific (respectively 73% and 76% of occupied sampling units contained one single species), whereas shelf edge assemblages were highly multispecific (92% of occupied sampling units contained several species). This contrasts with the monospecificity of Mediterranean coastal gorgonian assemblages. Gorgonian populations on the continental shelf were mostly dominated by small colonies (88% of measured colonies) with few intermediate and large colonies (12% of measured colonies). In deeper areas small colonies were still dominant (60% of measured colonies), but intermediate and large colonies were much more abundant (40% of measured colonies). This suggests high recruitment rates on the continental shelf, but perturbations (trammel nets, long lines and strong storms) may limit the presence of intermediate and large colonies. Conversely, on the shelf edge and upper slope a more stable environment may allow colonies to reach larger dimensions. The identification and ecological characterization of these deep assemblages further extends the current knowledge about Mediterranean gorgonians, and is fundamental in improving the management and conservation of deep benthic ecosystems.

Seafloor geology of the Monterey Bay area continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eittreim, S.L.; Anima, R.J.; Stevenson, A.J.

2002-01-01

Acoustic swath-mapping of the greater Monterey Bay area continental shelf from Point An??o Nuevo to Point Sur reveals complex patterns of rock outcrops on the shelf, and coarse-sand bodies that occur in distinct depressions on the inner and mid-shelves. Most of the rock outcrops are erosional cuestas of dipping Tertiary rocks that make up the bedrock of the surrounding lands. A mid-shelf mud belt of Holocene sediment buries the Tertiary rocks in a continuous, 6-km-wide zone on the northern Monterey Bay shelf. Rock exposures occur on the inner shelf, near tectonically uplifting highlands, and on the outer shelf, beyond the reach of the mud depositing on the mid-shelf since the Holocene sea-level rise. The sediment-starved shelf off the Monterey Peninsula and south to Point Sur has a very thin cover of Holocene sediment, and bedrock outcrops occur across the whole shelf, with Salinian granite outcrops surrounding the Monterey Peninsula. Coarse-sand deposits occur both bounded within low-relief rippled scour depressions, and in broad sheets in areas like the Sur Platform where fine sediment sources are limited. The greatest concentrations of coarse-sand deposits occur on the southern Monterey Bay shelf and the Sur shelf. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles on wave-driven sea-floor sediment mobility along the central California continental margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Storlazzi, Curt D.; Reid, Jane A.

2010-01-01

Ocean surface waves are the dominant temporally and spatially variable process influencing sea floor sediment resuspension along most continental shelves. Wave-induced sediment mobility on the continental shelf and upper continental slope off central California for different phases of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events was modeled using monthly statistics derived from more than 14 years of concurrent hourly oceanographic and meteorologic data as boundary input for the Delft SWAN wave model, gridded sea floor grain-size data from the usSEABED database, and regional bathymetry. Differences as small as 0.5 m in wave height, 1 s in wave period, and 10° in wave direction, in conjunction with the spatially heterogeneous unconsolidated sea-floor sedimentary cover, result in significant changes in the predicted mobility of continental shelf surficial sediment in the study area. El Niño events result in more frequent mobilization on the inner shelf in the summer and winter than during La Niña events and on the outer shelf and upper slope in the winter months, while La Niña events result in more frequent mobilization on the mid-shelf during spring and summer months than during El Niño events. The timing and patterns of seabed mobility are addressed in context of geologic and biologic processes. By understanding the spatial and temporal variability in the disturbance of the sea floor, scientists can better interpret sedimentary patterns and ecosystem structure, while providing managers and planners an understanding of natural impacts when considering the permitting of offshore activities that disturb the sea floor such as trawling, dredging, and the emplacement of sea-floor engineering structures.

Remote Versus Local Forcing of Chlorophyll Variability in the South Atlantic Bight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Signorini, Sergio R.; McClain, Charles R.

2006-01-01

This TM documents results of analyses addressing the local versus remote forcing of chlorophyll variability on the shelf and slope regions of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) based on satellite-derived products and a limited amount of in situ data. This study is part of a larger multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional effort to study the Eastern U.S. Continental Shelf carbon budget (U.S. Eastern Continental Shelf Carbon Budget: Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Analysis, U.S. ECoS), a project funded by the NASA Earth System Enterprise Interdisciplinary Science Program that started in the summer of 2004.

Trace Metals and Lead Isotopes in modern Sediments Near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyle, E. A.; Lazzari, L.; Wagener, A. L.; Carreira, R.; Godoy, J. M.; Noble, A.; Carrasco, G. G.; Moos, S. B.

2014-12-01

This work focuses on the export of trace metals and combustion residues from land to ocean and on the Southeast continental margin of Brazil and its historical variability using stable lead isotopes. Two sediment cores were collected, one in highly impacted Guanabara Bay and the other on the Southeast continental shelf. Continental shelf samples were analyzed for trace element concentrations [Mn (117±50 ppm), Ni (6.5±2.3 ppm), Zn (5.0±1.5), (233±46 ppm), ], Pb (5.4±2.4 ppm), as well as Cu, Ag, Cd, Sr, Ba, Tl, U and Pb isotope ratios & Pb-210. Most of the elements show higher concentrations on the upper part of the core compared to the bottom. Downcore changes of the concentrations of these elements were similar. The sediments of adjacent rivers and bays around the upper section of the southeast continental shelf of Brazil are considered highly enriched with Pb, Zn, Cu and Cr such as Guanabara Bay, Sepetiba Bay and Paraíba do Sul River compared with the natural concentrations and other regions in the world. A [Pb] maximum is seen between samples from 24 to 43 cm (~8 ppm). Utilization of tetraethyl lead (TEL) gasoline in Brazil was phased out beginning in 1983 and was largely completed by 1988. Continental shelf Pb-206/Pb-207 varies between 1.174 near the core top to 1.190 at 100 cm, with a sharp difference between samples at 6 and 8 cm. Higher core top Pb, Zn, and Ni corroborate the recent anthropogenic influence on the southeast continental shelf of Brazil. For Guanabara Bay sediment samples [Pb] varies between 90 ppm near the top to 1 ppm at the bottom. Pb-206/Pb-207 varies between 1.161 near the core top to 1.165 near the bottom. Using triple isotope plots we can discern different sources of lead to the region and how these vary with time.

Geology and physiography of the continental margin north of Alaska and implications for the origin of the Canada Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grantz, Arthur; Eittreim, Stephen L.; Whitney, O.T.

1979-01-01

The continental margin north of Alaska is of Atlantic type. It began to form probably in Early Jurassic time but possibly in middle Early Cretaceous time, when the oceanic Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean is thought to have opened by rifting about a pole of rotation near the Mackenzie Delta. Offsets of the rift along two fracture zones are thought to have divided the Alaskan margin into three sectors of contrasting structure and stratigraphy. In the Barter Island sector on the east and the Chukchi sector on the west the rift was closer to the present northern Alaska mainland than in the Barrow sector, which lies between them. In the Barter Island and Chukchi sectors the continental shelf is underlain by prisms of clastic sedimentary rocks that are inferred to include thick sections of Jurassic and Neocomian (lower Lower Cretaceous) strata of southern provenance. In the intervening Barrow sector the shelf is underlain by relatively thin sections of Jurassic and Neocomian strata derived from northern sources that now lie beneath the outer continental shelf. The rifted continental margin is overlain by a prograded prism of Albian (upper Lower Cretaceous) to Tertiary clastic sedimentary rocks that comprises the continental terrace of the western Beaufort and northern Chukchi Seas. On the south the prism is bounded by Barrow arch, which is a hingeline between the northward-tilted basement surface beneath the continental shelf of the western Beaufort Sea and the southward-tilted Arctic Platform of northern Alaska. The Arctic platform is overlain by shelf clastic and carbonate strata of Mississippian to Cretaceous age, and by Jurassic and Cretaceous clastic strata of the Colville foredeep. Both the Arctic platform and Colville foredeep sequences extend from northern Alaska beneath the northern Chukchi Sea. At Herald fault zone in the central Chukchi Sea they are overthrust by more strongly deformed Cretaceous to Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of Herald arch, which trends northwest from Cape Lisburne. Hope basin, an extensional intracontinental sedimentary basin of Tertiary age, underlies the Chukchi Sea south of Herald arch.

Military Activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone: Preventing Uncertainty and Defusing Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-01

citing Presidential Declaration Concerning Continental Shelf of 23 June 1947, EL MERCURIO, Santiago de Chile (June 29, 1947), and Presidential Decree...Presidential Declaration Concerning Continental Shelf of 23 June 1947, EL MERCURIO, Santiago de Chile June 29, 1947). Peru also established a 200...Organization, 1987); James E. Bailey, Comment, The Exclusive Economic Zone: Its De - velopment and Future in International and Domestic Law, 45 LA. L

The Occurrence of Tidal Hybrid Kelvin-Edge Waves in the Global Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, H.; Buijsman, M. C.; Yankovsky, A. E.; Zhang, T.; Jeon, C. H.

2017-12-01

This study presents the analysis of hybrid Kelvin-edge waves on the continental shelves in a global ocean model. Our objective is to find areas where the transition occurs from Kelvin waves to hybrid Kelvin-edge waves. The change in continental shelf width may convert a Kelvin wave into a hybrid Kelvin-edge wave. In this process the group velocity reaches a minimum and tidal energy is radiated on and/or offshore [Zhang 2016]. We extract M2 SSH (Sea Surface Height) and velocity from the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and calculate barotropic energy fluxes. We analyze these three areas: the Bay of Biscay, the Amazon Shelf and North West Africa. In these three regions, the continental shelf widens in the propagation direction and the alongshore flux changes its direction towards the coast. A transect is taken at different points in these areas to compute the dispersion relations of the waves on the continental shelf. In model simulations, we change the bathymetry of the Bay of Biscay to study the behavior of the hybrid Kelvin-edge waves. BibliographyZhang, T., and A. E Yankovsky. (2016), On the nature of cross-isobath energy fluxes in topographically modified barotropic semidiurnal Kelvin waves, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 121, 3058-3074, doi:10.1002/2015JC011617.

Trophic Ecology and Movement Patters of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) off the Western North Atlantic Coastal and Continental Shelf Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sancho, G.; Edman, R.; Frazier, B.; Bubley, W.

2016-02-01

Understanding the trophic dynamics and habitat utilization of apex predators is central to inferring their influence on different marine landscapes and to help design effective management plans for these animals. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are abundant in shelf and offshore Gulf Stream waters of the western North Atlantic Ocean, and based on movements from individuals captured in Florida and Bahamas, seem to avoid coastal and shelf waters off South Carolina and Georgia. This contradicts reports of tiger sharks regularly being caught nearshore by anglers in these states, indicating that separate sub-populations may exist in the western North Atlantic. In the present study we captured Tiger Sharks in coastal waters off South Carolina in 2014 and 2015 in order to describe their movement patterns through acoustic and satellite tagging, and trophic dynamics through stable isotope analyses. Movement data show that these tiger sharks repeatedly visit particular inshore areas and mainly travel over the continental shelf, but rarely venture offshore beyond the continental shelf edge. Ongoing C and N stable isotope analyses of muscle, blood and skin tissues from adult and juvenile tiger sharks, as well as from potential prey species and primary producers, will help determine if their diets are based on inshore, shelf or offshore based food webs. Tiger sharks exploiting nearshore environments and shelf waters have much higher probabilities of interacting with humans than individuals occupying far offshore Gulf Stream habitats.

Nineteenth-century collapse of a benthic marine ecosystem on the open continental shelf

PubMed Central

Tomašových, Adam; Kidwell, Susan M.

2017-01-01

The soft-sediment seafloor of the open continental shelf is among the least-known biomes on Earth, despite its high diversity and importance to fisheries and biogeochemical cycling. Abundant dead shells of epifaunal suspension-feeding terebratulid brachiopods (Laqueus) and scallops on the now-muddy mainland continental shelf of southern California reveal the recent, previously unsuspected extirpation of an extensive offshore shell-gravel ecosystem, evidently driven by anthropogenic siltation. Living populations of attached epifauna, which formerly existed in a middle- and outer-shelf mosaic with patches of trophically diverse muds, are restricted today to rocky seafloor along the shelf edge and to the sandier shelves of offshore islands. Geological age-dating of 190 dead brachiopod shells shows that (i) no shells have been produced on the mainland shelf within the last 100 years, (ii) their shell production declined steeply during the nineteenth century, and (iii) they had formerly been present continuously for at least 4 kyr. This loss, sufficiently rapid (less than or equal to 100 years) and thorough to represent an ecosystem collapse, coincides with intensification of alluvial-plain land use in the nineteenth century, particularly livestock grazing. Extirpation was complete by the start of twentieth-century urbanization, warming, bottom fishing and scientific surveys. The loss of this filter-feeding fauna and the new spatial homogeneity and dominance of deposit- and detritus-feeders would have altered ecosystem functioning by reducing habitat heterogeneity and seawater filtering. This discovery, attesting to the power of this geological approach to recent ecological transitions, also strongly increases the spatial scope attributable to the negative effects of siltation, and suggests that it has been under-recognized on continental shelves elsewhere as a legacy of coastal land use. PMID:28592668

Rates of Dinitrogen Fixation and the Abundance of Diazotrophs in North American Coastal Waters Between Cape Hatteras and Georges Bank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulholland, M.R.; Bernhardt, P. W.; Blanco-Garcia, J. L.; Mannino, A.; Hyde, K.; Mondragon, E.; Turk, K.; Moisander, P. H.; Zehr, J. P.

2012-01-01

We coupled dinitrogen (N2) fixation rate estimates with molecular biological methods to determine the activity and abundance of diazotrophs in coastal waters along the temperate North American Mid-Atlantic continental shelf during multiple seasons and cruises. Volumetric rates of N2 fixation were as high as 49.8 nmol N L(sup -1) d(sup -1) and areal rates as high as 837.9 micromol N m(sup -2) d(sup -1) in our study area. Our results suggest that N2 fixation occurs at high rates in coastal shelf waters that were previously thought to be unimportant sites of N2 fixation and so were excluded from calculations of pelagic marine N2 fixation. Unicellular N2-fixing group A cyanobacteria were the most abundant diazotrophs in the Atlantic coastal waters and their abundance was comparable to, or higher than, that measured in oceanic regimes where they were discovered. High rates of N2 fixation and the high abundance of diazotrophs along the North American Mid-Atlantic continental shelf highlight the need to revise marine N budgets to include coastal N2 fixation. Integrating areal rates of N2 fixation over the continental shelf area between Cape Hatteras and Nova Scotia, the estimated N2 fixation in this temperate shelf system is about 0.02 Tmol N yr(sup -1), the amount previously calculated for the entire North Atlantic continental shelf. Additional studies should provide spatially, temporally, and seasonally resolved rate estimates from coastal systems to better constrain N inputs via N2 fixation from the neritic zone.

Nineteenth-century collapse of a benthic marine ecosystem on the open continental shelf.

PubMed

Tomašových, Adam; Kidwell, Susan M

2017-06-14

The soft-sediment seafloor of the open continental shelf is among the least-known biomes on Earth, despite its high diversity and importance to fisheries and biogeochemical cycling. Abundant dead shells of epifaunal suspension-feeding terebratulid brachiopods ( Laqueus ) and scallops on the now-muddy mainland continental shelf of southern California reveal the recent, previously unsuspected extirpation of an extensive offshore shell-gravel ecosystem, evidently driven by anthropogenic siltation. Living populations of attached epifauna, which formerly existed in a middle- and outer-shelf mosaic with patches of trophically diverse muds, are restricted today to rocky seafloor along the shelf edge and to the sandier shelves of offshore islands. Geological age-dating of 190 dead brachiopod shells shows that (i) no shells have been produced on the mainland shelf within the last 100 years, (ii) their shell production declined steeply during the nineteenth century, and (iii) they had formerly been present continuously for at least 4 kyr. This loss, sufficiently rapid (less than or equal to 100 years) and thorough to represent an ecosystem collapse, coincides with intensification of alluvial-plain land use in the nineteenth century, particularly livestock grazing. Extirpation was complete by the start of twentieth-century urbanization, warming, bottom fishing and scientific surveys. The loss of this filter-feeding fauna and the new spatial homogeneity and dominance of deposit- and detritus-feeders would have altered ecosystem functioning by reducing habitat heterogeneity and seawater filtering. This discovery, attesting to the power of this geological approach to recent ecological transitions, also strongly increases the spatial scope attributable to the negative effects of siltation, and suggests that it has been under-recognized on continental shelves elsewhere as a legacy of coastal land use. © 2017 The Author(s).

An East Siberian ice shelf during the Late Pleistocene glaciations: Numerical reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colleoni, Florence; Kirchner, Nina; Niessen, Frank; Quiquet, Aurélien; Liakka, Johan

2016-09-01

A recent data campaign in the East Siberian Sea has revealed evidence of grounded and floating ice dynamics in regions of up to 1000 m water depth, and which are attributed to glaciations older than the Last Glacial Maximum (21 kyrs BP). The main hypothesis based on this evidence is that a small ice cap developed over Beringia and expanded over the East Siberian continental margin during some of the Late Pleistocene glaciations. Other similar evidence of ice dynamics that have been previously collected on the shallow continental shelves of the Arctic Ocean have been attributed to the penultimate glaciation, i.e. Marine Isotopes Stage 6 (≈140 kyrs BP). We use an ice sheet model, forced by two previously simulated MIS 6 glacial maximum climates, to carry out a series of sensitivity experiments testing the impact of dynamics and mass-balance related parameters on the geometry of the East Siberian ice cap and ice shelf. Results show that the ice cap developing over Beringia connects to the Eurasian ice sheet in all simulations and that its volume ranges between 6 and 14 m SLE, depending on the climate forcing. This ice cap generates an ice shelf of dimensions comparable with or larger than the present-day Ross ice shelf in West Antarctica. Although the ice shelf extent strongly depends on the ice flux through the grounding line, it is particularly sensitive to the choice of the calving and basal melting parameters. Finally, inhibiting a merging of the Beringia ice cap with the Eurasian ice sheet affects the expansion of the ice shelf only in the simulations where the ice cap fluxes are not large enough to compensate for the fluxes coming from the Eurasian ice sheet.

Nepheloid Layers: Origin and Development In A Narrow Continental Shelf (nw Portugal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, A.; Vitorino, J.; Rodrigues, A.; Jouanneau, J. M.; Weber, O.; Dias, J. A.

A general hydrographic, nephelometric and sedimentological surveying of the NW Portuguese continental shelf and slope was undertaken, under winter and spring con- ditions in order to elaborate a conceptual model of suspended sediments (nepheloid layer) dynamics. Two major situations were found: 1) Spring/Summer - with northerly winds (upwelling) and low energetic wave regime that favour the deposition of sedi- ments. The northerly winds promote offshore transport in the surface nepheloid layer (SNL) and the establishment of a seasonal thermocline allow the expansion of the SNL to the west. The SNL can reach or even cross the shelf-break (50 km from coastline). Particulate organic carbon (POC) content in this layer highlights the higher contribution of biogenic particles (average concentration of 22%); 2) Winter, with southerly winds (downwelling) and high energetic wave regime that favour mid- shelf sediments resuspension and offshore transport in the bottom nepheloid layer (BNL). In the shelf-break the BNL detached to form intermediate nepheloid layers (INL). The SNL is restricted to the inner shelf. The effect of southerly winds gener- ates shoreward Ekman transport and detains the offshore westward extension of this layer even during high river run-off periods. The POC content indicates a dominance of litogenic particles in suspension (average concentration of 8%). Over the mid- and inner-shelf the dominant resuspension mechanism is associated with surface waves (Vitorino et al., 2002). Estimates based on wave measurements at mid-shelf (86m depth) suggested that, in winter, the wave shear velocity frequently exceeds 1 cm/s, assumed as the critical shear velocity for the resuspension of the fine grained sedi- ments (34m) of the bottom cover. Storm events, such as the one observed in November 1996 easily increase the wave shear velocities over 3 cm/s, leading to the increase of the BNL thickness (20-30m) (Vitorino et al., 2002; Oliveira et al., 2002). Low-frequency currents (periods longer than about 2 days) and internal waves can also lead to the resuspension of fine bottom sediments. Shelf morphology (outer shelf re- lieves and Porto submarine canyon) and sedimentary cover can also affect both spatial and vertical development of BNL.

Mass-physical properties of surficial sediments on the Rhoˆne continental margin: implications for the nepheloid benthic layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chassefiere, Bernard

1990-09-01

Mass-physical properties of the surficial (upper 5 m) sediments on the Gulf of Lions continental margin were analysed, from more than 100 short (1 m) and longer (5 m) cores obtained during several cruises. Data include water content, unit weight, Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index), shear strength and compression index, and are used to determine: first, the mass property distribution, according to the main parameters influencing mass-physical properties; the relationships between these properties and the nepheloid layer on the shelf. The shoreline (lagoons) and inner shelf are characterized by low density and shear strength and high water content deposits, due to electrochemical flocculation of the sediment. The outer shelf is blanketed by higher density and shear strength and lower water content deposits generated by normal settling of suspended particles. On the inner shelf, during river peak discharges, a short-term thin bottom layer of "yogurt-like" [ FASS (1985) Geomarine Letters, 4, 147-152; FASS (1986) Continental Shelf Research, 6, 189-208] fluid-mud (unit weight lower than 1.3 mg m -3) is supplied, by a bottom nepheloid layer. During stormy periods, this "yogurt-like" layer (about 10 cm thick) partly disappears by resuspension of suspended particulate matter; this is advected, in the bottom nepheloid layer, over the shelf and the canyons within the upper slope.

77 FR 5545 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... to encourage and incentivize offshore wind energy development. While a state may promote such development through activities such as the creation of financial incentives, an offshore wind project cannot... information resource for the state on Virginia's coastal energy resources, including offshore wind. For more...

30 CFR 250.286 - What is a DWOP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Deepwater Operations Plans (dwop) § 250.286 What is a DWOP? (a) A DWOP is a plan that provides sufficient information for MMS to review a deepwater... the regulations such as Exploration Plans, Development and Production Plans, and Development...

30 CFR 285.629 - May I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false May I develop my lease in phases? 285.629 Section 285.629 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT... CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Requirements Contents of the Construction and Operations Plan § 285...

30 CFR 250.246 - What mineral resource conservation information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development Operations... DPP or DOCD: (a) Technology and reservoir engineering practices and procedures. A description of the...

30 CFR 250.246 - What mineral resource conservation information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development Operations Coordination Documents (docd) § 250.246 What mineral resource... information, as applicable, must accompany your DPP or DOCD: (a) Technology and reservoir engineering...

Outer continental shelf, Beaufort Sea, oil and gas lease sale 170 (proposed notice of sale)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-12-31

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this proposed Notice of Sale under the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, as amended) and the regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR Part 256). A `Sale Notice Package,` containing this Notice and several supporting and essential documents referenced in the Notice, is available from the MMS Alaska OCS Regional Office Public Information Unit.

Comparison of remotely sensed continental-shelf wave spectra with spectra computed by using a wave refraction computer model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poole, L. R.

1976-01-01

An initial attempt was made to verify the Langley Research Center and Virginia Institute of Marine Science mid-Atlantic continental-shelf wave refraction model. The model was used to simulate refraction occurring during a continental-shelf remote sensing experiment conducted on August 17, 1973. Simulated wave spectra compared favorably, in a qualitative sense, with the experimental spectra. However, it was observed that most of the wave energy resided at frequencies higher than those for which refraction and shoaling effects were predicted, In addition, variations among the experimental spectra were so small that they were not considered statistically significant. In order to verify the refraction model, simulation must be performed in conjunction with a set of significantly varying spectra in which a considerable portion of the total energy resides at frequencies for which refraction and shoaling effects are likely.

How well do we know the infaunal biomass of the continental shelf?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Eric N.; Mann, Roger

2016-03-01

Benthic infauna comprise a wide range of taxa of varying abundances and sizes, but large infaunal taxa are infrequently recorded in community surveys of the shelf benthos. These larger, but numerically rare, species may contribute disproportionately to biomass, however. We examine the degree to which standard benthic sampling gear and survey design provide an adequate estimate of the biomass of large infauna using the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, on the continental shelf off the northeastern coast of the United States as a test organism. We develop a numerical model that simulates standard survey designs, gear types, and sampling densities to evaluate the effectiveness of vertically-dropped sampling gear (e.g., boxcores, grabs) for estimating density of large species. Simulations of randomly distributed clams at a density of 0.5-1 m-2 within an 0.25-km2 domain show that lower sampling densities (1-5 samples per sampling event) resulted in highly inaccurate estimates of clam density with the presence of clams detected in less than 25% of the sampling events. In all cases in which patchiness was present in the simulated clam population, surveys were prone to very large errors (survey availability events) unless a dense (e.g., 100-sample) sampling protocol was imposed. Thus, commercial quantities of surfclams could easily go completely undetected by any standard benthic community survey protocol using vertically-dropped gear. Without recourse to modern high-volume sampling gear capable of sampling many meters at a swath, such as hydraulic dredges, biomass of the continental shelf will be grievously underestimated if large infauna are present even at moderate densities.

Highstand shelf fans: The role of buoyancy reversal in the deposition of a new type of shelf sand body

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steel, Elisabeth; Simms, Alexander R.; Warrick, Jonathan; Yokoyama, Yusuke

2016-01-01

Although sea-level highstands are typically associated with sediment-starved continental shelves, high sea level does not hinder major river floods. Turbidity currents generated by plunging of sediment-laden rivers at the fluvial-marine interface, known as hyperpycnal flows, allow for cross-shelf transport of suspended sand beyond the coastline. Hyperpycnal flows in southern California have deposited six subaqueous fans on the shelf of the northern Santa Barbara Channel in the Holocene. Using eight cores and nine grab samples, we describe the deposits, age, and stratigraphic architecture of two fans in the Santa Barbara Channel. Fan lobes have up to 3 m of relief and are composed of multiple hyperpycnite beds ∼5 cm to 40 cm thick. Deposit architecture and geometry suggest the hyperpycnal flows became positively buoyant and lifted off the seabed, resulting in well-sorted, structureless, elongate sand lobes. Contrary to conventional sequence stratigraphic models, the presence of these features on the continental shelf suggests that active-margin shelves may locally develop high-quality reservoir sand bodies during sea-level highstands, and that such shelves need not be solely the site of sediment bypass. These deposits may provide a Quaternary analogue to many well-sorted sand bodies in the rock record that are interpreted as turbidites but lack typical Bouma-type features.

30 CFR 250.298 - How long will MMS take to evaluate and make a decision on the CID?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and... CID request based on your commitment to develop economically producible reservoirs according to sound...

The extent of ocean acidification on aragonite saturation state along the Washington-Oregon continental shelf margin in late summer 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feely, R. A.; Alin, S. R.; Hales, B. R.; Juranek, L.; Greeley, D.

2012-12-01

The Washington-Oregon continental shelf region is exposed to conditions of low aragonite saturation state during the late spring/early summer upwelling season. However, the extent of its evolution in late summer/early fall has been largely unknown. Along this continental margin, ocean acidification, upwelling, biological productivity, and respiration processes in subsurface waters are major contributors to the variability in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH and aragonite saturation state. The persistence of water with aragonite saturation state <1 on the continental shelf off Washington and Oregon has been previously identified and could have profound ecological consequences for benthic and pelagic calcifying organisms such as mussels, oysters, abalone, echinoderms, and pteropods. In the late summer of 2012 we studied the extent of acidification conditions employing shipboard cruises and profiling gliders. We conducted several large-scale chemical and hydrographic surveys of the region in order to better understand the interrelationships between these natural and human-induced processes and their effects on aragonite saturation. We will compare the results of these new surveys with our previous work in 2011 and 2007.

Margin Architecture and Sediment Flux as Controls on Submarine Fan Development: Tectonic-Climate Interactions in the Gulf of Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulick, S. P. S.; Montelli, A.; Swartz, J. M.; Morey, S.; Jaeger, J. M.; Mix, A. C.; Reece, R.; Somchat, K.; Wagner, P. F.; Worthington, L. L.

2015-12-01

The oblique collision of the Yakutat microplate into southeast Alaska generates the St. Elias Mountains, a coastal orogen with significant moisture from the Gulf of Alaska resulting in large, temperate glacial systems that expand to and eventually cross the continental shelf during glacial maxima. We present an overview of the evolution of sediment routing on this margin from integration of seismic images, updated age models and core-log-seismic correlations from IODP Expedition 341 drilling sites, and mapping efforts from shelf, slope, and fan. We focus on the three dominant glacial systems during the climatically important intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation at the Plio-Pleistocene transition and the further intensification of glaciation since the mid-Pleistocene transition. Along strike, sediment delivery to deepwater from the three glacial systems varied according to Pleistocene shelf accommodation space. The Alsek crossed a narrower shelf with a bedrock high near the shelf edge; the Malaspina-Hubbard system crossed an undeformed, ~1 km deep shelf; the Bering-Bagley system crossed a several km deep shelf deforming as an active fold and thrust belt. The Malaspina and Bering catchments exhibit high exhumation rates onshore due to the Yakutat collision and upon reaching the shelf edge these glaciers generate trough mouth fans (TMFs) on the adjacent continental slope but only after first filling the available accommodation with glacigenic sediment and lowering the slope gradient through progradation. The Alsek crosses the shelf earliest but never with sufficient sediment flux to generate a TMF. An east-west transition in adjacent deepwater submarine channels that feed and generate the Surveyor Fan suggests that shelf accommodation and sediment flux are primary controls on sediment routing from orogen to submarine fan. Both of these parameters are in turn a function of initial tectonic architecture and ongoing orogen dynamics.

Cetacean high-use habitats of the northeast United States continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenney, R.D.; Winn, H.E.

1986-04-01

Results of the Cetacean and Turtle Assessment Program previously demonstrated at a qualitative level that specific areas of the continental shelf waters off the northeastern US coast consistently showed high-density utilization by several cetacean species. They have quantified, on a multispecies basis and with adjustment for level of survey effort, the intensity of habitat use by whales and dolphins, and defined areas of especially high-intensity utilization. The results demonstrate that the area off the northeast US, which is used most intensively as cetacean habitat, is the western margin of the Gulf of Maine, from the Great South Channel to Stellwagenmore » Bank and Jeffreys Ledge. Secondary high-use areas include the continental shelf edge and the region around the eastern end of Georges Bank. High-use areas for piseivorous cetaceans are concentrated mainly in the western Gulf of Maine and secondarily at mid-shelf east of the Chesapeake region, for planktivores in the western Gulf of Maine and the southwestern and eastern portions of Georges Bank, and for teuthivores in the western Gulf of Maine and the southwestern and eastern portions of Georges Bank, and for teuthivores along the edge of the shelf. In general, habitat use by cetaceans is highest in spring and summer, and lowest in fall and winter.« less

Environmental geologic studies on the southeastern United States Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, 1977-1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

Popenoe, Peter; Popenoe, Peter

1981-01-01

This report is a summary of the second year of marine environmental research activities by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the southeaster U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin, in accordance with with Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) AA551-MU8-13 between the USGS and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The report covers studies whose fieldwork was conducted during the period from 1 October 1977 to 30 September 1978. The results of the first year of study are reported in Popenoe (1978a and b) and as U.S. Department of Commerce NTIS report PB 300-820. The purpose of these investigations is to provide basic geologic and oceanographic data to the BLM Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Marine Environmental Studies Program in support of management decisions which relate to possible development of oil and gas resources of the continental shelf. The objectives of the USGS-BLM geologic research program for fiscal year 1978 (FY-78) were 1) to determine the sedimentation rates and processes on the upper slope and inner Blake Plateau; 2) to determine the distribution, areal extent, and vertical characteristics of geological features supportive of biological communities; 3) to monitor the transport of bottom sediment across the OCS, evaluate its possible effect on pollutant transfer along the seabed and the potential of sediment as a pollutant sink, determine the implications of erosion/deposition on pipeline emplacement, and aid the interpretation of chemical, biological, and physical data; 4) to determine the concentration levels of chosen trace metals and silica in three chemically defined fractions of the suspended particulate matter (seston); 5) to study the shelf edge and slope near areas of oil and gas interest, and the northern portion of the Blake Plateau for evidence of slope instability and other geologic hazards, and 6) to determine the depth and rate of sediment mixing caused by large storms and/or by benthic organisms and where possible to estimate the rate of active sediment accumulation.

Geology report for proposed oil and gas lease sale No. 90; continental margin off the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1983-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential, as well as potential problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources, within the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 90. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from Raleigh Bay, just south of Cape Hatteras, to southern Florida, including the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales for lease sale number 90, as well as the area for lease sale number 78 and the previous areas leased are shown in figure 1; physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2. Six exploration wells have been drilled within the proposed lease area (figs. 3 and 4), but no commercial discoveries have been made. All six wells were drilled on the Continental Shelf. No commercial production has been obtained onshore in the region. The areas already drilled have thin sedimentary rock sections, and the deeper strata are dominantly of continental facies. Petroleum formation may have been hindered by a lack of organic material and lack of sufficient burial for thermal maturation. However, analyses of drilling and seismic profiling data presented here indicate that a much thicker section of sedimentary rocks containing a much higher proportion of marine deposits, exists seaward of the Continental Shelf. These geologic conditions imply that the basins farther offshore may be more favorable environments for generating petroleum.

The Noucaplac-1 Survey, South Fiji Basin: an International Collaboration Combining UNCLOS and Science Objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roest, W. R.; Herzer, R.; Barker, D. H.; Lafoy, Y.

2005-12-01

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea allows coastal states to claim a legal continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles that constitutes the Exclusive Economic Zone. One of the opportunities presented by UNCLOS article 76 is to align essential - and expensive - data acquisition in poorly mapped shelf regions with scientific research interests, thus maximising data value. The Noucaplac-1 survey that took place in August 2004 in the South Fiji Basin is an example of collaboration between neighboring states aiming to address both UNCLOS article 76 requirements and scientific objectives. The Noucaplac-1 survey was designed by the French EXTRAPLAC (reasoned extension of the continental shelf) program to identify the natural prolongation of the New Caledonian territory along the Loyalty Ridge. At the same time, the environs of the potential extended continental shelf claim was identified by the New Zealand collaborators as a key region for study to improve understanding of the regional tectonic evolution and the survey scope was modified accordingly. This contribution describes the data acquired on board the French RV L'Atalante during the Noucaplac-1 cruise. In addition to the multibeam bathymetric data collected with the EM-12 multibeam echo sounder and showing basement tectonic fabric at the sea floor, high-speed seismic data are of particular interest, as they allow the interpretation of basement morphology in this area that is covered by relatively sparse sediments. Regional magnetic data provide additional evidence for distinct morphotectonic regions that may help a New Caledonian extended continental shelf claim

Spatial distribution of Munida intermedia and M. sarsi (crustacea: Anomura) on the Galician continental shelf (NW Spain): Application of geostatistical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freire, J.; González-Gurriarán, E.; Olaso, I.

1992-12-01

Geostatistical methodology was used to analyse spatial structure and distribution of the epibenthic crustaceans Munida intermedia and M. sarsi within sets of data which had been collected during three survey cruises carried out on the Galician continental shelf (1983 and 1984). This study investigates the feasibility of using geostatistics for data collected according to traditional methods and of enhancing such methodology. The experimental variograms were calculated (pooled variance minus spatial covariance between samples taken one pair at a time vs. distance) and fitted to a 'spherical' model. The spatial structure model was used to estimate the abundance and distribution of the populations studied using the technique of kriging. The species display spatial structures, which are well marked during high density periods and in some areas (especially northern shelf). Geostatistical analysis allows identification of the density gradients in space as well as the patch grain along the continental shelf of 16-25 km diameter for M. intermedia and 12-20 km for M. sarsi. Patches of both species have a consistent location throughout the different cruises. As in other geographical areas, M. intermedia and M. sarsi usually appear at depths ranging from 200 to 500 m, with the highest densities in the continental shelf area located between Fisterra and Estaca de Bares. Althouh sampling was not originally designed specifically for geostatistics, this assay provides a measurement of spatial covariance, and shows variograms with variable structure depending on population density and geographical area. These ideas are useful in improving the design of future sampling cruises.

Multiple sources and extensive degradation of terrestrial sedimentary organic matter across an energetic, wide continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chun; Wagner, Thomas; Pan, Jian-Ming; Pancost, Richard D.

2011-08-01

The fate of organic carbon in marine sediments is closely linked to atmospheric CO2 concentrations and thus to climate variability over geological time scales. The East China Sea (ECS) is characterized not only by massive terrestrial organic matter (TOM) inputs from the Yangtze (Changjiang) River but also by a shallow (<130 m) and broad (>500 km) continental shelf with widespread relict sands, such that it is distinct from other continental margins. We examine the diagenesis of sedimentary TOM and the impacts of relict sands on TOM in the ECS. The results reveal that bulk δ13Corg values correlate with terrestrial biomarker concentrations in muddy and accumulative areas; in contrast, depleted δ13Corg values around -24.5‰ co-occur with almost absent terrestrial biomarkers in sandy/erosional areas. We suggest that mixing of contemporary TOM and marine OM dominates in the muddy/accumulative shelf areas, whereas a putative relict OM, associated with relict sands, appears to be significant in many sandy/erosional shelf areas. Given the global occurrence of relict sands, a persistent amount of relict OC (e.g., 0.1%) may complicate TOM budget calculations. In addition, our observations reveal that TOM is extensively partitioned and degraded in the estuary and continues to be partitioned and degraded during the along-shore and across-shelf transport, which is reflected by decreases in terrestrial biomarker concentrations and increases in degradation indices. This study highlights the unique and dynamic role of shallow and wide continental shelves with massive relict sands on TOM cycling.

Variations in sediment texture on the northern Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edwards, B.D.

2002-01-01

The storm-protected continental shelf of Monterey Bay, part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, north-central California, is subject to abundant, episodic sediment input from fluvial sources. North of Monterey Bay, conditions of reduced sediment supply combined with the exposed nature of the shelf provide an effective laboratory for studying the contrasting effects of storm- versus fluvial-dominated conditions on modern sedimentation. Textural analyses performed on surface sediment samples collected from more than 380 box cores and MultiCores??? document the existence of a clearly defined mud belt occupying the mid-shelf throughout the region. Inshore sands combined with these mid-shelf muds represent deposits from modern sedimentation processes. In Monterey Bay, where episodic fluvial input from winter storms dominates sedimentation, the mid-shelf mud belt extends across the shelf to the shelf break. North of Monterey Bay, where sediment loads are reduced and both oceanographic and storm processes dominate, the mid-shelf mud belt is bordered by relict sediments occupying the outer shelf. In the study area, mass accumulation rates established by radiochemical studies support the contention that storm-induced along-shelf processes result in northward transport of sediment within the mud belt. The continuity of transport, however, is interrupted by topographic highs which are barriers or inhibitors to sediment transport created by wrench-style tectonics associated with the San Andreas fault system.

A Boundary Delineation System for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandegraft, Douglas L.

2018-05-01

Federal government mapping of the offshore areas of the United States in support of the development of oil and gas resources began in 1954. The first mapping system utilized a network of rectangular blocks defined by State Plane coordinates which was later revised to utilize the Universal Transverse Mercator grid. Creation of offshore boundaries directed by the Submerged Lands Act and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act were mathematically determined using early computer programs that performed the required computations, but required many steps. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has revised these antiquated methods using GIS technology which provide the required accuracy and produce the mapping products needed for leasing of energy resources, including renewable energy projects, on the outer continental shelf. (Note: this is an updated version of a paper of the same title written and published in 2015).

Late Pleistocene to Holocene sedimentation and hydrocarbon seeps on the continental shelf of a steep, tectonically active margin, southern California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Draut, Amy E.; Hart, Patrick E.; Lorenson, T.D.; Ryan, Holly F.; Wong, Florence L.; Sliter, Ray W.; Conrad, James E.

2009-01-01

Small, steep, uplifting coastal watersheds are prolific sediment producers that contribute significantly to the global marine sediment budget. This study illustrates how sedimentation evolves in one such system where the continental shelf is largely sediment-starved, with most terrestrial sediment bypassing the shelf in favor of deposition in deeper basins. The Santa Barbara-Ventura coast of southern California, USA, is considered a classic area for the study of active tectonics and of Tertiary and Quaternary climatic evolution, interpretations of which depend upon an understanding of sedimentation patterns. High-resolution seismic-reflection data over >570 km2 of this shelf show that sediment production is concentrated in a few drainage basins, with the Ventura and Santa Clara River deltas containing most of the upper Pleistocene to Holocene sediment on the shelf. Away from those deltas, the major factor controlling shelf sedimentation is the interaction of wave energy with coastline geometry. Depocenters containing sediment 5-20 m thick exist opposite broad coastal embayments, whereas relict material (bedrock below a regional unconformity) is exposed at the sea floor in areas of the shelf opposite coastal headlands. Locally, natural hydrocarbon seeps interact with sediment deposition either to produce elevated tar-and-sediment mounds or as gas plumes that hinder sediment settling. As much as 80% of fluvial sediment delivered by the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers is transported off the shelf (some into the Santa Barbara Basin and some into the Santa Monica Basin via Hueneme Canyon), leaving a shelf with relatively little recent sediment accumulation. Understanding factors that control large-scale sediment dispersal along a rapidly uplifting coast that produces substantial quantities of sediment has implications for interpreting the ancient stratigraphic record of active and transform continental margins, and for inferring the distribution of hydrocarbon resources in relict shelf deposits.

30 CFR 250.200 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Information Document CZMA means Coastal Zone Management Act DOCD means Development Operations Coordination... OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information General Information § 250.200 Definitions. Acronyms and terms used in this subpart have the following meanings: (a...

30 CFR 250.1602 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Sulphur Operations § 250.1602 Applicability. (a) The requirements of this subpart P are applicable to all exploration, development, and production operations under an...

Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, bibliography. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Setzler-Hamilton, E.; Oliver, G.W.

1987-01-01

The report categorizes the research literature on gray whales according to major research topics, issues of concern to Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas development, and geographic areas. The report has an extensive cross-index. Selected references are depicted on an accompanying poster.

Right whale, Balaena glacialis, bibliography. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Setzler-Hamilton, E.M.; Oliver, G.W.

1989-12-01

The report categorizes the research literature on right whales according to major research topics, issues of concern to Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas development, and geographic areas. The report has an extensive cross index. Selected references are depicted on an accompanying poster.

Estuarine modeling: Does a higher grid resolution improve model performance?

EPA Science Inventory

Ecological models are useful tools to explore cause effect relationships, test hypothesis and perform management scenarios. A mathematical model, the Gulf of Mexico Dissolved Oxygen Model (GoMDOM), has been developed and applied to the Louisiana continental shelf of the northern ...

Atlantic water variability on the SE Greenland continental shelf and its relationship to SST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, D. A.; Straneo, F.; Rosing-Asvid, A.; Stenson, G.; Davidson, F. J.; Hammill, M.

2012-12-01

Interaction of warm, Atlantic-origin water (AW) and colder, polar origin water (PW) advecting southward in the East Greenland Current (EGC) influences the heat content of water entering Greenland's outlet glacial fjords. Here we use depth and temperature data derived from deep-diving seals to map out water mass variability across the continental shelf and to augment existing bathymetric products. We find two dominant modes in the vertical temperature structure: a cold mode, with the typical AW/PW layering observed in the EGC, and a warm mode, where AW is present throughout the water column. The prevalence of these modes varies seasonally and spatially across the continental shelf, implying distinct AW pathways. In addition, we find that satellite sea surface temperatures (SST) correlate significantly with temperatures in the upper 50 m (R=0.54), but this correlation decreases with depth (R=0.22 at 200 m), and becomes insignificant below 250 m. Thus, care must be taken in using SST as a proxy for heat content, as AW mainly resides in these deeper layers. Regional map showing the location of all seal tracks originating from Canada and Greenland (stars). Tracks passing inside (red) or outside (blue) the SE Greenland region (black) were subdivided into continental shelf regions (green boxes) near Sermilik Fjord (SF), Cape Farewell (CF) and Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord (KG). GEBCO bathymetry is contoured at 200, 1000, 2000, and 3000 m.

The formation of a cold-core eddy in the East Australian Current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macdonald, H. S.; Roughan, M.; Baird, M. E.; Wilkin, J.

2016-02-01

Cold-core eddies (CCEs) frequently form in western boundary currents and can affect continental shelf processes. It is not always clear, however, if baroclinic or barotropic instabilities contribute more to their formation. The Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) is used to investigate the ocean state during the formation of a CCE in the East Australian Current (EAC) during October 2009. The observed eddy initially appeared as a small billow (approx. 50 km in length) that perturbed the landward edge of the EAC. The billow grew into a mesoscale CCE (approx. 100 km in diameter), diverting the EAC around it. A ROMS simulation with a realistic wind field reproduced a similar eddy. This eddy formed from negative vorticity waters found on the continental shelf south of the EAC separation point. A sensitivity analysis is performed whereby the impact of 3 different wind forcing scenarios, upwelling, downwelling, and no winds, are investigated. A CCE formed in all wind scenarios despite the wind induced changes in hydrographic conditions in the continental shelf and slope waters. As such, the source of energy for eddy formation did not come from the interactions of wind with the continental shelf waters. Analysis of strain and energy transformation confirms this by showing that the prevailing source of CCE energy was kinetic energy of the offshore EAC. These results clearly link the formation of the CCE to the swift flowing EAC and barotropic instabilities.

Trends in summer bottom-water temperatures on the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf from 1985 to 2015.

PubMed

Turner, R Eugene; Rabalais, Nancy N; Justić, Dubravko

2017-01-01

We quantified trends in the 1985 to 2015 summer bottom-water temperature on the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) continental shelf for data collected at 88 stations with depths ranging from 3 to 63 m. The analysis was supplemented with monthly data collected from 1963 to 1965 in the same area. The seasonal summer peak in average bottom-water temperature varied concurrently with air temperature, but with a 2- to 5-month lag. The summer bottom-water temperature declined gradually with depth from 30 oC at stations closest to the shore, to 20 oC at the offshore edge of the study area, and increased an average 0.051 oC y-1 between1963 and 2015. The bottom-water warming in summer for all stations was 1.9 times faster compared to the rise in local summer air temperatures, and 6.4 times faster than the concurrent increase in annual global ocean sea surface temperatures. The annual rise in average summer bottom-water temperatures on the subtropical nGOM continental shelf is comparable to the few published temperature trend estimates from colder environments. These recent changes in the heat storage on the nGOM continental shelf will affect oxygen and carbon cycling, spatial distribution of fish and shrimp, and overall species diversity.

Phytoplankton Distribution in Relation to Environmental Drivers on the North West European Shelf Sea.

PubMed

Siemering, Beatrix; Bresnan, Eileen; Painter, Stuart C; Daniels, Chris J; Inall, Mark; Davidson, Keith

2016-01-01

The edge of the North West European Shelf (NWES) is characterised by a steep continental slope and a northward flowing slope current. These topographic/hydrographic features separate oceanic water and shelf water masses hence potentially separate phytoplankton communities. The slope current may facilitate the advective transport of phytoplankton, with mixing at the shelf edge supporting nutrient supply and therefore phytoplankton production. On the west Scottish shelf in particular, little is known about the phytoplankton communities in and around the shelf break and adjacent waters. Hence, to improve our understanding of environmental drivers of phytoplankton communities, biological and environmental data were collected on seven cross-shelf transects across the Malin and Hebridean Shelves during autumn 2014. Density profiles indicated that shelf break and oceanic stations had a 100 m deep mixed surface layer while stations on the shelf were generally well mixed. Analysis of similarity and multidimensional scaling of phytoplankton counts revealed that phytoplankton communities on the shelf were significantly different to those found at the shelf break and at oceanic stations. Shelf stations were dominated by dinoflagellates, with diatoms contributing a maximum of 37% of cells. Shelf break and oceanic stations were also dinoflagellate dominated but displayed a lower species diversity. Significant difference between shelf and shelf break stations suggested that the continental slope limited cross shelf phytoplankton exchange. Northern and southern phytoplankton communities on the shelf were approximately 15% dissimilar while there was no latitudinal gradient for stations along the slope current, suggesting this current provided south to north connectivity. Fitting environmental data to phytoplankton ordination showed a significant relationship between phytoplankton community dissimilarities and nutrient concentrations and light availability on the shelf compared to shelf break and oceanic stations in the study area.

Phytoplankton Distribution in Relation to Environmental Drivers on the North West European Shelf Sea

PubMed Central

Siemering, Beatrix; Bresnan, Eileen; Painter, Stuart C.; Daniels, Chris J.; Inall, Mark; Davidson, Keith

2016-01-01

The edge of the North West European Shelf (NWES) is characterised by a steep continental slope and a northward flowing slope current. These topographic/hydrographic features separate oceanic water and shelf water masses hence potentially separate phytoplankton communities. The slope current may facilitate the advective transport of phytoplankton, with mixing at the shelf edge supporting nutrient supply and therefore phytoplankton production. On the west Scottish shelf in particular, little is known about the phytoplankton communities in and around the shelf break and adjacent waters. Hence, to improve our understanding of environmental drivers of phytoplankton communities, biological and environmental data were collected on seven cross-shelf transects across the Malin and Hebridean Shelves during autumn 2014. Density profiles indicated that shelf break and oceanic stations had a 100 m deep mixed surface layer while stations on the shelf were generally well mixed. Analysis of similarity and multidimensional scaling of phytoplankton counts revealed that phytoplankton communities on the shelf were significantly different to those found at the shelf break and at oceanic stations. Shelf stations were dominated by dinoflagellates, with diatoms contributing a maximum of 37% of cells. Shelf break and oceanic stations were also dinoflagellate dominated but displayed a lower species diversity. Significant difference between shelf and shelf break stations suggested that the continental slope limited cross shelf phytoplankton exchange. Northern and southern phytoplankton communities on the shelf were approximately 15% dissimilar while there was no latitudinal gradient for stations along the slope current, suggesting this current provided south to north connectivity. Fitting environmental data to phytoplankton ordination showed a significant relationship between phytoplankton community dissimilarities and nutrient concentrations and light availability on the shelf compared to shelf break and oceanic stations in the study area. PMID:27736920

77 FR 5552 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maryland-Call for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... incentivize offshore wind energy development. While a state may promote such development through activities such as the creation of financial incentives, it is important to note that an offshore wind project... evaluate and determine areas of the OCS that may be suitable for offshore wind energy development. This...

33 CFR 106.260 - Security measures for access control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental... unattended spaces that adjoin areas to which OCS facility personnel and visitors have access; (9) Ensure OCS...

33 CFR 106.260 - Security measures for access control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental... unattended spaces that adjoin areas to which OCS facility personnel and visitors have access; (9) Ensure OCS...

33 CFR 106.260 - Security measures for access control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental... unattended spaces that adjoin areas to which OCS facility personnel and visitors have access; (9) Ensure OCS...

33 CFR 106.260 - Security measures for access control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental... unattended spaces that adjoin areas to which OCS facility personnel and visitors have access; (9) Ensure OCS...

33 CFR 106.260 - Security measures for access control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental... unattended spaces that adjoin areas to which OCS facility personnel and visitors have access; (9) Ensure OCS...

Physical oceanography of the US Atlantic and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milliman, J.D.; Imamura, E.

The report provides a summary of the physical oceanography of the U.S. Atlantic and Eastern Gulf of Mexico and its implication to offshore oil and gas exploration and development. Topics covered in the report include: meteorology and air-sea interactions, circulation on the continental shelf, continental slope and rise circulation, Gulf Stream, Loop Current, deep-western boundary current, surface gravity-wave climatology, offshore engineering implications, implications for resource commercialization, and numerical models of pollutant dispersion.

Competition and performance in OCS oil and gas lease sales and lease development, 1954-1969

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mead, Walter J.; Sorensen, Philip Edward

1980-01-01

The oil and gas resources of the Outer Continental Shelf represent one of America's largest publicly-owned assets. Through 1978, OCS oil and gas leases had yielded \\$40.5 billion in gross production value and produced over \\$28.3 billion in direct revenue to the federal government.Policies and procedures for managing the oil and gas resources of the OCS were established by Congress in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953. The Department of Interior was given the central responsibility for carrying out this management role in the 1953 Act; this responsibility has been re-established in the 1978 Amendments to the OCS Lands Act. As stated in the 1978 legislation, the goals of OCS management are to:...preserve, protect and develop oil and natural gas resources in a manner which is consistent with the need (A) to make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible... (C) to insure the public a fair and equitable return on the resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, and (D) to preserve and maintain free enterprise competition.As part of its continuing effort to monitor the effectiveness of federal policies relating to OCS oil and gas resources, the Conservation Division of U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior, has sponsored the research which is the basis for the present report. The objectives of the research have been to determine the extent to which the historical policies of OCS management have resulted in achievement of the goals set forth by Congress in the section quoted above.

Tracking different freshwater plumes at the Bay of Biscay scale by using a dissolved radioactive tracer: tritium (HTO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oms, Pierre-Emmanuel; Bailly du Bois, Pascal; Dumas, Franck; Lazure, Pascal; Morillon, Mehdi; Solier, Luc; Voiseux, Claire; Le Corre, Cédric; Maire, Donovan

2017-04-01

New measurements of a radioactive tracer (tritium) on the whole continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay during several oceanographic campaigns between 2008 and 2016 allow comparison with results of the plume dispersion from the regional circulation model, MARS3D (Lazure and Dumas, 2008). Seaward dispersion of freshwater in the Bay of Biscay is highly variable in time and depends on many processes like tide, wind, freshwater runoff or water mass stratification. Until now salinity was a useful tracer to describe dispersion of freshwater, but the complexity to account for these different sources require an additional conservative tracer. Tritium (3H) is a radionuclide tracer released as HTO in the Bay of Biscay by nuclear power plant through two French rivers, Loire and Gironde. Tritium inflow from Loire and Gironde are well known thanks to plants operator data and an effort of daily measurements. Indeed an automated and daily integrated sampling system is deployed in the Loire River and the Gironde Estuary. These plumes are clearly detectable over the continental shelf despite very low tritium concentrations (0.05 - 0.5 Bq/L, 0.5 - 5 TU). In order to determine such low tritium concentrations in the Bay of Biscay, we use a mass spectrometer to measure the 3He (gas) produced by radioactive disintegration of tritium after 3He ingrowth (1 - 6 months). The aim of this work is to describes and quantify the dispersion processes occurring in the continental shelf according to seasons. Thanks to assessments of the model dispersion compared to in-situ measurements, quantification of the residential time of freshwater in the continental shelf as well as quantification of their transfer from continental shelf to abyssal plain is possible. The 3H/S ratio will allow an estimation of respective inputs from Loire and Gironde in the bay.

30 CFR 250.300 - Pollution prevention.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pollution prevention. 250.300 Section 250.300... INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Pollution Prevention and Control § 250.300 Pollution prevention. (a) During the exploration, development, production, and...

An oilspill risk analysis of the Mid-Atlantic (Proposed Sale 49) outer continental shelf lease area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slack, James Richard; Wyant, Timothy

1978-01-01

An oilspill risk analysis was conducted to determine the relative environmental hazards of developing oil in different regions of the mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf lease area. The study analyzed the probability of spill occurrence, likely paths of the spilled oil, and locations in space and time of recreational and biological resources that are likely to be vulnerable. These results are combined to yield estimates of the overall oilspill risk associated with development of the proposed lease area. The analysis implicitly includes estimates of weathering rates and slick dispersion and an indication of the possible mitigating effects of cleanups. Assuming that economically recoverable amounts of petroleum are found in the area, the leasing of the tracts proposed for sale 49 will increase the expected number of spills by about 20-25 percent over the number expected from the existing (sale 40) leases. The probability that an object such as land will be contacted by a spill is increased by at most five percentage points. (Woodard-USGS)

Geomorphic Thresholds of Submarine Canyons Along the U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brothers, D. S.; ten Brink, U. S.; Andrews, B. D.; Chaytor, J. D.

2011-12-01

Vast networks of submarine canyons and associated channels are incised into the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise. Submarine canyons form by differential erosion and deposition, primarily from sedimentary turbidity flows. Theoretical and laboratory studies have investigated the initiation of turbidity flows and their capacity to erode and entrain sedimentary material at distances far from the shelf edge. The results have helped understand the nature of turbidite deposits on the continental slope and rise. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the linkages between down-canyon sediment transport and the morphology of canyon/channel networks using mesoscale analyses of swath bathymetry data. We present quantitative analysis of 100-m resolution multibeam bathymetry data spanning ~616,000 km2 of the slope and rise between Georges Banks and the Blake Plateau (New England to North Carolina). Canyons are categorized as shelf-indenting or slope-confined based on spatial scale, vertical relief and connection with terrestrial river systems during sea level low stands. Shelf-indenting canyons usually represent the trunk-canyon of submerged channel networks. On the rise, shelf-indenting canyons have relatively well-developed channel-levees and sharp inner-thalwag incision suggesting much higher frequency and volume of turbidity flows. Because of the similarities between submarine canyon networks and terrestrial river systems, we apply methods originally developed to study fluvial morphology. Along-canyon profiles are extracted from the bathymetry data and the power-law relationship between thalwag gradient and drainage area is examined for more than 180 canyons along an ~1200 km stretch of the US Atlantic margin. We observe distinct thresholds in the power-law relationship between drainage area and gradient. Almost all canyons with heads on the upper slope contain at least two linear segments when plotted in log-log form. The first segment along the upper slope is flat (constant gradient, low area). The second segment dips (exponentially decreasing gradient with increasing area). We interpret the transition between the two segments to be either diffusive creep/landslide processes that evolve into turbidity flows or the boundary that separates up-canyon infilling from relic, lower-canyon incision. Furthermore, the threshold occurs at a nearly constant drainage area regardless of location and morphology of the drainage network. This suggests that time-averaged erosion rate in submarine canyons depends on frequency of turbidity flows, which in turn depends on the volume of unstable sediments deposited near canyon heads and along canyon walls. We find that the gradient-area relationship does not follow a power-law in shelf-indenting canyons, most likely due to allogenic processes of the continental shelf and linkage to terrestrial river discharge.

Influence of the Atlantic inflow and Mediterranean outflow currents on late Quaternary sedimentary facies of the Gulf of Cadiz continental margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, C.H.; Baraza, J.; Maldonado, A.; Rodero, J.; Escutia, C.; Barber, J.H.

1999-01-01

The late Quaternary pattern of sedimentary facies on the Spanish Gulf of Cadiz continental shelf results from an interaction between a number of controlling factors that are dominated by the Atlantic inflow currents flowing southeastward across the Cadiz shelf toward the Strait of Gibraltar. An inner shelf shoreface sand facies formed by shoaling waves is modified by the inflow currents to form a belt of sand dunes at 10-20 m that extends deeper and obliquely down paleo-valleys as a result of southward down-valley flow. A mid-shelf Holocene mud facies progrades offshore from river mouth sources, but Atlantic inflow currents cause extensive progradation along shelf toward the southeast. Increased inflow current speeds near the Strait of Gibraltar and the strong Mediterranean outflow currents there result in lack of mud deposition and development of a reworked transgressive sand dune facies across the entire southernmost shelf. At the outer shelf edge and underlying the mid-shelf mud and inner shelf sand facies is a late Pleistocene to Holocene transgressive sand sheet formed by the eustatic shoreline advance. The late Quaternary pattern of contourite deposits on the Spanish Gulf of Cadiz continental slope results from an interaction between linear diapiric ridges that are oblique to slope contours and the Mediterranean outflow current flowing northwestward parallel to the slope contours and down valleys between the ridges. Coincident with the northwestward decrease in outflow current speeds from the Strait there is the following northwestward gradation of contourite sediment facies: (1) upper slope sand to silt bed facies, (2) sand dune facies on the upstream mid-slope terrace, (3) large mud wave facies on the lower slope, (4) sediment drift facies banked against the diapiric ridges, and (5) valley facies between the ridges. The southeastern sediment drift facies closest to Gibraltar contains medium-fine sand beds interbedded with mud. The adjacent valley floor facies is composed of gravelly, shelly coarse to medium sand lags and large sand dunes on the valley margins. By comparison, the northwestern drift contains coarse silt interbeds and the adjacent valley floors exhibit small to medium sand dunes of fine sand. Because of the complex pattern of contour-parallel and valley-perpendicular flow paths of the Mediterranean outflow current, the larger-scale bedforms and coarser-grained sediment of valley facies trend perpendicular to the smaller-scale bedforms and finer-grained contourite deposits of adjacent sediment drift facies. Radiocarbon ages verify that the inner shelf shoreface sand facies (sedimentation rate 7.1 cm/kyr), mid-shelf mud facies (maximum rate 234 cm/kyr) and surface sandy contourite layer of 0.2-1.2 m thickness on the Cadiz slope (1-12 cm/kyr) have deposited during Holocene time when high sea level results in maximum water depth over the Gibraltar sill and full development of the Atlantic inflow and Mediterranean outflow currents. The transgressive sand sheet of the shelf, and the mud layer underlying the surface contourite sand sheet of the slope, correlate, respectively, with the late Pleistocene sea level lowstand and apparent weak Mediterranean outflow current.

Hydrothermal origin of oil and gas reservoirs in basement rock of the South Vietnam continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dmitriyevskiy, A.N.; Kireyev, F.A.; Bochko, R.A.

1993-07-01

Oil-saturated granites, with mineral parageneses typical of hydrothermal metasomatism and leaching haloes, have been found near faults in the crystalline basement of the South Vietnam continental shelf. The presence of native silver, barite, zincian copper, and iron chloride indicates a deep origin for the mineralizing fluids. Hydrothermally altered granites are a new possible type of reservoir and considerably broaden the possibilities of oil and gas exploration. 15 refs., 22 figs., 1 tab.

Oil-Spill Analysis: Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Sales, Eastern Planning Area, 2003-2007 and Gulfwide OCS Program, 2003-2042

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2002-09-01

The Federal Government plans to offer U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lands in the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) for oil and gas leasing. This report summarizes results of that analysis, the objective of which was to estimate the risk of oil-spill contact to sensitive offshore and onshore environmental resources and socioeconomic features from oil spills accidentally occurring from the OCS activities.

Land-Sea Correlation of Holocene Records in NW Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Alvare, R.; Costas, S.; Bernardez, P.; Frances, G.; Alejo, I.

2005-12-01

Holocene climate fluctuations in the temperate region of the Northeast Atlantic have been established by comparing marine and terrestrial proxies. This work is based on suction-cores collected in the Cies Islands lagoon (NW Spain) and vibro-cores from the adjacent continental shelf. The lower Holocene marine record (9400-7000 yr BP) consists on sandy transgressive facies overlying fluvial Pleistocene deposits. During this time the continental shelf was dominated by high energy processes linked to the progressive and fast sea level rise. The rate of sea level rise sharply decelerated at 7000 yr BP and a high productive marine environment was fully established, as revealed by planktonic foraminifera assemblages and biogeochemical markers. In the terrestrial areas, peat deposits were formed beginning around 6000 yr BP in the deeper parts of the paleo-relief that was developed above the granitic basement. The peat was deposited in a fresh-water shallow coastal lake under warm and humid conditions that are brought about by prevailing SW winds. From 4800 yr BP, a progressive rainfall decrease provoked the lowering of the lake level and a weaker fluvial influence on the adjacent shelf. The prevailing eastern winds caused significantly drier conditions between 4000 and 3200 yr BP. During this period the coastal lake dried and the peat layer was covered by aeolian deposits. At the continental shelf a strong stratification of the water column induced a fall in the productivity. The end of this period is marked by the increase of storm regimes caused by a shift to prevailing SW winds. The last 3000 years are characterized by humid and warm conditions, and the enhancement of upwelling regime and terrestrial sediment supply. In Cies Islands, a sand barrier-lagoon complex was developed as a consequence of both the sea level rise and the inundation of the lower areas in the island.

Geomorphology of the Eastern North American Continental Margin: the role of deep sea sedimentation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosher, D. C.; Campbell, C.; Piper, D.; Chaytor, J. D.; Gardner, J. V.; Rebesco, M.

2016-12-01

Deep-sea sedimentation processes impart a fundamental control on the morphology of the western North Atlantic continental margin from Blake Spur to Hudson Strait. This fact is illustrated by the variable patterns of cross-margin gradients that are based on extensive new multibeam echo-sounder data in concert with subbottom profiler and seismic reflection data. Most of the continental margin has a steep (>3o) upper slope down to 1500 to 2500 m and then a gradual middle and lower slope with a general concave upward shape There is a constant interplay of deep sea sedimentation processes, but the general morphology is dictated by the dominant one. Erosion by off-shelf sediment transport in turbidity currents creating channels, gullies and canyons creates the steep upper slope. These gullies and canyons amalgamate to form singular channels that are conduits to the abyssal plain. This process results in a general seaward flattening of gradients, producing an exponentially decaying slope profile. Comparatively, sediment mass failure produces steeper upper slopes due to head scarp development and a wedging architecture to the lower slope as deposits thin in the downslope direction. This process results in either a two-segment slope, and/or a significant downslope gradient change where MTDs pinch out. Large sediment bodies deposited by contour-following currents are developed all along the margin. Blake Ridge, Sackville Spur, and Hamilton Spur are large detached drifts on disparate parts of the margin. Along their crests, they form a linear profile from the shelf to abyssal plain. Deeper portions of the US continental margin are dominated by the Chesapeake Drift and Hatteras Outer Ridge; both plastered elongate mounded drifts. Farther north, particularly on the Grand Banks margin, are plastered and separated drifts. These drifts tend to form bathymetric steps in profile, where they onlap the margin. Stacked drifts create several steps. Turbidites of the abyssal plain onlap the lowermost drift creating a significant gradient change at this juncture. Understanding the geomorphological consequences of deep sea sedimentation processes is important to extended continental shelf mapping, for example, in which gradient change is a critical metric.

A multi-factor approach for process-based seabed characterization: example from the northeastern continental margin of the Korean peninsula (East Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cukur, Deniz; Um, In-Kwon; Chun, Jong-Hwa; Kim, So-Ra; Lee, Gwang-Soo; Kim, Yuri; Kong, Gee-Soo; Horozal, Senay; Kim, Seong-Pil

2018-04-01

This study investigates sediment transport and depositional processes from a newly collected dataset comprising sub-bottom chirp profiles, multibeam bathymetry, and sediment cores from the northeastern continental margin of Korea in the East Sea (Japan Sea). Twelve echo-types and eleven sedimentary facies have been defined and interpreted as deposits formed by shallow-marine, hemipelagic sedimentation, bottom current, and mass-movement processes. Hemipelagic sedimentation, which is acoustically characterized by undisturbed layered sediments, appears to have been the primary sedimentary process throughout the study area. The inner and outer continental shelf (<150 m water depth) have been influenced by shallow-marine sedimentary processes. Two slope-parallel canyons, 0.2-2 km wide and up to 30 km long, appear to have acted as possible conduits for turbidity currents from the shallower shelf into the deep basins. Bottom current deposits, expressed as erosional moats immediately below topographic highs, are prevalent on the southern lower slope at water depths of 400-450 m. Mass-movements (i.e., slides/slumps, debris flow deposits) consisting of chaotic facies characterize the lower slope and represent one of the most important sedimentary processes in the study area. Piston cores confirm the presence of mass-transport deposits (MTDs) that are characterized by mud clasts of variable size, shape, and color. Multibeam bathymetry shows that large-scale MTDs are chiefly initiated on the lower slope (400-600 m) with gradients up to 3° and where they produce scarps on the order of 100 m in height. Sandy MTDs also occur on the upper continental slope adjacent to the seaward edge of the shelf terrace. Earthquakes associated with tectonic activity and the development of fluid overpressure is considered as the main conditioning factor for destabilizing the slope sediments. Overall, the sedimentary processes show typical characteristics of a fine-grained clastic slope apron and change down-slope and differ within each physiographic province. Furthermore, the influence of geological inheritance (i.e., structural folds and faults) on geomorphology and sediment facies development is an important additional factor on the lower slopes. Together, these factors provide a rational basis for continental margin seabed characterization.

Movement and effects of spilled oil over the outer continental shelf; inadequacy of existent data for the Baltimore Canyon Trough area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knebel, Harley J.

1974-01-01

A deductive approach to the problem of determining the movement and effects of spilled oil over the Outer Continental Shelf requires that the potential paths of oil be determined first, in order that critical subareas may be defined for later studies. The paths of spilled oil, in turn, depend primarily on the temporal and spatial variability of four factors: the thermohaline structure of the waters, the circulation of the water, the winds, and the distribution of suspended matter. A review of the existent data concerning these factors for the Baltimore Canyon Trough area (a relatively well studied segment of the Continental Shelf) reveals that the movement and dispersal of potential oil spills cannot be reliably predicted. Variations in the thermohaline structure of waters and in the distribution of suspended matter are adequately known; the uncertainty is due to insufficient wind and storm statistics and to the lack of quantitative understanding of the relationship between the nontidal drift and its basic driving mechanisms. Similar inadequacies should be anticipated for other potentially leasable areas of the shelf because an understanding of the movement of spilled oil has not been the underlying aim of most previous studies.

Organic geochemistry of sediments from the continental margin off southern New England, U.S.A.--Part I. Amino acids, carbohydrates and lignin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, S. M.; Venkatesan, M. I.; Kaplan, I. R.

1987-01-01

Total organic carbon (TOC), lignin, amino acids, sugars and amino sugars were measured in recent sediments for the continental margin off southern New England. The various organic carbon fractions decreased in concentration with increasing distance from shore. The fraction of the TOC that was accounted for by these major components also decreased with increasing distance from shore. The concentration of lignin indicated that only about 3-5% of the organic carbon in the nearshore sediment was of terrestrial origin. The various fractions were highly correlated, which was consistent with a simple linear mixing model of shelf organic matter with material form the slope and rise and indicated a significant transport of sediment from the continental shelf to the continental slope and rise.

Molecular Gut Content Profiling to Investigate the In Situ Grazing and Selectivity of Dolioletta gegenbauri in Summer Continental Shelf Intrusion Waters of the South Atlantic Bight, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walters, T. L.; Frazier, L.; Gibson, D. M.; Paffenhofer, G. A.; Frischer, M. E.

2016-02-01

Gelatinous metazooplankton play a crucial role in marine planktonic food webs and it has been suggested that they may become increasingly important in the Future Ocean. However, largely due to methodological challenges and reliance on laboratory cultivation approaches, the in situ diet of zooplankton with complex life histories and diverse prey choices remains poorly investigated. This is particularly true for the gelatinous zooplankton including the pelagic tunicate, Dolioletta gegenbauri that form large blooms in productive subtropical continental shelf environments. To investigate the diet of D. gegenbauri we developed a molecular gut profiling approach based on the use of a Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) PCR blocker. Using a doliolid-specific PNA blocker, it was possible to enrich the amplification of prey and parasite DNA from whole animal DNA extracts of doliolids. Gut contents from the water column, wild and captive-fed doliolids were profiled after PNA-PCR by denaturing HPLC (dHPLC), clone library and next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches. Studies were conducted during 5 summer cruises in the mid-shelf of the South Atlantic Bight. Comparison of gut profiles to available prey in the water column revealed evidence of prey selection towards larger prey species, including diatoms, dinoflagelletes and also metazoan prey that were likely captured as larvae and eggs. Wild-caught doliolids contained significantly more metazoan sequences than did the captive-fed doliolids. Ingestion of metazoan prey suggests that metazoans may contribute both the nutrition of doliolids and the potential role of doliolids as trophic cascade agents in continental shelf pelagic food webs.

Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Denny, Jane F.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Gayes, Paul T.; List, Jeffrey; Warner, John C.

2014-01-01

The inner-continental shelf off Fire Island, New York was mapped in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. The area mapped is approximately 50 km long by 8 km wide, extending from Moriches Inlet to Fire Island Inlet in water depths ranging from 8 to 32 m. The morphology of this inner-continental shelf region and modern sediment distribution patterns are determined by erosion of Pleistocene glaciofluvial sediments during the ongoing Holocene marine transgression; much of the shelf is thus an actively forming ravinement surface. Remnants of a Pleistocene outwash lobe define a submerged headland offshore of central Fire Island. East of the submerged headland, relatively older Pleistocene outwash is exposed over much of the inner-continental shelf and covered by asymmetric, sorted bedforms interpreted to indicate erosion and westward transport of reworked sediment. Erosion of the eastern flank of the submerged Pleistocene headland over the last ~ 8000 years yielded an abundance of modern sand that was transported westward and reworked into a field of shoreface-attached ridges offshore of western Fire Island. West of the submerged headland, erosion of Pleistocene outwash continues in troughs between the sand ridges, resulting in modification of the lower shoreface. Comparison of the modern sand ridge morphology with the morphology of the underlying ravinement surface suggests that the sand ridges have moved a minimum of ~ 1000 m westward since formation. Comparison of modern sediment thickness mapped in 1996–1997 and 2011 allows speculation that the nearshore/shoreface sedimentary deposit has gained sediment at the expense of deflation of the sand ridges.

Interactions of phytoplankton, zooplankton and microorganisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomeroy, L. R.; Paffenhöfer, G.-A.; Yoder, J. A.

We present evidence that there are significant interactions between heterotrophic microorganisms, doliolids and Fritillaria within intrusions of nutrient-rich Gulf Stream water stranding on the continental shelf. During the summer of 1981 cold, nutrient-rich water from below the surface of the Gulf Stream was repeatedly intruded and stranded on the continental shelf off northeastern Florida. On August 6 old, stranded Gulf Stream water depleted of nitrate occupied the lower layer on the outer shelf. The upper water was continental shelf water, older but of undefined age. On August 6 free-living bacteria were >10 6ml -1 everywhere at all depths, an order of magnitude greater than normal bacterial numbers on the northeastern Florida continental shelf. Over 10 days the numbers of free bacteria doubled while bacteria attached to particles increased by a factor of four. The adenylate/chlorophyll ratio showed that phytoplankton dominated the lower layers of intruded water, while the surface water became increasingly dominated by heterotrophic microorganisms (bacteria and protozoa) over 10 days. There were significant, negative correlations between bacteria and doliolids and between bacteria and Fritillaria. Regions of maximum bacterial numbers did not coincide with locations of salp swarms. The increased numbers of bacteria at all depths in a highly stratified system in which most phytoplankton are in the lower layer suggests a diverse source of bacterial growth substrates, some of which involve zooplankton as intermediaries. Production of autotrophs is more than twice that of microheterotrophs on average, but because of their differential distribution, microheterotrophs are the dominant biomass in much of the surface water and may be significant in energy flux to metazoan consumers as well as competitors for mutually useable sources of nutrition.

Mapping and classifying the seabed of the West Greenland continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gougeon, S.; Kemp, K. M.; Blicher, M. E.; Yesson, C.

2017-03-01

Marine benthic habitats support a diversity of marine organisms that are both economically and intrinsically valuable. Our knowledge of the distribution of these habitats is largely incomplete, particularly in deeper water and at higher latitudes. The western continental shelf of Greenland is one example of a deep (more than 500 m) Arctic region with limited information available. This study uses an adaptation of the EUNIS seabed classification scheme to document benthic habitats in the region of the West Greenland shrimp trawl fishery from 60°N to 72°N in depths of 61-725 m. More than 2000 images collected at 224 stations between 2011 and 2015 were grouped into 7 habitat classes. A classification model was developed using environmental proxies to make habitat predictions for the entire western shelf (200-700 m below 72°N). The spatial distribution of habitats correlates with temperature and latitude. Muddy sediments appear in northern and colder areas whereas sandy and rocky areas dominate in the south. Southern regions are also warmer and have stronger currents. The Mud habitat is the most widespread, covering around a third of the study area. There is a general pattern that deep channels and basins are dominated by muddy sediments, many of which are fed by glacial sedimentation and outlets from fjords, while shallow banks and shelf have a mix of more complex habitats. This first habitat classification map of the West Greenland shelf will be a useful tool for researchers, management and conservationists.

Paleomagnetism and rock magnetism from sediments along a continental shelf-to-slope transect in the NW Barents Sea: Implications for geomagnetic and depositional changes during the past 15 thousand years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caricchi, C.; Lucchi, R. G.; Sagnotti, L.; Macrì, P.; Morigi, C.; Melis, R.; Caffau, M.; Rebesco, M.; Hanebuth, T. J. J.

2018-01-01

Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic data were measured on glaciomarine silty-clay successions along an E-W sediment-core transect across the continental shelf and slope of the Kveithola paleo-ice stream system (south of Svalbard, north-western Barents Sea), representing a stratigraphic interval spanning the last deglaciation and the Holocene. The records indicate that magnetite is the main magnetic mineral and that magnetic minerals are distinctly less abundant on the shelf than at the continental slope. The paleomagnetic properties allow for the reconstruction of a well-defined characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) throughout the sedimentary successions. The stratigraphic trends of rock magnetic and paleomagnetic parameters are used for a shelf-slope core correlation and sediment facies analysis is applied for depositional processes reconstruction. The new paleomagnetic records compare to the PSV and RPI variation predicted for the core sites by a simulation using the global geomagnetic field variation models SHA.DIF.14k and CALS7K.2 and closest PSV and RPI regional stack curves. The elaborated dataset, corroborated by available 14C ages, provides a fundamental chronological framework to constrain the coupling of shelf-slope sedimentary processes and environmental changes in the NW Barents Sea region during and after deglaciation.

Minimum distribution of subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the US Beaufort Sea continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brothers, Laura L.; Hart, Patrick E.; Ruppel, Carolyn D.

2012-01-01

Starting in Late Pleistocene time (~19 ka), sea level rise inundated coastal zones worldwide. On some parts of the present-day circum-Arctic continental shelf, this led to flooding and thawing of formerly subaerial permafrost and probable dissociation of associated gas hydrates. Relict permafrost has never been systematically mapped along the 700-km-long U.S. Beaufort Sea continental shelf and is often assumed to extend to ~120 m water depth, the approximate amount of sea level rise since the Late Pleistocene. Here, 5,000 km of multichannel seismic (MCS) data acquired between 1977 and 1992 were examined for high-velocity (>2.3 km s−1) refractions consistent with ice-bearing, coarse-grained sediments. Permafrost refractions were identified along <5% of the tracklines at depths of ~5 to 470 m below the seafloor. The resulting map reveals the minimum extent of subsea ice-bearing permafrost, which does not extend seaward of 30 km offshore or beyond the 20 m isobath.

Use of Satellite Remote Sensing to Improve Coastal Hypoxia Prediction

EPA Science Inventory

We describe the use of Giovanni satellite remote sensing products in the development and testing of a new modeling system that represents the processes leading to hypoxia (defined as water O2 concentration < 63 mmol m-3) on the Louisiana continental shelf (LCS). The modeling ...

30 CFR 250.1301 - What are the requirements for unitization?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... delineated and productive reservoir if unitized operations are necessary to: (1) Prevent waste; (2) Conserve... more reservoirs and the initiation of actual development drilling or production operations and that..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF...

Late Pleistocene and Holocene sedimentary facies on the Ebro continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diaz, J.; Nelson, C.H.; Barber, J.H.; Giro, S.

1990-01-01

Late Pleistocene-Holocene history of the Ebro continental shelf of northeastern Spain is recorded in two main sedimentary units: (1) a lower, transgressive unit that covers the shelf and is exposed on the outer shelf south of 40??40???N, and (2) an upper, progradational, prodeltaic unit that borders the Ebro Delta and extends southward along the inner shelf. The lower transgressive unit includes a large linear shoal found at a water depth of 90 m and hardground mounds at water depths of 70-80 m. Some patches of earlier Pleistocene prodelta mud remain also, exposed or covered by a thin veneer of transgressive sand on the northern outer shelf. This relict sand sheet is 2-3 m thick and contains 9000-12,500 yr old oyster and other shells at water depths of 78-88 m. The upper prodelta unit covers most of the inner shelf from water depths of 20-80 m and extends from the present Ebro River Delta to an area to the southwest where the unit progressively thins and narrows. Interpretation of high-resolution seismic reflection data shows the following facies occurring progressively offshore: (1) a thick stratified facies with thin progradational "foresets beds", (2) a faintly laminated facies with sparse reflectors of low continuity, and (3) a thin transparent bottomset facies underlain by a prominent flat-lying reflector. Deposition in the northern half of the prodelta began as soon as the shoreline transgressed over the mid-shelf, but progradation of the southern half did not begin until about 1000-3000 yrs after the transgression. A classic deltaic progradational sequence is shown in the Ebro prodelta mud by (1) gradation of seismic facies away from the delta, (2) coarsening-upward sequences near the delta and fining-upward sequences in the distal mud belt deposits, and (3) thin storm-sand layers and shell lags in the nearshore stratified facies. The boundaries of the prodeltaic unit are controlled by increased current speeds on the outer shelf (where the shelf narrows) and by development of the shoreface sand body resulting from shoaling waves on the inner shelf. ?? 1990.

30 CFR 250.296 - When and how must I submit a CID or a revision to a CID?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information... service fee listed in § 250.125. (b) If you decide not to develop a reservoir you committed to develop in... to develop the reservoir and before the reservoir is bypassed. The Regional Supervisor will approve...

An evaluation of the science needs to inform decisions on Outer Continental Shelf energy development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holland-Bartels, Leslie; Pierce, Brenda

2011-01-01

On March 31, 2010, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a national strategy for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas development. In that announcement, the Administration outlined a three-pronged approach (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2010a): Development: "...expand development and production throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including resource-rich areas of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico..." Exploration: "...expand oil and gas exploration in frontier areas, such as the Arctic Ocean and areas in the Atlantic Ocean, to gather the information necessary to develop resources in the right places and the right ways." Conservation: "...calls for the protection of special areas like Bristol Bay in Alaska...national treasure[s] that we must protect for future generations." In a companion announcement (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2010b), within the Administration's "Exploration" component, the Secretary asked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct an initial, independent evaluation of the science needs that would inform the Administration's consideration of the right places and the right ways in which to develop oil and gas resources in the Arctic OCS, particularly focused on the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas (fig. 1).

Physical and biological processes controlling the distribution of fish larvae in the NW Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabatés, A.; Olivar, M. P.; Salat, J.; Palomera, I.; Alemany, F.

2007-08-01

The Mediterranean is globally considered an oligotrophic sea. However, there are some places or certain seasons in which mechanisms that enhance fertility may occur. These mechanisms and related processes are especially relevant when they take place during the period of larval development. This study analyzes how environmental conditions occurring in the NW Mediterranean, at local and seasonal scales, contribute to determine the temporal and spatial patterns of fish reproductive activity in the region. The structure of the bathymetry, types of bottoms, diversity of adult fish habitats, as well as mechanisms conditioning the primary production of the region determine the location of spawning, whereas physical processes (e.g., shelf-slope density front and associated current, continental water inflows, winter mixing, stratification of the water column) determine the final distribution patterns of fish eggs and larvae. High larval concentrations occur over the edge of the continental shelf in relation to the presence of the shelf-slope front and its associated convergence. However, this pattern is subject to considerable spatio-temporal variability, due to frontal mesoscale activity. High larval abundance can also be observed near the coast in zones with topographic irregularities that can greatly modify circulation favouring penetration of slope waters into the shelf. Finally, larvae of large pelagic migratory species are mainly distributed in areas under the influence of recent Atlantic Water (AW) and near the frontal system between these inflowing AW and the more saline waters of the northern basin. A pronounced seasonal variability regarding both the number of species and the number of fish larvae in the plankton can be observed throughout the year. The two dominant species, sardine and anchovy, have non-overlapping spawning periods, autumn-winter and spring-summer, respectively. The diversity of feeding patterns as well as the fact that different fish species have different spawning periods might reduce inter- and intra-specific competition for food resources in this area. Most NW Mediterranean fish reproduce during the spring-summer stratification period, when the phytoplankton biomass values at the upper layers of the water column are lower than in winter. The development of the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum in this period and the high zooplankton biomass associated to it offers an important food source for the larvae. Additionally, during this period the inputs of continental waters in certain areas are one of the fertilization mechanisms of surface waters and some species, as anchovy, takes advantage of this situation. Autumn-winter is the period with lower ichthyoplankton diversity, being dominated by sardine, which reproduces on the continental shelf. The mixing of the water column during winter is one of the mechanisms that enhances productivity on continental shelves. Moreover, there are no intense currents on the shelf and the circulation is usually anticyclonic, favouring larval retention in this zone. Fish species show reproductive strategies and larval fish behaviour that allow them to take advantage of the available resources throughout the seasonal cycle. These strategies, together with the high ecological efficiency of oligotrophic systems, contribute to the relatively high yield of Mediterranean fisheries.

Late Cenozoic sea-level changes and the onset of glaciation: impact on continental slope progradation off eastern Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piper, D.J.W.; Normark, W.R.

1989-01-01

Late Cenozoic sedimentation from four varied sites on the continental slopes off southeastern Canada has been analysed using high-resolution airgun multichannel seismic profiles, supplemented with some single channel data. Biostratigraphic ties are available to exploratory wells at three of the sites. Uniform, slow accumulation of hemipelagic sediments was locally terminated by the late Miocene sea-level lowering, which is also reflected in changes in foraminiferan faunas on the continental shelf. Data are very limited for the early Pliocene but suggest a return to slow hemipelagic sedimentation. At the beginning of the late Pliocene, there was a change in sedimentation style marked by a several-fold increase in accumulation rates and cutting of slope valleys. This late Pliocene cutting of slope valleys corresponds to the onset of late Cenozoic growth of the Laurentian Fan and the initiation of turbidite sedimentation on the Sohm Abyssal Plain. Although it corresponds to a time of sea-level lowering, the contrast with the late Miocene lowstand indicates that there must also have been a change in sediment delivery to the coastline, perhaps as a result of increased rainfall or development of valley glaciers. High sedimentation rates continued into the early Pleistocene, but the extent of slope dissection by gullies increased. Gully-cutting episodes alternated with sediment-draping episodes. Throughout the southeastern Canadian continental margin, there was a change in sedimentation style in the middle Pleistocene that resulted from extensive ice sheets crossing the continental shelf and delivering coarse sediment directly to the continental slope. ?? 1989.

Are Deltaic Subaqueous Clinothems One-Highstand Affairs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giosan, L.; Clift, P.; Henstock, T.; Ponton, C.; Limmer, D. R.

2009-12-01

Clinothems are basic building blocks of continental shelves, whether modern or ancient. In many cases large delta-building rivers directly construct subaqueous clinothems on the shelf that are offset offshore from the delta coast. Assuming that the sediment flux to the shelf and the sediment redistributing processes are suitable for subaqueous clinothem development, the evolution of any subaqueous clinothems depends primarily on the availability of accommodation space. As the eustatic sea level varies with the volume of global ice, one primary mechanism of creating accommodation space on shelves is erosion during lowstands. We discuss here possible mechanisms for clinothems to survive erosion during lowstands by examining new data from the Indus delta shelf offshore Pakistan. Theoretical considerations based on estimates of the relative importance of wave energy vs. fluvial sediment delivery suggest that the Indus delta should develop a mid-shelf subaqueous clinothem. Instead, the Indus shelf exhibits a compound clinoform morphology. A shallow delta front clinoform extends along the entire delta coast from the shoreline to the 10-25 m water depth. New seismic data confirm that a mid-shelf clinothem developed between 30 and 90 m water depth extending over 100 km offshore east of the Indus canyon but less than 30 km west of the canyon. The advanced position of the eastern mid-shelf clinothem might reflect either a prolonged sediment delivery from the Indus River in that area compared to the shelf west of the canyon or the presence of a relict pre-Holocene mid-shelf delta.

Large and giant hydrocarbon accumulations in the transitional continent-ocean zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khain, V. E.; Polyakova, I. D.

2008-05-01

The petroleum resource potential is considered for the Atlantic, West Pacific, and East Pacific types of deepwater continental margins. The most considerable energy resources are concentrated at the Atlantic-type passive margins in the zone transitional to the ocean. The less studied continental slope of backarc seas of the generally active margins of the West Pacific type is currently not so rich in discoveries as the Atlantic-type margin, but is not devoid of certain expectations. In some of their parameters, the margins bounded by continental slopes may be regarded as analogs of classical passive margins. At the margins of the East Pacific type, the petroleum potential is solely confined to transform segments. In the shelf-continental-slope basins of the rift and pull-apart nature, petroleum fields occur largely in the upper fan complex, and to a lesser extent in the lower graben (rift) complex. In light of world experience, the shelf-continental-slope basins of the Arctic and Pacific margins of Russia are evaluated as highly promising.

30 CFR 250.1166 - What additional reporting is required for developments in the Alaska OCS Region?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What additional reporting is required for... CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Production Requirements Other Requirements § 250.1166 What additional reporting... correlative rights; and (3) Maximize ultimate recovery of oil and gas. (b) If your development is jointly...

30 CFR 250.1166 - What additional reporting is required for developments in the Alaska OCS Region?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What additional reporting is required for... CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Production Requirements Other Requirements § 250.1166 What additional reporting... correlative rights; and (3) Maximize ultimate recovery of oil and gas. (b) If your development is jointly...

30 CFR 250.1166 - What additional reporting is required for developments in the Alaska OCS Region?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and Gas Production Requirements Other Requirements § 250.1166... development in the Alaska OCS Region, you must submit an annual reservoir management report to the Regional... request an MER for each producing sensitive reservoir in the Alaska OCS Region, unless otherwise...

P-wave velocity models of continental shelf of East Siberian Sea using the Laplace-domain full waveform inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, S. G.; Hong, J. K.; Jin, Y. K.; Jang, U.; Niessen, F.; Baranov, B.

2017-12-01

2016 IBRV ARAON Arctic Cruise Leg-2, Expedition ARA07C was a multidisciplinary undertaking carried out in the East Siberian Sea (ESS) from August 25 to September 10, 2016. The program was conducted as a collaboration between the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IORAS), and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). During this expedition, the multi-channel seismic (MCS) data were acquired on the continental shelf and the upper slope of the ESS, totaling 3 lines with 660 line-kilometers. The continental shelf of ESS is one of the widest shelf seas in the world and it is believed to cover the largest area of sub-sea permafrost in the Arctic. According to the present knowledge of the glacial history of the western Arctic Ocean, it is likely that during the LGM with a sea level approximately 120 m below present, the entire shelf area of the ESS was exposed to very cold air temperatures so that thick permafrost should have formed. Indeed, in water depths shallower than 80 m, sub-bottom profiles in the ESS recorded from the shelf edge to a latitude of 74°30' N in 60 m water depth exhibited acoustic facies, suggesting that at least relicts of submarine permafrost are present. In order to identify the existence and/or non-existence of subsea permafrost in our study area, we analyze the MCS data using the Laplace domain full waveform inversion (FWI). In case of the Canadian continental shelf of the Beaufort Sea, subsea permafrost has high seismic velocity values (over 2.6 km/sec) and strong refraction events were found in the MCS shotgathers. However, in the EES our proposed P-wave velocity models derived from FWI have neither found high velocity structures (over 2.6 km/sec) nor indicate strong refraction events by subsea permafrost. Instead, in 300 m depth below sea floor higher P-wave velocity structures (1.8 2.2 km/s) than normal subsea sediment layers were found, which are interpreted as cemented strata by glaciation activities.

Depositional architecture and evolution of inner shelf to shelf edge delta systems since the Late Oliocene and their respone to the tectonic and sea level change, Pear River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Changsong; Zhang, Zhongtao; liu, Jingyan; Jiang, Jing

2016-04-01

The Pear River Mouth Basin is located in the northern continent margin of the South China Sea. Since the Late Oligocene, the long-term active fluvial systems (Paleo-Zhujiang) from the western basin margin bebouched into the northern continental margin of the South China Sea and formed widespread deltaic deposits in various depositional geomorphologies and tectonic settings. Based of integral analysys of abundant seismic, well logging and drilling core data, Depositional architecture and evolution of these delta systems and their respone to the tectonic and sea level change are documented in the study. There are two basic types of the delta systems which have been recognized: inner shelf delta deposited in shallow water enviroments and the outer shelf or shelf-edge delta systems occurred in deep water settings. The paleowater depths of these delta systems are around 30 to 80m (inner shelf delta) and 400-1000m (shelf-edge delta) estimated from the thickness (decompaction) of the delta front sequences. The study shows that the inner shelf delta systems are characterized by relatively thin delta forests (20-40m), numereous stacked distributary channel fills, relative coarse river mouth bar deposits and thin distal delta front or distal bar and prodelta deposits. In contrast, the outer shelf or shelf edge delta systems are characteristic of thick (300-800m) and steep (4-60) of deltaic clinoforms, which commonly display in 3D seismic profiles as "S" shape reflection. Large scale soft-sediment deformation structures, slump or debris flow deposits consisting mainly of soft-sediment deformed beds, blocks of sandstones and siltstones or mudstones widely developed in the delta front deposits. The shelf edge delta systems are typically associated with sandy turbidite fan deposits along the prodelta slopes, which may shift basinwards as the progradation of the delta systems. The delta systems underwent several regional cycles of evolution from inner shelf deltas to shelf edge deltas since the Late Oligocene in the study area, and this is consistent with relative sea level changes constrained by interplay of tectonic subsidence or global sea level change and sediment supply. The shelf-edge delta sandy deposits and the associated prodelta turbidite fan systems are the most important oil/gas bearing reservoirs in the continental slope area.

Evolution of Nonlinear Internal Waves in China Seas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Antony K.; Hsu, Ming-K.; Liang, Nai K.

1997-01-01

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from ERS-I have been used to study the characteristics of internal waves of Taiwan in the East China Sea, and east of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. Rank-ordered packets of internal solitons propagating shoreward from the edge of the continental shelf were observed in the SAR images. Based on the assumption of a semidiurnal tidal origin, the wave speed can be estimated and is consistent with the internal wave theory. By using the SAR images and hydrographic data, internal waves of elevation have been identified in shallow water due to a thicker mixed layer as compared with the bottom layer on the continental shelf. The generation mechanism includes the influences of the tide and the Kuroshio intrusion across the continental shelf for the formations of elevation internal waves. The effects of water depth on the evolution of solitons and wave packets are modeled by nonlinear Kortweg-deVries (KdV) type equation and linked to satellite image observations. The numerical calculations of internal wave evolution on the continental shelf have been performed and compared with the SAR observations. For a case of depression waves in deep water, the solitons first disintegrate into dispersive wave trains and then evolve to a packet of elevation waves in the shallow water area after they pass through a turning point of approximately equal layer depths has been observed in the SAR image and simulated by numerical model.

Dynamics of the transfer of terrestrial organic matter in the late Quaternary turbiditic system of the Ogooué River (Gabon)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mignard, Salomé; Mulder, Thierry; Martinez, Philippe; Garlan, Thierry

2016-04-01

In many cases (Hedges et al., 1995, Xing et al., 2011) the supply of terrestrial organic matter (OM) in the oceanic environment is confined to the continental and upper slope of continental margins. However, some recent studies (Huc et al., 2001, Baudin et al., 2010, Biscara et al., 2011, Stetten et al., 2015) demonstrated that significant amounts of continental OM can be transported and deposited in deep sea sediments. This transfer is more efficient in turbiditic systems which are linked to important river deltas. In such systems, the terrigenous influx are important and the downslope sediment-laden currents can indeed transport and rapidly bury important quantities of TOM transferred from the river mouth and the shelf to the abyssal plain. The turbiditic system associated with the Ogooué River offshore Gabon has been selected to study more precisely the modalities of transfer of continental OM from the shelf to the deep offshore. The works focuses on the concentration of OM in both hemipelagites and turbidites as well as the different parameters influencing the spatial distribution and concentration. For this study 10 cores located along the system from the continental shelf to the distal lobes have been selected. The quantity of OM in the sediments as well as its origin (continental vs marine) have been measured using bulk geochemical analyses (% OC, δ13Corg). The stratigraphy of the cores was determined using a combination of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, δ18O on benthic foraminifers and 14C dates on planktonic foraminifers, and calcium carbonate content calibrated with XRF measurements. The studied cores contain various amounts of organic carbon ranging from 0.7wt% to more than 9wt%. The highest contents are found in turbidite beds where woody detritus and well preserved fragmentary leaf debris are concentrated. In the hemipelagic facies, organic matter is composed of a mixture of marine and land derived organic matter associated with clay-size sediments. This organic sedimentation is highly sensitive to the variations of the sea level due to the alternation between glacial and interglacial times. Glacial periods are characterized by higher amounts of organic matter in hemipelagic deposits, with a higher contribution of continental material, and by the presence of frequent organic rich turbiditic beds. On the contrary, during interglacial periods very few turbiditic events are recorded and the OM in hemipelagic sediments is mainly of marine origin and in lesser quantity. When the sea-level is high, the Ogooué delta is disconnected from the canyon heads and the sediments delivered by the river are deposited on the shelf and mobilized by the strong South-North coastal drift currents. During low sea-level periods, the river discharges its sediments rich in terrestrial OM directly in the canyons heads bypassing the shelf. The low sea level also generates increased erosion of the shelf sediments containing globally high rate of reworked continental OM.

Sediment-water fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon, O2,nutrients, and N2 from the hypoxic region of the Louisianacontinental shelf

EPA Science Inventory

Sediment fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), O2, nutrients, and N2 (denitrification) were measured on the Louisiana Continental Shelf during six cruises from 2005 to 2007. On each cruise, three to seven stations were occupied in regions of the shelf that experience summer...

U.s. Geological survey core drilling on the atlantic shelf.

PubMed

Hathaway, J C; Poag, C W; Valentine, P C; Manheim, F T; Kohout, F A; Bothner, M H; Miller, R E; Schultz, D M; Sangrey, D A

1979-11-02

The first broad program of scientific shallow drilling on the U.S. Atlantic continental shelf has delineated rocks of Pleistocene to Late Cretaceous age, including phosphoritic Miocene strata, widespread Eocene carbonate deposits that serve as reflective seismic markers, and several regional unconformities. Two sites, off Maryland and New Jersey, showed light hydrocarbon gases having affinity to mature petroleum. Pore fluid studies showed that relatively fresh to brackish water occurs beneath much of the Atlantic continental shelf, whereas increases in salinity off Georgla and beneath the Florida-Hatteras slope suggest buried evaporitic strata. The sediment cores showed engineering properties that range from good foundation strength to a potential for severe loss of strength through interaction between sediments and man-made structures.

Southeastern U.S.A. Continental Shelf Respiratory Rates Revisited

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheldon, Joan E.; Griffith, Peter C.; Peters Francesc; Sheldon, Wade M., Jr.; Blanton, Jackson O.; Amft, Julie; Pomeroy, Lawrence R.

2010-01-01

Respiratory rates on the U. S. southeastern continental shelf have been estimated several times by different investigators, most recently by Jiang et al. (Biogeochemistry 98:101-113, 2010) who report lower mean rates thanwere found in earlier work and attribute the differences to analytical error in all methods used in earlier studies. The differences are, instead, attributable to the differences in the geographical scope of the studies. The lower estimates of regional organic carbon flux of Jiang et al. (Biogeochemistry 98:101-113, 2010) are a consequence of their extrapolation of data from a small portion of the shelf to the entire South Atlantic Bight. This comment examines the methodologies used as well as the variability of respiratory rates in this region over space and time.

Marine geological and geophysical records of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet on the continental shelf west of Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Cofaigh, Colm; Callard, S. Louise; Benetti, Sara; Chiverell, Richard C.; Saher, Margot; van Landeghem, Katrien; Livingstone, Stephen J.; Scourse, James; Clark, Chris D.

2015-04-01

The record of glaciation on the continental shelf west of Ireland has, until recently, been relatively poorly studied. The UK NERC funded project BRITICE-CHRONO collected marine geophysical data in the form of multibeam swath bathymetry and sub-bottom profiles supplemented by over 50 vibro- and piston cores across the continental shelf west of Ireland during cruise JC106 of the RRS James Cook in 2014. Across the western Irish shelf, offshore of counties Galway and Clare, a series of large arcuate moraines record the former presence of a grounded ice sheet on the shelf. However, geophysical data from further to the west across the Porcupine Bank show a series of ridges and wedge-shaped sedimentary features whose form is consistent with an origin as moraines and/or grounding-zone wedges. Sediment cores from several of these landforms recovered stiff, massive diamictons containing reworked shells that are interpreted as subglacial tills. Cores from the eastern Porcupine Bank recovered laminated muds with cold-water glacimarine foraminifera, in some cases overlying till. Collectively the geophysical and sedimentary data imply the presence of grounded ice across the northern Porcupine Bank and thus much further west on the Irish margin than has previously been considered. This ice underwent retreat in a glacimarine setting. The large 'Olex Moraine' on the western Irish shelf is thus interpreted as recessional feature. Work is currently underway to dates these features and to obtain a retreat chronology for this sector of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet.

Indo-Burma Range: a belt of accreted microcontinents, ophiolites and Mesozoic-Paleogene flyschoid sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharyya, S. K.

2015-07-01

This study provides an insight into the lithotectonic evolution of the N-S trending Indo-Burma Range (IBR), constituting the southern flank of the Himalayan syntaxis. Paleogene flyschoid sediments (Disang-Barail) that represent a shallow marine to deltaic environment mainly comprise the west-central sector of IBR, possibly resting upon a continental base. On the east, these sequences are tectonically flanked by the Eocene olistostromal facies of the Disang, which developed through accretion of trench sediments during the subduction. The shelf and trench facies sequences of the Disang underwent overthrusting from the east, giving rise to two ophiolite suites ( Naga Hills Lower Ophiolite ( NHLO) and Victoria Hills Upper Ophiolite ( VHUO), but with different accretion history. The ophiolite and ophiolite cover rock package were subsequently overthrusted by the Proterozoic metamorphic sequence, originated from the Burmese continent. The NHLO suite of Late Jurassic to Early Eocene age is unconformably overlain by mid-Eocene shallow marine ophiolite-derived clastics. On the south, the VHUO of Mesozoic age is structurally underlain by continental metamorphic rocks. The entire package in Victoria Hills is unconformably overlain by shallow marine Late Albian sediments. Both the ophiolite suites and the sandwiched continental metamorphic rocks are thrust westward over the Paleogene shelf sediments. These dismembered ophiolites and continental metamorphic rocks suggest thin-skinned tectonic detachment processes in IBR, as reflected from the presence of klippe of continental metamorphic rocks over the NHLO and the flyschoid Disang floor sediments and half windows exposing the Disang beneath the NHLO.

30 CFR 250.286 - What is a DWOP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Development Operations Coordination Documents. BSEE will use the information in your DWOP to determine whether... AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Deepwater Operations Plan (dwop) § 250.286 What is a DWOP? (a) A DWOP is a plan that provides sufficient information for BSEE to...

30 CFR 250.286 - What is a DWOP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Development Operations Coordination Documents. BSEE will use the information in your DWOP to determine whether... AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Deepwater Operations Plan (dwop) § 250.286 What is a DWOP? (a) A DWOP is a plan that provides sufficient information for BSEE to...

30 CFR 250.286 - What is a DWOP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Development Operations Coordination Documents. BSEE will use the information in your DWOP to determine whether... AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Deepwater Operations Plan (dwop) § 250.286 What is a DWOP? (a) A DWOP is a plan that provides sufficient information for BSEE to...

30 CFR 285.640 - What is a General Activities Plan (GAP)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information... conceptual decommissioning plans for all planned facilities, including testing of technology devices and... easements for the assessment and development of your limited lease or grant. (b) You must receive MMS...

30 CFR 556.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Directional drilling. 556.71 Section 556.71... SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 556.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with an approved exploration plan or development and production plan, a...

30 CFR 256.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Directional drilling. 256.71 Section 256.71... OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 256.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with an approved exploration plan or development and production plan, a lease may...

30 CFR 256.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Directional drilling. 256.71 Section 256.71... LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 256.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with a BOEM-approved exploration plan or development and...

30 CFR 256.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Directional drilling. 256.71 Section 256.71... LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 256.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with a BOEM-approved exploration plan or development and...

30 CFR 556.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Directional drilling. 556.71 Section 556.71... SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 556.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with an approved exploration plan or development and production plan, a...

30 CFR 556.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Directional drilling. 556.71 Section 556.71... SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 556.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with an approved exploration plan or development and production plan, a...

30 CFR 256.71 - Directional drilling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Directional drilling. 256.71 Section 256.71... LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL AND GAS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Assignments, Transfers, and Extensions § 256.71 Directional drilling. In accordance with a BOEM-approved exploration plan or development and...

Marine Program Annual Report 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Hampshire Univ., Durham. Marine Program.

This report describes the activities of a program designed to develop the information and systems necessary for managing the Continental Shelf and Coastal Zone of Northern New England. Ten research areas or projects are discussed: aquaculture, biology and ecology, coastal oceanography, buoy systems studies, man in the sea, marine platforms and…

30 CFR 250.1632 - Production rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Production rates. 250.1632 Section 250.1632... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Sulphur Operations § 250.1632 Production rates. Each sulphur deposit shall be produced at rates that will provide economic development and depletion of the deposit in...

30 CFR 281.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... surface of the seabed but does not include oil, gas, sulphur; salt or sand and gravel intended for use in association with the development of oil, gas, or sulphur; or source materials essential to production of... OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF General § 281.3 Definitions. When used in this...

30 CFR 250.262 - What administrative information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What administrative information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.262 Section 250.262 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.255 - What decommissioning information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What decommissioning information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.255 Section 250.255 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.1301 - What are the requirements for unitization?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... delineated and productive reservoir if unitized operations are necessary to: (1) Prevent waste; (2) Conserve... more reservoirs and the initiation of actual development drilling or production operations and that... OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Unitization § 250.1301 What are...

The Physical Oceanography of Australia's Sunshine Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribbe, Joachim

2017-04-01

Australia's Sunshine coast is located to the south of the Great Barrier Reef and Fraser Island between about 25 oS to 28 oS. With a width of nearly 70-80 km, the eastern Australian continental shelf is at its widest here. The shelf region is referred to as the Southeast Queensland Marine Coastal Zone due to its unique physical oceanographic characteristics. The most prominent large-scale oceanic feature is the southward flowing East Australian Current (EAC). It forms to the north of Fraser Island from Coral Sea outflows, intensifies, and follows the continental shelf as a swift continental shelf hugging current but variable in strength; stronger in the southern hemisphere summer and weaker in winter. Little attention has been paid to the physical oceanography of this region, although important physical processes take place that drive regional marine environmental conditions, drive cross-shelf exchanges and interactions with the EAC, and that represent marine connectivity processes significant to the larger scale eastern Australian fisheries. This presentation reviews recent discoveries that include the Southeast Fraser Island Upwelling System, the Fraser Island Gyre, and document the role of cyclonic mesoscale eddies in driving cross-shelf exchanges and contribute to the formation of the Fraser Island Gyre. The Southeast Fraser Island Upwelling System appears to be predominately driven by the interaction of the EAC with the continental shelf leading to the establishment of one of eight important marine ecological hotspots along the east Australian coast. The Fraser Island Gyre is most prominent during the southern hemisphere autumn and winter months. It is characterised by on-shelf northerly flow, turning eastward south of Fraser Island before joining the EAC. It emerges that cyclonic eddy formation as well as the south-easterly trade winds drive the gyre's establishment and strength. A census of short-lived (7-28 days) cyclonic eddies, the first for any western boundary current region, found that the Southeast Queensland Marine Coastal Zone appears to be characterised by the highest number of eddies found along the east Australian Coast. About 43% of all eddies or about 4-5 per year were detected and tracked in this region. All these recent discoveries were made possible by analysing data provided via Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). A future effort is to be made to obtain additional in-situ data in order to support these new findings.

Phytoplankton functional community structure in Argentinian continental shelf determined by HPLC pigment signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, D. Vega; Marrero, J. Pérez; Morales, J.; García, C. Llerandi; Úbeda, M. G. Villagarcía; Rueda, M. J.; Llinás, O.

2012-03-01

The Patagonian Sea in Argentina is known as an area with high primary production and biodiversity. The complex hydrodynamic environment resulting from the interaction between the Malvinas-Brazil convergence and the waters over the continental shelf and slope enhances the development of high chlorophyll concentrations, especially in frontal and coastal areas. The composition, distribution and variability of several phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) derived from diagnostic pigments were studied in relation to the local hydrographical conditions, using data from a research cruise carried out on board the RV Bio Hesperides at the end of the Summer season (March 2008). Phytoplankton cell size and PFT distributions were found to be highly influenced by the physical and chemical characteristics of the studied environments. Thus large cells, mainly diatoms, were the dominant size fraction in the southern frontal areas, where the SubAntarctic Surface Waters (SASW) from the Malvinas Current meet shelf waters. However, other groups of microphytoplankton (mPF), mainly dinoflagellates, were also detected in the shallow waters zone influenced by the tidal regime near the Valdes Peninsula. Picophytoplankton (pPF) was an important contributor to the floristic composition in the southern frontal zones, while nanophytoplankton (nPF) was dominant in the stations located over the continental slope, and in the oligotrophic area near Mar del Plata. The ratio between photoprotective and photosynthetic pigments (PPC:PSC) and the photoprotection index (PI) indirectly provide information about the environment and its effect on the PFTs composition.

Cyclonic entrainment of preconditioned shelf waters into a frontal eddy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everett, J. D.; Macdonald, H.; Baird, M. E.; Humphries, J.; Roughan, M.; Suthers, I. M.

2015-02-01

The volume transport of nutrient-rich continental shelf water into a cyclonic frontal eddy (entrainment) was examined from satellite observations, a Slocum glider and numerical simulation outputs. Within the frontal eddy, parcels of water with temperature/salinity signatures of the continental shelf (18-19°C and >35.5, respectively) were recorded. The distribution of patches of shelf water observed within the eddy was consistent with the spiral pattern shown within the numerical simulations. A numerical dye tracer experiment showed that the surface waters (≤50 m depth) of the frontal eddy are almost entirely (≥95%) shelf waters. Particle tracking experiments showed that water was drawn into the eddy from over 4° of latitude (30-34.5°S). Consistent with the glider observations, the modeled particles entrained into the eddy sunk relative to their initial position. Particles released south of 33°S, where the waters are cooler and denser, sunk 34 m deeper than their release position. Distance to the shelf was a critical factor in determining the volume of shelf water entrained into the eddy. Entrainment reduced to 0.23 Sv when the eddy was furthest from the shelf, compared to 0.61 Sv when the eddy was within 10 km of the shelf. From a biological perspective, quantifying the entrainment of shelf water into frontal eddies is important, as it is thought to play a significant role in providing an offshore nursery habitat for coastally spawned larval fish.

Surface current patterns suggested by suspended sediment distribution over the outer continental margin, Bering Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karl, Herman A.; Carlson, P.R.

1987-01-01

Samples of total suspended matter (TSM) were collected at the surface over the northern outer continental margin of the Bering Sea during the summers of 1980 and 1981. Volume concentrations of surface TSM averaged 0.6 and 1.1 mg l-1 for 1980 and 1981, respectively. Organic matter, largely plankton, made up about 65% of the near-surface TSM for both years. Distributions of TSM suggested that shelf circulation patterns were characterized either by meso- and large- scale eddies or by cross-shelf components of flow superimposed on a general northwesterly net drift. These patterns may be caused by large submarine canyons which dominate the physiography of this part of the Bering Sea continental margin. ?? 1987.

From hyperextended rift to convergent margin types: mapping the outer limit of the extended Continental Shelf of Spain in the Galicia area according UNCLOS Art. 76

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somoza, Luis; Medialdea, Teresa; Vázquez, Juan T.; González, Francisco J.; León, Ricardo; Palomino, Desiree; Fernández-Salas, Luis M.; Rengel, Juan

2017-04-01

Spain presented on 11 May 2009 a partial submission for delimiting the extended Continental Shelf in respect to the area of Galicia to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). The Galicia margin represents an example of the transition between two different types of continental margins (CM): a western hyperpextended margin and a northern convergent margin in the Bay of Biscay. The western Galicia Margin (wGM 41° to 43° N) corresponds to a hyper-extended rifted margin as result of the poly-phase development of the Iberian-Newfoundland conjugate margin during the Mesozoic. Otherwise, the north Galicia Margin (nGM) is the western end of the Cenozoic subduction of the Bay of Biscay along the north Iberian Margin (NIM) linked to the Pyrenean-Mediterranean collisional belt Following the procedure established by the CLCS Scientific and Technical Guidelines (CLCS/11), the points of the Foot of Slope (FoS) has to be determined as the points of maximum change in gradient in the region defined as the Base of the continental Slope (BoS). Moreover, the CLCS guidelines specify that the BoS should be contained within the continental margin (CM). In this way, a full-coverage multibeam bathymetry and an extensive dataset of up 4,736 km of multichannel seismic profiles were expressly obtained during two oceanographic surveys (Breogham-2005 and Espor-2008), aboard the Spanish research vessel Hespérides, to map the outer limit of the CM.In order to follow the criteria of the CLCS guidelines, two types of models reported in the CLCS Guidelines were applied to the Galicia Margin. In passive margins, the Commission's guidelines establish that the natural prolongation is based on that "the natural process by which a continent breaks up prior to the separation by seafloor spreading involves thinning, extension and rifting of the continental crust…" (para. 7.3, CLCS/11). The seaward extension of the wGM should include crustal continental blocks and the so-called Peridotite Ridge (PR), composed by serpentinized exhumed continental mantle. Thus, the PR should be regarded as a natural component of the continental margin since these seafloor highs were formed by hyperextension of the margin. Regarding convergent margins, the architecture of the nGM can be classified according the CLCS/11 as a "poor- or non-accretionary convergent continental margin" characterized by a poorly developed accretionary wedge, which is composed of: a large sedimentary apron mainly formed by large slumps and thrust wedges of igneous (ophiolitic/continental) body overlying subducting oceanic crust (Fig. 6.1B, CLCS/11). According to para. 6.3.6. (CLCS/11), the seaward extent of this type of continental convergent margins is defined by the seaward edge of the accretionary wedge. Applying this definition, the seaward extent of the margin is defined by the outer limit of the ophiolitic deformed body that marks the edge of the accretionary wedge. These geological criteria were strictly applied for mapping the BoS region, where the FoS were determinate by using the maximum change in gradient within this mapped region. Acknowledgments: Project for the Extension of the Spanish Continental according UNCLOS (CTM2010-09496-E) and Project CTM2016-75947-R

Oil-spill risk analysis: Outer continental shelf lease sale 158, Gulf of Alaska/Yakutat. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, C.M.; Johnson, W.R.; Marshall, C.F.

1995-01-01

The Federal Government has proposed to offer Outer Continental Shelf lands in the Gulf of Alaska/Yakutat for oil and gas leasing. Because oil spills may occur from activities associated with offshore oil production, the Minerals Management Service conducts a formal risk assessment. The report summarizes results of an oil-spill risk analysis conducted for OCS Lease Sale 158, Gulf of Alaska/Yakutat. The objective of this analysis was to estimate relative risks associated with oil and gas production for the proposed lease sale.

Wave refraction diagrams for the Baltimore Canyon region of the mid-Atlantic continental shelf computed by using three bottom topography approximation techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poole, L. R.

1976-01-01

The Langley Research Center and Virginia Institute of Marine Science wave refraction computer model was applied to the Baltimore Canyon region of the mid-Atlantic continental shelf. Wave refraction diagrams for a wide range of normally expected wave periods and directions were computed by using three bottom topography approximation techniques: quadratic least squares, cubic least squares, and constrained bicubic interpolation. Mathematical or physical interpretation of certain features appearing in the computed diagrams is discussed.

Mean Lagrangian drift in continental shelf waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drivdal, M.; Weber, J. E. H.

2012-04-01

The time- and depth-averaged mean drift induced by barotropic continental shelf waves (CSW's) is studied theoretically for idealized shelf topography by calculating the mean volume fluxes to second order in wave amplitude. The waves suffer weak spatial damping due to bottom friction, which leads to radiation stress forcing of the mean fluxes. In terms of the total wave energy density E¯ over the shelf region, the radiation stress tensor component S¯11 for CSW's is found to be different from that of shallow water surface waves in a non-rotating ocean. For CSW's, the ratio ¯S11/¯E depends strongly on the wave number. The mean Lagrangian flow forced by the radiation stress can be subdivided into a Stokes drift and a mean Eulerian drift current. The magnitude of the latter depends on the ratio between the radiation stress and the bottom stress acting on the mean flow. When the effect of bottom friction acts equally strong on the waves and the mean current, calculations for short CSW's show that the Stokes drift and the friction-dependent wave-induced mean Eulerian current varies approximately in anti-phase over the shelf, and that the latter is numerically the largest. For long CSW's they are approximately in phase. In both cases the mean Lagrangian current, which is responsible for the net particle drift, has its largest numerical value at the coast on the shallow part of the shelf. Enhancing the effect of bottom friction on the Eulerian mean flow, results in a general current speed reduction, as well as a change in spatial structure for long waves. Applying realistic physical parameters for the continental shelf west of Norway, calculations yield along-shelf mean drift velocities for short CSW's that may be important for the transport of biological material, neutral tracers, and underwater plumes of dissolved oil from deep water drilling accidents.

Radiation stress and mean drift in continental shelf waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Jan Erik H.; Drivdal, Magnus

2012-03-01

The time- and depth-averaged mean drift induced by barotropic continental shelf waves (CSW's) is studied theoretically for idealized shelf topography by calculating the mean volume fluxes to second order in wave amplitude. The waves suffer weak spatial damping due to bottom friction, which leads to radiation stress forcing of the mean fluxes. In terms of the total wave energy density E̅̅ over the shelf region, the radiation stress tensor component S̅11 for CSW's is found to be different from that of shallow water surface waves in a non-rotating ocean. For CSW's, the ratio S̅11/E̅ depends strongly on the wave number. The mean Lagrangian flow forced by the radiation stress can be subdivided into a Stokes drift and a mean Eulerian drift current. The magnitude of latter depends on ratio between the radiation stress and the bottom stress acting on the mean flow. When the effect of bottom friction acts equally strong on the waves and the mean current, calculations for short CSW's show that the Stokes drift and the friction-dependent wave-induced mean Eulerian current varies approximately in anti-phase over the shelf, and that the latter is numerically the largest. For long CSW's they are approximately in phase. In both cases the mean Lagrangian current, which is responsible for the net particle drift, has its largest numerical value at the coast on the shallow part of the shelf. Enhancing the effect of bottom friction on the Eulerian mean flow, results in a general current speed reduction, as well as a change in spatial structure for long waves. Applying realistic physical parameters for the continental shelf west of Norway, calculations yield along-shelf mean drift velocities for short CSW's that may be important for the transport of biological material, neutral tracers, and underwater plumes of dissolved oil from deepwater drilling accidents.

Hypsometry, volume and physiography of the Arctic Ocean and their paleoceanographic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakobsson, M.; Macnab, R.; Grantz, A.; Kristoffersen, Y.

2003-04-01

Recent analyses of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO) grid model include: Hypsometry (the distribution of surface area at various depths); ocean volume distribution; and physiographic provinces [Jakobsson 2002; Jakobsson et al., in press]. The present paper summarizes the main results from these recent studies and expands on the paleoceanographic implications for the Arctic Ocean, which in this work is defined as the broad continental shelves of the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas, the White Sea and the narrow continental shelves of the Beaufort Sea, the Arctic continental margins off the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and northern Greenland. This, the World's smallest ocean, is a virtually land-locked ocean that makes up merely 2.6 % of the area, and 1.0 % of the volume, of the entire World Ocean. The continental shelf area, from the coastline out to the shelf break, comprises as much as 52.9 % of the total area in the Arctic Ocean, which is significantly larger in comparison to the rest of the world oceans where the proportion of shelves, from the coastline out to the foot of the continental slope, only ranges between about 9.1 % and 17.7 %. In Jakobsson [2002], the seafloor area and water volume were calculated for different depths starting from the present sea level and progressing in increments of 10 m to a depth of 500 m, and in increments of 50 m from 550 m down to the deepest depth within each of the analyzed Arctic Ocean seas. Hypsometric curves expressed as simple histograms of the frequencies in different depth bins were presented, along with depth plotted against cumulative area for each of the analyzed seas. The derived hypsometric curves show that most of the Arctic Ocean shelf seas besides the Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea and the shelf off northern Greenland have a similar shape with the largest seafloor area between 0 and 50 m. The East Siberian and Laptev seas, in particular, show area distributions concentrated in this shallow depth range, and together with the Chukchi Sea they form a large flat shallow shelf province comprising as much as 22 % of the entire Arctic Ocean area, but only 1 % of the volume. Given this vast shelf area it may be speculated that the Arctic Ocean circulation is more sensitive to eustatic sea level changes compared to the other world oceans. For example, during the LGM when the sea level was ca 120 m lower than today most, if not all, of the Arctic Ocean shelf region could not play a role in the ocean circulation. Besides being the world's smallest ocean with the by far largest shelf area in proportion to its size, the Arctic Ocean is unique in terms of its physiographic setting. The Fram Strait is the only real break in the barrier of vast continental shelves enclosing the Arctic Ocean. The second largest physiographic province after the continental shelves consists of ridges, which is in contrast to the rest of the World's oceans where abyssal plains dominate. As much as 15.8 % of the area is underlain by ridges indicating the profound effect they have on ocean circulation. Jakobsson, M., Grantz, A., Kristoffersen, Y., and Macnab, R., in press, Physiographic Provinces of the Arctic Ocean, GSA Bulletin. Jakobsson, M., 2002, Hypsometry and volume of the Arctic Ocean and its constituent’s seas, Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, v. 3, no. 2.

Using Passive Samplers to Calculate the Diffusive Flux of DDTs and PCBs from Sediments to Water Column at the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund Site

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Objectives. The Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS) Superfund site is in over 50 meters of water on the continental shelf and slope off the coast of southern California (USA). The site includes over 25 km2 of sediments contaminated over several decades by municipal treatment pla...

Geologic framework of the northern North Carolina, USA inner continental shelf and its influence on coastal evolution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thieler, E. Robert; Foster, David S.; Himmelstoss, Emily A.; Mallinson, David J.

2013-01-01

The inner continental shelf off the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina was mapped using sidescan sonar, interferometric swath bathymetry, and high-resolution chirp and boomer subbottom profiling systems. We use this information to describe the shallow stratigraphy, reinterpret formation mechanisms of some shoal features, evaluate local relative sea-levels during the Late Pleistocene, and provide new constraints, via recent bedform evolution, on regional sediment transport patterns. The study area is approximately 290 km long by 11 km wide, extending from False Cape, Virginia to Cape Lookout, North Carolina, in water depths ranging from 6 to 34 m. Late Pleistocene sedimentary units comprise the shallow geologic framework of this region and determine both the morphology of the inner shelf and the distribution of sediment sources and sinks. We identify Pleistocene sedimentary units beneath Diamond Shoals that may have provided a geologic template for the location of modern Cape Hatteras and earlier paleo-capes during the Late Pleistocene. These units indicate shallow marine deposition 15–25 m below present sea-level. The uppermost Pleistocene unit may have been deposited as recently as Marine Isotope Stage 3, although some apparent ages for this timing may be suspect. Paleofluvial valleys incised during the Last Glacial Maximum traverse the inner shelf throughout the study area and dissect the Late Pleistocene units. Sediments deposited in the valleys record the Holocene transgression and provide insight into the evolutionary history of the barrier-estuary system in this region. The relationship between these valleys and adjacent shoal complexes suggests that the paleo-Roanoke River did not form the Albemarle Shelf Valley complex as previously proposed; a major fluvial system is absent and thus makes the formation of this feature enigmatic. Major shoal features in the study area show mobility at decadal to centennial timescales, including nearly a kilometer of shoal migration over the past 134 yr. Sorted bedforms occupy ~ 1000 km2 of seafloor in Raleigh Bay, and indicate regional sediment transport patterns between Capes Hatteras and Lookout that help explain long-term sediment accumulation and morphologic development. Portions of the inner continental shelf with relatively high sediment abundance are characterized by shoals and shoreface-attached ridges, and where sediment is less abundant, the seafloor is dominated by sorted bedforms. These relationships are also observed in other passive margin settings, suggesting a continuum of shelf morphology that may have broad application for interpreting inner shelf sedimentation patterns.

Amazon water lenses and the influence of the North Brazil Current on the continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prestes, Yuri O.; Silva, Alex Costa da; Jeandel, Catherine

2018-05-01

The exchange processes on the Amazon continental shelf in northern Brazil are subject to complex interactions that involve forcings derived from distinct sources. The Amazon shelf is a unique and highly dynamic environment in which considerable discharge of freshwater enters the Atlantic Ocean, producing extensive Amazon Water Lenses (AWL). In addition to the presence of the AWL, the shelf is influenced by the semidiurnal oscillations of the tides and the strong North Brazil Current (NBC), a boundary current of the western Atlantic. The present study was based primarily on the influence of the freshwater input and the NBC on the shelf and the Amazon Shelf Break (ASB) off the mouth of the Pará River. For this purpose, hydrographic and hydrodynamic data were obtained by moorings of the AMANDES Project (April-July 2008), located on the Amazon shelf and the ASB. Spectral analysis and the continuous wavelet transform were applied to define tidal (high frequency/short period) and subtidal (low frequency/long period) signals. The results indicated that on both the shelf and the break, the semidiurnal tides are responsible for the residual landward transport and are predominantly across-shelf. Low-frequency motions in the synoptic bands and the AWL are related to spatial changes in the velocity field, mainly on the ASB in the along-shelf direction. The flow of the NBC can be interpreted as an along-shelf low-frequency oscillation capable of altering the spatial configuration of the velocity field, although its influence is perceived only in the absence of the AWL.

Continental Margins of the Arctic Ocean: Implications for Law of the Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosher, David

2016-04-01

A coastal State must define the outer edge of its continental margin in order to be entitled to extend the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200 M, according to article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The article prescribes the methods with which to make this definition and includes such metrics as water depth, seafloor gradient and thickness of sediment. Note the distinction between the "outer edge of the continental margin", which is the extent of the margin after application of the formula of article 76, and the "outer limit of the continental shelf", which is the limit after constraint criteria of article 76 are applied. For a relatively small ocean basin, the Arctic Ocean reveals a plethora of continental margin types reflecting both its complex tectonic origins and its diverse sedimentation history. These factors play important roles in determining the extended continental shelves of Arctic coastal States. This study highlights the critical factors that might determine the outer edge of continental margins in the Arctic Ocean as prescribed by article 76. Norway is the only Arctic coastal State that has had recommendations rendered by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Russia and Denmark (Greenland) have made submissions to the CLCS to support their extended continental shelves in the Arctic and are awaiting recommendations. Canada has yet to make its submission and the US has not yet ratified the Convention. The various criteria that each coastal State has utilized or potentially can utilize to determine the outer edge of the continental margin are considered. Important criteria in the Arctic include, 1) morphological continuity of undersea features, such as the various ridges and spurs, with the landmass, 2) the tectonic origins and geologic affinities with the adjacent land masses of the margins and various ridges, 3) sedimentary processes, particularly along continental slopes, and 4) thickness and continuity of the sediment stratigraphy within the basins. The enclosed nature of the Arctic basin and the undersea ridges that transect the width of the basin result in complex geographies for the coastal States. The relevant fact, therefore, is that the five coastal States surrounding the ocean should have a common understanding of the geological and morphological features and the use of these features in determining the outer edge of the continental margin.

30 CFR 250.258 - What information on the onshore support facilities you will use must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What information on the onshore support facilities you will use must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.258 Section 250.258 Mineral Resources MINERALS... CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development...

Denudation of the continental shelf between Britain and France at the glacial–interglacial timescale

PubMed Central

Mellett, Claire L.; Hodgson, David M.; Plater, Andrew J.; Mauz, Barbara; Selby, Ian; Lang, Andreas

2013-01-01

The erosional morphology preserved at the sea bed in the eastern English Channel dominantly records denudation of the continental shelf by fluvial processes over multiple glacial–interglacial sea-level cycles rather than by catastrophic flooding through the Straits of Dover during the mid-Quaternary. Here, through the integration of multibeam bathymetry and shallow sub-bottom 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated with vibrocore records, the first stratigraphic model of erosion and deposition on the eastern English Channel continental shelf is presented. Published Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and 14C ages were used to chronometrically constrain the stratigraphy and allow correlation of the continental shelf record with major climatic/sea-level periods. Five major erosion surfaces overlain by discrete sediment packages have been identified. The continental shelf in the eastern English Channel preserves a record of processes operating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to MIS 1. Planar and channelised erosion surfaces were formed by fluvial incision during lowstands or relative sea-level fall. The depth and lateral extent of incision was partly conditioned by underlying geology (rock type and tectonic structure), climatic conditions and changes in water and sediment discharge coupled to ice sheet dynamics and the drainage configuration of major rivers in Northwest Europe. Evidence for major erosion during or prior to MIS 6 is preserved. Fluvial sediments of MIS 2 age were identified within the Northern Palaeovalley, providing insights into the scale of erosion by normal fluvial regimes. Seismic and sedimentary facies indicate that deposition predominantly occurred during transgression when accommodation was created in palaeovalleys to allow discrete sediment bodies to form. Sediment reworking over multiple sea-level cycles (Saalian–Eemian–early Weichselian) by fluvial, coastal and marine processes created a multi-lateral, multi-storey succession of palaeovalley-fills that are preserved as a strath terrace. The data presented here reveal a composite erosional and depositional record that has undergone a high degree of reworking over multiple sea-level cycles leading to the preferential preservation of sediments associated with the most recent glacial–interglacial period. PMID:24748702

Denudation of the continental shelf between Britain and France at the glacial-interglacial timescale.

PubMed

Mellett, Claire L; Hodgson, David M; Plater, Andrew J; Mauz, Barbara; Selby, Ian; Lang, Andreas

2013-12-01

The erosional morphology preserved at the sea bed in the eastern English Channel dominantly records denudation of the continental shelf by fluvial processes over multiple glacial-interglacial sea-level cycles rather than by catastrophic flooding through the Straits of Dover during the mid-Quaternary. Here, through the integration of multibeam bathymetry and shallow sub-bottom 2D seismic reflection profiles calibrated with vibrocore records, the first stratigraphic model of erosion and deposition on the eastern English Channel continental shelf is presented. Published Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and 14 C ages were used to chronometrically constrain the stratigraphy and allow correlation of the continental shelf record with major climatic/sea-level periods. Five major erosion surfaces overlain by discrete sediment packages have been identified. The continental shelf in the eastern English Channel preserves a record of processes operating from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to MIS 1. Planar and channelised erosion surfaces were formed by fluvial incision during lowstands or relative sea-level fall. The depth and lateral extent of incision was partly conditioned by underlying geology (rock type and tectonic structure), climatic conditions and changes in water and sediment discharge coupled to ice sheet dynamics and the drainage configuration of major rivers in Northwest Europe. Evidence for major erosion during or prior to MIS 6 is preserved. Fluvial sediments of MIS 2 age were identified within the Northern Palaeovalley, providing insights into the scale of erosion by normal fluvial regimes. Seismic and sedimentary facies indicate that deposition predominantly occurred during transgression when accommodation was created in palaeovalleys to allow discrete sediment bodies to form. Sediment reworking over multiple sea-level cycles (Saalian-Eemian-early Weichselian) by fluvial, coastal and marine processes created a multi-lateral, multi-storey succession of palaeovalley-fills that are preserved as a strath terrace. The data presented here reveal a composite erosional and depositional record that has undergone a high degree of reworking over multiple sea-level cycles leading to the preferential preservation of sediments associated with the most recent glacial-interglacial period.

Possible refugia in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska during the late Wisconsin glaciation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carrara, P.E.; Ager, T.A.; Baichtal, J.F.

2007-01-01

The interpretation of the extent of late Wisconsin glaciation in southeastern Alaska has varied between geologists and biologists. Maps and reports of the region prepared by geologists commonly indicated that late Wisconsin ice extended as a large uniform front west to the edge of the continental shelf. However, the distribution of plants and animals in the region has led many biologists to suggest that there may have been ice-free areas that served as refugia during the late Wisconsin. Based on analyses of aerial photographs, topographic maps, and bathymetric charts, in conjunction with a review of previous literature and reconnaissance fieldwork throughout the region, this study presents data supporting a limited ice extent in the Alexander Archipelago during the late Wisconsin and identifies possible ice-free areas that may have served as refugia. These areas include (1) the Fairweather Ground, (2) the Herbert Graves Island area, (3) the western coast of southern Baranof Island and adjacent continental shelf, (4) Coronation Island and the adjacent continental shelf, (5) the Warren Island area, (6) the continental shelf from west of Heceta Island to Forrester Island in the south, (7) parts of the west coast of southern Dall Island, and (8) lowland areas in southern Prince of Wales Island. The identification of these possible refugia has bearing on the recolonization of the Alexander Archipelago, as they could have served as centers of biotic dispersal upon regional deglaciation and as stepping stones for early humans with a maritime tradition entering the western hemisphere from Asia. ?? 2007 NRC Canada.

Stratigraphy of Atlantic coastal margin of United States north of Cape Hatteras; brief survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, W.J.; Minard, J.P.; Weed, E.G.A.; Robbins, E.I.; Rhodehamel, E.C.

1975-01-01

A synthesis of studies of sea-floor outcrops of the sedimentary wedge beneath the northeastern United States continental shelf and slope and a reassessment of coastal plain Mesozoic stratigraphy, particularly of the coastal margin, provide insight for estimating the oil and gas potential and provide geologic control for marine seismic investigations of the Atlantic continental margin. The oldest strata known to crop out on the continental slope are late Campanian in age. The Cretaceous-Tertiary contact along the slope ranges from a water depth of 0.6 to 1.5 km south of Georges Bank to 1.8 km in Hudson Canyon. Few samples are available from Tertiary and Late Cretaceous outcrops along the slope. Sediments of the Potomac Group, chiefly of Early Cretaceous age, constitute a major deltaic sequence in the emerged coastal plain. This thick sequence lies under coastal Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, southeastern New Jersey, and the adjacent continental shelf. Marine sands associated with this deltaic sequence may be present seaward under the outer continental shelf. South of the Norfolk arch, under coastal North Carolina, carbonate rocks interfinger with Lower Cretaceous clastic strata. From all available data, Mesozoic correlations in coastal wells between coastal Virginia and Long Island have been revised. The Upper-Lower Cretaceous boundary is placed at the transition between Albian and Cenomanian floras. Potential hydrocarbon source beds are present along the coast in the subsurface sediments of Cretaceous age. Potential reservoir sandstones are abundant in this sequence.

Summary of environmental geologic studies in the Mid-Atlantic outer continental shelf area; results of 1978-1979 field seasons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robb, James M.

1983-01-01

Because of the need for knowledge of an offshore area that is undergoing exploration for oil and gas resources, since 1975 the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has funded studies of the environmental characteristics of the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. This volume briefly summarizes a final report to the BLM on the results of U.S. Geological Survey investigations stemming from data acquired during 1978 and 1979. The parent final report contains complete accounts of those investigations. The subjects of the studies range from the geologic effects of water currents and their capabilities of erosion and transportation, to delineation of potentially hazardous geologic characteristics of the area. Nine specific studies address the complexities of water currents, the nature of materials suspended in the sea waters, rates of mixing-in of material deposited on the bottom, and the sites of probable deposition of such materials, as well as sites and mechanisms of possible submarine landsliding or unstable bottom (engineering characteristics) of the Continental Slope and shelf.

Geochemistry of the Amazon Estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smoak, Joseph M.; Krest, James M.; Swarzenski, Peter W

2006-01-01

The Amazon River supplies more freshwater to the ocean than any other river in the world. This enormous volume of freshwater forces the estuarine mixing out of the river channel and onto the continental shelf. On the continental shelf, the estuarine mixing occurs in a very dynamic environment unlike that of a typical estuary. The tides, the wind, and the boundary current that sweeps the continental shelf have a pronounced influence on the chemical and biological processes occurring within the estuary. The dynamic environment, along with the enormous supply of water, solutes and particles makes the Amazon estuary unique. This chapter describes the unique features of the Amazon estuary and how these features influence the processes occurring within the estuary. Examined are the supply and cycling of major and minor elements, and the use of naturally occurring radionuclides to trace processes including water movement, scavenging, sediment-water interaction, and sediment accumulation rates. The biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and the significances of the Amazon estuary in the global mass balance of these elements are examined.

Near-real-time mosaics from high-resolution side-scan sonar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Danforth, William W.; O'Brien, Thomas F.; Schwab, W.C.

1991-01-01

High-resolution side-scan sonar has proven to be a very effective tool for stuyding and understanding the surficial geology of the seafloor. Since the mid-1970s, the US Geological Survey has used high-resolution side-scan sonar systems for mapping various areas of the continental shelf. However, two problems typically encountered included the short range and the high sampling rate of high-resolution side-scan sonar systems and the acquisition and real-time processing of the enormous volume of sonar data generated by high-resolution suystems. These problems were addressed and overcome in August 1989 when the USGS conducted a side-scan sonar and bottom sampling survey of a 1000-sq-km section of the continental shelf in the Gulf of Farallones located offshore of San Francisco. The primary goal of this survey was to map an area of critical interest for studying continental shelf sediment dynamics. This survey provided an opportunity to test an image processing scheme that enabled production of a side-scan sonar hard-copy mosaic during the cruise in near real-time.

Impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development on recreation and tourism. Volume 2. Final report and case studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The final report for the project is comprised of five volumes. The volume presents the study conclusions, summarizes the methodology used (more detail is found in Volume 3), discusses four case study applications of the model, and contains profiles of coastal communities in an Appendix.

75 FR 81637 - Commercial Lease for the Cape Wind Energy Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-28

... Commercial Lease for the Cape Wind Energy Project AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and... Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (``OCS'') for the Cape Wind Energy Project... requirements of 30 CFR 285.231. The Lease is for the Cape Wind Energy Project (``Project'') which grants Cape...

77 FR 40380 - Outer Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales, Western Planning Area Lease...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-09

... Deepwater Horizon event. The WPA/CPA Supplemental EIS analysis will focus on updating the baseline conditions and potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development, and... Supplemental EIS analysis will focus on the potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing...

77 FR 74218 - Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM-2012-0090... North Carolina AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent To..., offshore wind energy developers, and the public in the Department of the Interior's (DOI) ``Smart from the...

30 CFR 250.253 - What lease stipulations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What lease stipulations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.253 Section 250.253 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.259 - What sulphur operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What sulphur operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.259 Section 250.259 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.1166 - What additional reporting is required for developments in the Alaska OCS Region?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Oil and... annual reservoir management report to the Regional Supervisor. The report must contain information... sensitive reservoir in the Alaska OCS Region, unless otherwise instructed by the Regional Supervisor. ...

DEVELOPING AN INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF HYPOXIA IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO

EPA Science Inventory

Hypoxia is the condition in which dissolved oxygen levels are below that necessary to sustain most animal life. The largest zone of oxygen depletion in the US coastal waters is found in the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) on the LA/TX continental shelf. In response to growing publ...

Developments in Coastal Ocean Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, J. S.

2001-12-01

Capabilities in modeling continental shelf flow fields have improved markedly in the last several years. Progress is being made toward the long term scientific goal of utilizing numerical circulation models to interpolate, or extrapolate, necessarily limited field measurements to provide additional full-field information describing the behavior of, and providing dynamical rationalizations for, complex observed coastal flow. The improvement in modeling capabilities has been due to several factors including an increase in computer power and, importantly, an increase in experience of modelers in formulating relevant numerical experiments and in analyzing model results. We demonstrate present modeling capabilities and limitations by discussion of results from recent studies of shelf circulation off Oregon and northern California (joint work with Newberger, Gan, Oke, Pullen, and Wijesekera). Strong interactions between wind-forced coastal currents and continental shelf topography characterize the flow regimes in these cases. Favorable comparisons of model and measured alongshore currents and other variables provide confidence in the model-produced fields. The dependence of the mesoscale circulation, including upwelling and downwelling fronts and flow instabilities, on the submodel used to parameterize the effects of small scale turbulence, is discussed. Analyses of model results to provide explanations for the observed, but previously unexplained, alongshore variability in the intensity of coastal upwelling, which typically results in colder surface water south of capes, and the observed development in some locations of northward currents near the coast in response to the relaxation of southward winds, are presented.

Aeromagnetic and gravity investigations of the Coastal Area and Continental Shelf of Liberia, West Africa, and their relation to continental drift

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behrendt, John C.; Wotorson, Cletus S.

1970-01-01

An aeromagnetic survey has shown the existence of several basins in which magnetic basement depths are greater than 5 km on the continental shelf off Liberia. Magnetic diabase of 176 to 192 m.y. (Jurassic) in age intruding the Paleozoic (?) rocks and overlain by younger rocks onshore requires the distinction between “magnetic basement” and “basement.” Several lines of evidence suggest that the Paleozoic(?) rocks are less than 1 km thick; this implies that the diabase does not introduce a large error in depth-to-basement estimates. The dikes or their extrusive equivalents are traceable, on the basis of the magnetic data, beneath the younger sedimentary rock in the basins to the edge of the continental slope. The magnetic data also delineate a second zone of diabase dikes 90 km inland, parallel to the coast, which cross the entire country. The intrusion of the younger dikes probably coincides with rifting at the beginning of the separation of Africa and South America, and the associated magnetic anomaly zones appear to be parallel with and continuous into the anomaly bands in the Atlantic. A major northeast-trending break in the magnetic fabric intersects the coast near 9° W. and is associated with Eburnean age rocks (about 2000 m.y.) to the southeast as contrasted with Liberian-age rocks (about 2700 m.y.) to the northwest. Change in magnetic fabric direction inland from northeast to northwest in the coastal area allows recognition of a boundary between the Liberian-age rocks inland and Pan-African-age (about 550 m.y.) rocks in the coastal area northwest of about 9° 20'W. Sets of north-northwest-and west-northwest—trending faults of 1 to 2 km vertical displacement cut the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks onshore and can be traced into the offshore basins. Vertical displacements of several kilometers in the magnetic basement underlying the continental shelf suggest a pattern of block faulting all along the coast and continental shelf. Negative Bouguer anomalies exist over two Cretaceous basins in the coastal area; a negative Bouguer anomaly exists over one of the basins southwest of Monrovia, as shown by a marine traverse, suggesting that Cretaceous or younger sedimentary rocks fill these basins also. A 50 to 60 mgal positive Bouguer anomaly area exists along the coast from Sierra Leone to Ivory Coast. This anomaly correlates with mafic granulites in the Monrovia region, where the gradient is too steep to be entirely due to crustal thickening at the continental margin and may be related to tectonic activity associated with the basins. The only major break in this positive anomaly above basement rocks along the entire coast of Liberia is over granite gneiss adjacent to (and presumably underlying) the only onshore basins on the Liberian coast. Three seismic reflection profiles support the interpretation of a substantial section of sedimentary rock offshore. A suggested sequence of events indicates tectonic activity in the periods about 2700, about 2000, and about 550 m.y. B.P.; uplift and exposure of deep crustal rocks; deposition of Paleozoic sediments; intrusion of diabase dikes in inland zones; intrusion of 176 to 192 m.y.-old dikes and sills accompanying separation of Africa and South and North America; block faulting along coast and continental shelf, and active sea-floor spreading; filling of basins in Cretaceous and Tertiary(?) time; basaltic extrusion on spreading sea floor and sedimentation on continental shelf and slope.

The oceanography and ecology of the Ross Sea.

PubMed

Smith, Walker O; Ainley, David G; Arrigo, Kevin R; Dinniman, Michael S

2014-01-01

The continental shelf of the Ross Sea exhibits substantial variations in physical forcing, ice cover, and biological processes on a variety of time and space scales. Its circulation is characterized by advective inputs from the east and exchanges with off-shelf regions via the troughs along the northern portions. Phytoplankton biomass is greater there than anywhere else in the Antarctic, although nitrate is rarely reduced to levels below 10 μmol L(-1). Overall growth is regulated by irradiance (via ice at the surface and by the depths of the mixed layers) and iron concentrations. Apex predators reach exceptional abundances, and the world's largest colonies of Adélie and emperor penguins are found there. Krill are represented by two species (Euphausia superba near the shelf break and Euphausia crystallorophias throughout the continental shelf region). Equally important and poorly known is the Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), which is also consumed by most upper-trophic-level predators. Future changes in the Ross Sea environment will have profound and unpredictable effects on the food web.

Currents and water characteristics around the West Flower Garden Bank. [West Flower Garden Bank, coral reef, Texas continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horne, D.J.

1986-01-01

The West Flower Garden Bank is a coral reef on the Texas Continental shelf. The corals on the bank are vulnerable to sediment contamination and to excess turbidity in the overlying water column. Concern for the environmental impact on this and other banks in the region exposed to nearby hydrocarbon production prompted the Bureau of Land Management to fund a data collection effort on the Texas/Louisiana shelf which provided the data analyzed here. Data analyzed includes profiles of velocity, temperature and salinity taken around the Bank in Oct., 1980 and March, 1981. Fixed current meter moorings and a dye experimentmore » conducted in the bottom boundary layer provided additional input. The data reveals a very complicated flow regime around the bank, with some intensification of flow around and over the bank but no movement of water from the bottom of the surrounding shelf up onto the bank.« less

Bacterial biogeography influenced by shelf-basin exchange in the Arctic surface sediment at the Chukchi Borderland.

PubMed

Han, Dukki; Nam, Seung-Il; Ha, Ho Kyung; Kim, Hyoungjun; Sadowsky, Michael J; Lee, Yoo Kyung; Hur, Hor-Gil

2016-02-01

It has been known that continental shelves around the Arctic Ocean play a major role in the ventilation of the deep basins as a consequence of shelf-basin exchange. In the present study, we found that bacterial assemblage of the surface sediment was different from that of seawater while seawater harboured local bacterial assemblages in response to the Arctic hydrography. This finding suggests that the Arctic seafloor sediments may have distinctive bacterial biogeography. Moreover, the distribution of bacterial assemblages and physicochemical properties in surface sediments changed gradually from the Arctic continental shelf to deep-sea basin. Based on the results, bacterial biogeography in the Arctic seafloor sediments may be influenced by winnowing and re-deposition of surface sediments through the sediment gravity flow. The present study offers a deeper understanding of shelf convection and its role for the construction of bacterial assemblages in the Arctic Ocean. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Oceanography and Ecology of the Ross Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Walker O.; Ainley, David G.; Arrigo, Kevin R.; Dinniman, Michael S.

2014-01-01

The continental shelf of the Ross Sea exhibits substantial variations in physical forcing, ice cover, and biological processes on a variety of time and space scales. Its circulation is characterized by advective inputs from the east and exchanges with off-shelf regions via the troughs along the northern portions. Phytoplankton biomass is greater there than anywhere else in the Antarctic, although nitrate is rarely reduced to levels below 10 μmol L-1. Overall growth is regulated by irradiance (via ice at the surface and by the depths of the mixed layers) and iron concentrations. Apex predators reach exceptional abundances, and the world's largest colonies of Adélie and emperor penguins are found there. Krill are represented by two species (Euphausia superba near the shelf break and Euphausia crystallorophias throughout the continental shelf region). Equally important and poorly known is the Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), which is also consumed by most upper-trophic-level predators. Future changes in the Ross Sea environment will have profound and unpredictable effects on the food web.

Regional geologic framework off northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schlee, J.; Behrendt, John C.; Grow, J.A.; Robb, James M.; Mattick, R.; Taylor, P.T.; Lawson, B.J.

1976-01-01

Six multichannel seismic-reflection profiles taken across the Atlantic continental margin Previous HitoffTop the northeastern United States show an excess of 14 km of presumed Mesozoic and younger sedimentary rocks in the Baltimore Canyon trough and 8 km in the Georges Bank basin. Beneath the continental rise, the sedimentary prism thickness exceeds 7 km south of New Jersey and Maryland, and it is 4.5 km thick south of Georges Bank. Stratigraphically, the continental slope--outer edge of the continental shelf is a transition zone of high-velocity sedimentary rock, probably carbonate, that covers deeply subsided basement. Acoustically, the sedimentary sequence beneath the shelf is divided into three units which are correlated speculatively with the Cenozoic, the Cretaceous, and the Jurassic-Triassic sections. These units thicken offshore, and some have increased seismic velocities farther offshore. The uppermost unit thickens from a fraction of a kilometer to slightly more than a kilometer in a seaward direction, and velocity values range from 1.7 to 2.2 km/sec. The middle unit thickens from a fraction of a kilometer to as much as 5 km (northern Baltimore Canyon trough), and seismic velocity ranges from 2.2 to 5.4 km/sec. The lowest unit thickens to a maximum of 9 km (northern Baltimore Canyon), and velocities span the 3.9 to 5.9-km/sec interval. The spatial separation of magnetic and gravity anomalies on line 2 (New Jersey) suggests that in the Baltimore Canyon region the magnetic-slope anomaly is due to edge effects and that the previously reported free-air and isostatic gravity anomalies over the outer shelf may be due in part to a lateral increase in sediment density (velocity) near the shelf edge. The East Coast magnetic anomaly and the free-air gravity high both coincide over the outer shelf edge on line 1 (Georges Bank) but are offset by 20 km from the ridge on the reflection profile. Because the magnetic-slope-anomaly wavelength is nearly 50 km across, a deep source is likely. In part, the positive free-air gravity anomaly likewise may represent the significant lateral density increase within the sedimentary section to ard the outer edge of the shelf.

Maps showing bathymetry and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, pre-Hurricane Sandy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, William C.; Denny, Jane F.; Baldwin, Wayne E.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 2011 by using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents maps of bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, the coastal plain unconformity, the Holocene marine transgressive surface, and modern sediment thickness. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system and provide baseline information for research on coastal processes along southern Long Island.

Measurements of storm-generated bottom stresses on the continental shelf.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cacchione, D.A.; Drake, D.E.

1982-01-01

Large values of bottom friction velocity, u., and roughness length, zo, determined from burst-averaged speed data taken on the continental shelf in outer Norton Sound, Alaska, with the GEOPROBE tripod during a storm are correlated with extremely large values of near-bottom concentration of total suspended particulate matter (TSM). The values obtained from the 'law of the wall' velocity-depth relationship are diminished substantially throughout the storm period when the turbulence-reducing effects of the vertical cncentration gradient of TSM are considered. The values are compared to those obtained from other workers. -from Authors

Sediment dispersal in modern and mid-Holocene basins: implications for shoreline progradation and sediment bypassing, Poverty Bay, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bever, A. J.; Harris, C. K.; McNinch, J.

2006-12-01

Poverty Bay is a small embayment located on the eastern shore of New Zealand's North Island. The modern Waipaoa River, a small mountainous river that drains highly erodible mudstone and siltstone, discharges ~15 million tons of sediment per year to Poverty Bay. Rates of bay infilling from fluvial sediment have varied since the maximum shoreline transgression, ~7000 kya. The evolving geometry of Poverty Bay has likely impacted sediment dispersal over these timescales, and thereby influenced the stratigraphic architecture, rates of shoreline progradation, and sediment supply to the continental shelf. This modeling study investigates sediment transport within both modern and paleo, ~7000 kya, Poverty Bays. The Regional Ocean Modeling System was used to examine sediment transport within modern and ~7000 kya Poverty Bay basin geometries. The numerical model includes hydrodynamics driven by winds and buoyancy, and sediment resuspension from energetic waves and currents. Strong winds and waves from the southeast were used, along with high Waipaoa freshwater and sediment discharge, consistent with storm conditions. Besides shedding light on short term transport mechanisms, these results are being incorporated into a stratigraphic model by Wolinsky and Swenson. The paleo basin geometry narrowed at the head of the bay, causing currents to converge and promoting near- field sediment deposition. Buoyancy and wind driven across-shelf currents in the modern bay transport sediment away from the river mouth. Sediment was deposited closer to the river mouth in the paleo than the modern bay, and the modern bay exported much more sediment to the continental shelf than predicted for the middle Holocene bay. Net across-shelf fluxes decreased from a maximum at the head of the bay to nearly zero at the mouth during the paleo run. The modern run, however, had net across-shelf fluxes still half the maximum at the bay mouth. Results from short term model runs indicated that, with similar river discharges, the 7000 kya Poverty Bay shoreline should have prograded rapidly as sediment was deposited near the river mouth at the head of the bay, an area of little accommodation space. The trapping of sediment within the bay would have lead to a relatively sediment starved continental shelf. As the river mouth progressed towards the wider section of the bay, progradation should have been reduced as both proximal accommodation space and sediment export to the continental shelf increased.

The Fraser Gyre: A cyclonic eddy off the coast of eastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azis Ismail, Mochamad Furqon; Ribbe, Joachim; Karstensen, Johannes; Lemckert, Charles; Lee, Serena; Gustafson, Johann

2017-06-01

This paper examines the on-shelf circulation of the eastern Australian continental shelf for a region off southeast Queensland. We identify a characteristic seasonally reoccurring wind-driven cyclonic flow. It influences the cross-shelf exchange with the East Australian Current (EAC), which is the western boundary current of the South Pacific Ocean. We refer to this cyclonic circulation as the Fraser Gyre. It is located south of Fraser Island between about 25 °S and 27 °S. The region is adjacent to the intensification zone of the EAC where the current accelerates and establishes a swift, albeit seasonally variable southward boundary flow. Through the analysis of several data sets including remotely sensed sea surface temperature and sea surface height anomaly, satellite tracked surface drifters, ocean and atmospheric reanalysis data as well as geostrophic currents from altimetry, we find that the on-shelf Fraser Gyre develops during the southern hemisphere autumn and winter months. The gyre is associated with a longshore near-coast northward flow. Maximum northward on-shelf depth averaged velocities are estimated with about 0.15-0.26 ms-1. The flow turns eastward just to the south of Fraser Island and joins the persistent southward EAC flow along the shelf break. The annual mean net cross-shelf outward and inward flow associated with the gyre is about -1.17 ± 0.23 Sv in the north and 0.23 ± 0.13 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3s-1) in the south. Mean seasonal water renewal time scales of the continental shelf are longest during austral winter with an average of about 3.3 days due to the Fraser Gyre retaining water over the shelf, however, monthly estimates range from 2 to 8 days with the longer timescale during the austral autumn and winter. The southerly wind during austral autumn and winter is identified as controlling the on shelf circulation and is the principal driver of the seasonally appearing Fraser Gyre. The conceptual model of the Fraser Gyre is consistent with general physical principals of the coastal shelf circulation. A southerly wind is associated with surface layer flow toward the coast, a near coast positive SSHa with a current in the direction of the wind, down-welling and export of shelf water. The Fraser Gyre influenced cross-shelf exchanges are possibly facilitating the offshore transport of fish larvae, sediments, nutrients, river discharges, and other properties across the shelf break and into the southward flowing EAC during the austral autumn and winter.

User's guide: Minerals management service outer continental shelf activity database (moad). Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steiner, C.K.; Causley, M.C.; Yocke, M.A.

1994-04-01

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments require the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to conduct a research study to assess the potential onshore air quality impact from the development of outer continental shelf (OCS) petroleum resources in the Gulf of Mexico. The need for this study arises from concern about the cumulative impacts of current and future OCS emissions on ozone concentrations on nonattainment areas, particularly in Texas and Louisiana. To make quantitative assessments of these impacts, MMS has commissioned an air quality study which includes as a major component the development of a comprehensive emission inventory for photochemical grid modeling.more » The emission inventories prepared in this study include both onshore and offshore emissions. All relevant emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic sources are considered, with special attention focused on offshore anthropogenic sources, including OCS oil and gas production facilities, crew and supply vessels and helicopters serving OCS facilities, commercial shipping and fishing, recreational boating, intercoastal barge traffic and other sources located in the adjacent state waters. This document describes the database created during this study that contains the activity information collected for the development of the OCS platform, and crew/supply vessel and helicopter emission inventories.« less

Investigation of the shelf break and continental slope in the Western part of the Black Sea using acoustic methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutu, F.; Ion, G.; Jugaru Tiron, L.

2009-04-01

The Black Sea is a large marginal sea surrounded by a system of Alpine orogenic chains, including the Balkanides-Pontides, Caucasus, Crimea and North Dobrogea located to the south, northeast, north and northwest, respectively (Dinu et al., 2005). The north-western part of the Black Sea is the main depocentre for sediment supply from Central Europe via the Danube River, but also from Eastern Europe through the Ukrainian rivers Dniepr, Dniestr and Southern Bug (Popescu et al., 2004). The shelfbreak is located at water depths of 120-140 m southward of the Danube Canyon, and up to 170 m northward of the canyon possibly due to recent faulting which is very common in this area. The continental slope is dissected by numerous canyons, each of which is fed by several tributaries. The Danube Canyon (also known as Viteaz Canyon) is a large shelf-indenting canyon located in the north-western Black Sea and connected to the youngest channel-levee system of the Danube Fan (Popescu et al., 2004). The acoustic methods are a useful way for investigate the shelf break and the continental slope giving us information about landslides on the continental slope, the topography of the investigated area, the sedimentary zones affected by instability and to quantify the geometry of the underwater landslides. The measurements made on the continental slope from north-western part of the Black Sea gave us the possibility to make a digital terrain model. After processing the data the model offer information about the main access ways of the sediments through gravitational slide on the submarines canyons, with forming of turbidity currents, debris flows and also other transport/transformation phenomena of the sediments on the continental slope like submarine landslides and submarine collapse. References Dinu, C., Wong, H.K., Tambrea, D., Matenco, L., 2005. Stratigraphic and structural characteristics of the Romanian Black Sea shelf. Tectonophysics 410, 417-435. Popescu, I., Lericolais, G., Panin, N., Normand, A., Dinu, C., Le Drezen, E., 2004. The Danube submarine canyon (Black Sea): morphology and sedimentary processes. Marine Geology 206, 249- 265.

Preliminary report on geology along Atlantic Continental Margin of northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minard, J.P.; Perry, W.J.; Weed, E.G.A.; Rhodehamel, E.C.; Robbins, E.I.; Mixon, R.B.

1974-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a geologic and geophysical study of the northeastern United States outer continental shelf and the adjacent slope from Georges Bank to Cape Hatteras. The study also includes the adjacent coastal plain because it is a more accessible extension of the shelf. The total study area is about 324,000 sq km, of which the shelf and slope constitute about 181,000 sq km and the coastal plain constitutes 143,000 sq km. The shelf width ranges from about 30 km at Cape Hatteras to about 195 km off Raritan Bay and on Georges Bank. Analyses of bottom samples make it possible to construct a preliminary geologic map of the shelf and slope to a water depth of 2,000 m. The oldest beds cropping out in the submarine canyons and on the slope are of early ate Cretaceous age. Beds of Early Cretaceous and Jurassic age are present in deep wells onshore and probably are present beneath the shelf in the area of this study. Such beds are reported beneath the Scotian shelf on the northeast where they include limestone, salt, and anhydrite. Preliminary conclusions suggest a considerably thicker Mesozoic sedimentary sequence than has been described previously. The region is large; the sedimentary wedge is thick; structures seem favorable; and the hydrocarbon potential may be considerable.

Miocene stratigraphy and structure of Sabine Pass, West Cameron, and East Cameron outer continental shelf areas, Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, S.Y.; Watkins, J.S.

Mapping of Miocene stratigraphy and structure of the Sabine Pass, West Cameron, and East Cameron areas of the western Louisiana outer continental shelf - based on over 1300 mi of seismic data on a 4-mi grid, paleotops from 60 wells, and logs from 35 wells - resulted in time-structure and isochron maps at six intervals from the upper Pliocene to lower Miocene. The most pronounced structural features are the fault systems, which trend east-northeast to east along the Miocene stratigraphic trend. Isolated normal faults with small displacements characterize the inner inner shelf, whereas interconnected faults with greater displacements characterize themore » outer inner shelf. The inner inner shelf faults exhibit little growth, but expansion across the interconnected outer inner shelf fault ranges up to 1 sec two-way traveltime. The interconnected faults belong to two structurally independent fault families. The innermost shelf faults appear to root in the sediment column. A third set of faults located in the Sabine Pass area trends north-south. This fault set is thought to be related to basement movement and/or basement structure. Very little salt is evident in the area. A single diapir is located in West Cameron Block 110 and vicinity. There is little evidence of deep salt. Overall sediment thickness probably exceeds 20,000 ft, with the middle Miocene accounting for 8000 ft.« less

Tidal Impacts on Oceanographic and Sea-ice Processes in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padman, L.; Muench, R. D.; Howard, S.; Mueller, R.

2008-12-01

We review recent field and modeling results that demonstrate the importance of tides in establishing the oceanographic and sea-ice conditions in the boundary regions of the Southern Ocean. The tidal component dominates the total oceanic kinetic energy throughout much of the circum-Antarctic seas. This domination is especially pronounced over the continental slope and shelf including the sub-ice-shelf cavities. Tides provide most of the energy that forces diapycnal mixing under ice shelves and thereby contributes to basal melting. The resulting Ice Shelf Water is a significant component of the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) filling much of the deep global ocean. Tides exert significant divergent forcing on sea ice along glacial ice fronts and coastal regions, contributing to creation and maintenance of the coastal polynyas where much of the High Salinity Shelf Water component of AABW is formed. Additional tidally forced ice divergence along the shelf break and upper slope significantly impacts area-averaged ice growth and upper-ocean salinity. Tidally forced cross- slope advection, and mixing by the benthic stress associated with tidal currents along the shelf break and upper slope, strongly influence the paths, volume fluxes and hydrographic properties of benthic outflows of dense water leaving the continental shelf. These outflows provide primary source waters for the AABW. These results confirm that general ocean circulation and coupled ocean/ice/atmosphere climate models must incorporate the impacts of tides.

33 CFR 106.305 - Facility Security Assessment (FSA) requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., including computer systems and networks; (vi) Existing agreements with private security companies; (vii) Any... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Facility Security Assessment (FSA... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental...

33 CFR 106.305 - Facility Security Assessment (FSA) requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., including computer systems and networks; (vi) Existing agreements with private security companies; (vii) Any... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Facility Security Assessment (FSA... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental...

33 CFR 106.305 - Facility Security Assessment (FSA) requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., including computer systems and networks; (vi) Existing agreements with private security companies; (vii) Any... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Facility Security Assessment (FSA... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental...

33 CFR 106.305 - Facility Security Assessment (FSA) requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., including computer systems and networks; (vi) Existing agreements with private security companies; (vii) Any... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Facility Security Assessment (FSA... SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARINE SECURITY: OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) FACILITIES Outer Continental...

Tidally induced residual current over the Malin Sea continental slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stashchuk, Nataliya; Vlasenko, Vasiliy; Hosegood, Phil; Nimmo-Smith, W. Alex M.

2017-05-01

Tidally induced residual currents generated over shelf-slope topography are investigated analytically and numerically using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model. Observational support for the presence of such a slope current was recorded over the Malin Sea continental slope during the 88-th cruise of the RRS ;James Cook; in July 2013. A simple analytical formula developed here in the framework of time-averaged shallow water equations has been validated against a fully nonlinear nonhydrostatic numerical solution. A good agreement between analytical and numerical solutions is found for a wide range of input parameters of the tidal flow and bottom topography. In application to the Malin Shelf area both the numerical model and analytical solution predicted a northward moving current confined to the slope with its core located above the 400 m isobath and with vertically averaged maximum velocities up to 8 cm s-1, which is consistent with the in-situ data recorded at three moorings and along cross-slope transects.

Polychaete/amphipod ratio as an indicator of environmental impact related to offshore oil and gas production along the Norwegian continental shelf.

PubMed

Andrade, Hector; Renaud, Paul E

2011-12-01

Benthic faunal data is regularly collected worldwide to assess the ecological quality of marine environments. Recently, there has been renewed interest in developing biological indices able to identify environmental status and potential anthropogenic impacts. In this paper we evaluate the performance of a general polychaete/amphipod ratio along the Norwegian continental shelf as an environmental indicator for offshore oil and gas impacts. Two main trends are apparent: first, a contamination gradient is discernible from where production takes place compared to stations 10,000 m away. Second, the quality of the marine environment has improved over time. These results are consistent with monitoring reports employing a combination of uni- and multi-variate statistics. Thus, we consider this ratio as a relatively simple, useful and potentially cost-effective complement to other more demanding assessment techniques. Because of its strong theoretical basis, it may also be useful for detecting ecological change as a result of other activities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Authigenesis of trace metals in energetic tropical shelf environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breckel, E.J.; Emerson, S.; Balistrieri, L.S.

2005-01-01

We evaluated authigenic changes of Fe, Mn, V, U, Mo, Cd and Re in suboxic, periodically remobilized, tropical shelf sediments from the Amazon continental shelf and the Gulf of Papua. The Cd/Al, Mo/Al, and U/Al ratios in Amazon shelf sediments were 82%, 37%, and 16% less than those in Amazon River suspended sediments, respectively. Very large depletions of U previously reported in this environment were not observed. The Cd/Al ratios in Gulf of Papua sediments were 76% lower than measurements made on several Papua New Guinea rivers, whereas U/Al ratios in the shelf sediments were enriched by approximately 20%. Other metal/Al ratios in the Papua New Guinea river suspended sediments and continental shelf sediments were not distinguishably different. Comparison of metal/Al ratios to grain size distributions in Gulf of Papua samples indicates that our observations cannot be attributed to differences in grain size between the river suspended sediments and continental shelf sediments. These two shelves constitute a source of dissolved Cd to the world ocean equal to 29-100% of the dissolved Cd input from rivers, but only 3% of the dissolved Mo input and 4% of the dissolved U input. Release of Cd, Mo, and U in tropical shelf sediments is likely a result of intense Fe and Mn oxide reduction in pore waters and resuspension of the sediments. Since we do not observe depletions of particulate Fe and Mn in the shelf sediments most of these dissolved metals must reoxidize in the overlying waters and reprecipitate. As Cd exhibits the largest losses on these tropical shelves, we examined the ability of newly formed Fe and Mn oxides to adsorb dissolved Cd using a geochemical diffuse double-layer surface complexation model and found the oxide surfaces are relatively ineffective at readsorbing Cd in seawater due to surface-site competition by Mg and Ca. If the remobilization and reoxidation of Fe and Mn occurs frequently enough before sediment is buried significant amounts of Cd may be removed from the oxide surfaces. Because a much greater percentage of Mn than Fe becomes remobilized in these shelf sediments, metals closely associated with Mn oxides (like Cd) are more likely to show losses during deposition. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial Extent of Wave-Supported Fluid Mud on the Waipaoa Continental Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale, R. P.; Ogston, A. S.; Walsh, J. P.; Orpin, A. R.

2013-12-01

Data from acoustic and optical sensors provide a powerful tool to connect near-bed water-column processes with the deposits they generate. Ideally, the product of water-column and seabed interactions can then be applied more broadly to understand systems as a whole, in both space and time. Recent observational research has allowed for an improved understanding of shelf sediment-transport dynamics in many coastal systems, including the dynamic Waipaoa Sedimentary System (WSS), on the east coast of the north island of New Zealand. This narrow shelf (~20 km) on an active continental margin is subject to strong environmental forcings in the form of high waves (>5 m), strong currents (>50 cm/s), and frequent floods of the Waipaoa River, which delivers an average of 15 MT of sediment to Poverty Bay and the coastal environment each year. A year-long study of the WSS during 2010-2011 combined observational data from instrumented tripods at three locations on the continental shelf, with repeat sediment cores collected in four-month intervals, to identify and assess the mechanisms of cross- and off-shelf sediment transport. Observational data identified that cross-shelf sediment transport is stochastic, typically driven by high-wave events, with 40% of the net annual cross-shelf flux for one tripod location occurring during a single wave-supported fluid mud (WSFM) in July 2010. Fortunately, this event was recorded in the instrument data, and the resulting deposit was plainly visible in x-radiograph images. This particular WSFM was observed in x-radiographs collected as deep as ~50 m, and as far as ~28 km from the mouth of the Waipaoa River, and is more prevalent on the northern portion of the shelf. A critical water depth is not the only criteria for WSFM deposition, as some shallower areas on the southern shelf, which were subject to high bed stress, show no evidence of WSFM in this event, while cores collected in deeper areas (e.g. lower bed stress) on the northern shelf did observe WSFM. Interestingly, several cores on the southern shelf do appear to preserve evidence of previous wave-reworking of the seabed. It appears that the presence of a river plume and associated sediment, as well as the direction in which it is advected, are instrumental in WSFM generation.

Patterns in Stable Isotope Values of Nitrogen and Carbon in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Stable isotope measurements of nitrogen and carbon (15N, 13ddC) are often used to characterize estuarine, nearshore, and open ocean ecosystems. Reliable information about the spatial distribution of base-level stable isotope values, often represented by primary producers, is critical to interpreting values in these ecosystems. While base-level isotope data are generally readily available for estuaries, nearshore coastal waters, and the open ocean, the continental shelf is less studied. To address this, and as a first step toward developing a surrogate for base-level isotopic signature in this region, we collected surface and deep water samples from the United States’ eastern continental shelf in the Western Atlantic Ocean, from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, periodically between 2000 and 2013. During the study, particulate matter 15dN values ranged from 0.8 to 17.4‰, and 13dC values from −26.4 to −15.6‰over the region. We used spatial autocorrelation analysis and random forest modeling to examine the spatial trends and potential environmental drivers of the stable isotope values. We observed general trends toward lower values for both nitrogen and carbon isotopes at the seaward edge of the shelf. Conversely, higher 15dN and 13dC values were observed on the landward edge of the shelf, in particular in the southern portion of the sampling area. Across all sites, the magnitude of the difference between the 15dN of subsurface and surface particulate m

Seismic stratigraphy of the Mississippi-Alabama shelf and upper continental slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kindinger, J.L.

1988-01-01

The Mississippi-Alabama shelf and upper continental slope contain relatively thin Upper Pleistocene and Holocene deposits. Five stages of shelf evolution can be identified from the early Wisconsinan to present. The stages were controlled by glacioeustatic or relative sea-level changes and are defined by the stratigraphic position of depositional and erosional episodes. The stratigraphy was identified on seismic profiles by means of geomorphic pattern, high-angle clinoform progradational deposits, buried stream entrenchments, planar conformities, and erosional unconformities. The oldest stage (stage 1) of evolution occurred during the early Wisconsinan lowstand; the subaerially exposed shelf was eroded to a smooth seaward-sloping surface. This paleosurface is overlain by a thin (< 10 m) drape of transgressive deposits (stage 2). Stage 3 occurred in three phases as the late Wisconsinan sea retreated: (1) fluvial channel systems eroded across the shelf, (2) deposited a thick (90 m) shelf-margin delta, and (3) contemporaneously deposited sediments on the upper slope. Stage 4 included the rapid Holocene sea-level rise that deposited a relatively thin transgressive facies over parts of the shelf. The last major depositional episode (stage 5) was the progradation of the St. Bernard delta over the northwestern and central parts of the area. A depositional hiatus has occurred since the St. Bernard progradation. These Upper Quaternary shelf and slope deposits provide models for analogous deposits in the geologic record. Primarily, they are examples of cyclic sedimentation caused by changes in sea level and may be useful in describing short-term, sandy depositional episodes in prograding shelf and slope sequences. ?? 1988.

A 3D, finite element model for baroclinic circulation on the Vancouver Island continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walters, R.A.; Foreman, M.G.G.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the development and application of a 3-dimensional model of the barotropic and baroclinic circulation on the continental shelf west of Vancouver Island, Canada. A previous study with a 2D barotropic model and field data revealed that several tidal constituents have a significant baroclinic component (the K1 in particular). Thus we embarked on another study with a 3D model to study the baroclinic effects on the residual and several selected tidal constituents. The 3D model uses a harmonic expansion in time and a finite element discretization in space. All nonlinear terms are retained, including quadratic bottom stress, advection and wave transport (continuity nonlinearity). The equations are solved as a global and a local problem, where the global problem is the solution of the wave equation formulation of the shallow water equations, and the local problem is the solution of the momentum equation for the vertical velocity profile. These equations are coupled to the advection-diffusion equation for density so that density gradient forcing is included in the momentum equations. However, the study presented here describes diagnostic calculations for the baroclinic residual circulation only. The model is sufficiently efficient that it encourages sensitivity testing with a large number of model runs. In this sense, the model is akin to an extension of analytical solutions to the domain of irregular geometry and bottom topography where this parameter space can be explored in some detail. In particular, the consequences of the sigma coordinate system used by the model are explored. Test cases using an idealized representation of the continental shelf, shelf break and shelf slope, lead to an estimation of the velocity errors caused by interpolation errors inherent in the sigma coordinate system. On the basis of these estimates, the computational grid used in the 2D model is found to have inadequate resolution. Thus a new grid is generated with increased accuracy in the region of the shelf break. However, even with increased resolution, spurious baroclinic circulation seaward of the shelf break and in the vicinity of Juan de Fuca canyon remained a significant problem when the pressure gradient terms were evaluated using the ?? coordinate system and using a realistic density profile. With the new grid, diagnostic calculations of the barotropic and baroclinic residual circulation are performed using forcing from the observed ??t (density) field and from the gradient of this field. ?? 1992.

Is there a distinct continental slope fauna in the Antarctic?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, Stefanie; Griffiths, Huw J.; Barnes, David K. A.; Brandão, Simone N.; Brandt, Angelika; O'Brien, Philip E.

2011-02-01

The Antarctic continental slope spans the depths from the shelf break (usually between 500 and 1000 m) to ˜3000 m, is very steep, overlain by 'warm' (2-2.5 °C) Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), and life there is poorly studied. This study investigates whether life on Antarctica's continental slope is essentially an extension of the shelf or the abyssal fauna, a transition zone between these or clearly distinct in its own right. Using data from several cruises to the Weddell Sea and Scotia Sea, including the ANDEEP (ANtarctic benthic DEEP-sea biodiversity, colonisation history and recent community patterns) I-III, BIOPEARL (BIOdiversity, Phylogeny, Evolution and Adaptive Radiation of Life in Antarctica) 1 and EASIZ (Ecology of the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone) II cruises as well as current databases (SOMBASE, SCAR-MarBIN), four different taxa were selected (i.e. cheilostome bryozoans, isopod and ostracod crustaceans and echinoid echinoderms) and two areas, the Weddell Sea and the Scotia Sea, to examine faunal composition, richness and affinities. The answer has important ramifications to the link between physical oceanography and ecology, and the potential of the slope to act as a refuge and resupply zone to the shelf during glaciations. Benthic samples were collected using Agassiz trawl, epibenthic sledge and Rauschert sled. By bathymetric definition, these data suggest that despite eurybathy in some of the groups examined and apparent similarity of physical conditions in the Antarctic, the shelf, slope and abyssal faunas were clearly separated in the Weddell Sea. However, no such separation of faunas was apparent in the Scotia Sea (except in echinoids). Using a geomorphological definition of the slope, shelf-slope-abyss similarity only changed significantly in the bryozoans. Our results did not support the presence of a homogenous and unique Antarctic slope fauna despite a high number of species being restricted to the slope. However, it remains the case that there may be a unique Antarctic slope fauna, but the paucity of our samples could not demonstrate this in the Scotia Sea. It is very likely that various ecological and evolutionary factors (such as topography, water-mass and sediment characteristics, input of particulate organic carbon (POC) and glaciological history) drive slope distinctness. Isopods showed greatest species richness at slope depths, whereas bryozoans and ostracods were more speciose at shelf depths; however, significance varied across Weddell Sea and Scotia Sea and depending on bathymetric vs. geomorphological definitions. Whilst the slope may harbour some source populations for localised shelf recolonisation, the absence of many shelf species, genera and even families (in a poorly dispersing taxon) from the continental slope indicate that it was not a universal refuge for Antarctic shelf fauna.

Flocculation, heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) and the sand-mud transition on the Adriatic continental shelf, Italy

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, D.A.; Hill, P.S.; Milligan, T.G.

2007-01-01

Across a limited depth range (5-10 m) on many continental shelves, the dominant sediment size changes from sand to mud. This important boundary, called the sand-mud transition (SMT), separates distinct benthic habitats, causes a significant change in acoustic backscatter, represents a key facies change, and delimits more surface-reactive mud from less surface-reactive sand. With the goal of improving dynamical understanding of the SMT, surficial sediments were characterized across two SMTs on the Adriatic continental shelf of Italy. Geometric mean diameter, specific surface area (SSA), mud fraction (<63 ??m) and heavy metal concentrations were all measured. The SMT related to the Tronto River is identified between 15 and 20 m water depth while the SMT associated with the Pescara River varies between 15 and 25 m water depth. The sediment properties correlate with a new, process-based sedimentological parameter that quantifies the fraction of the sediment in the seabed that was delivered as flocs. These correlations suggest that floc dynamics exert strong influence over sediment textural properties and metal concentrations. Relative constancy in the depth of the SMT along this portion of the margin and its lack of evolution over a period during which sediment input to the margin has dramatically decreased suggest that on the Adriatic continental shelf energy is the dominant control on the depth of the SMT. ?? 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First oceanographic observations on the Wandel Sea shelf in Northeast Greenland: Tracing the Arctic Ocean outflow through the western Fram Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dmitrenko, Igor A.; Kirillov, Sergei A.; Rudels, Bert; Babb, David G.; Pedersen, Leif T.; Rysgaard, Soeren; Kristoffersen, Yngve; Barber, David G.

2016-04-01

The first-ever conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) observations on the Wandel Sea shelf in North Eastern Greenland were collected from the land-fast ice in April-May 2015 as a part of the Arctic Science Partnership collaboration during the first research campaign at the Villum Research Station. They were complemented by (i) the ice-tethered profiler (ITP) and Acoustic Dopler Current Profiler (ADCP) mooring observations in ~300 m of the tidewater glacier outlet from the Flade Isblink Ice Cap and (ii) CTDs taken in June-July 2015 along the Wandel Sea continental slope during the Norwegian FRAM 2014-15 sea ice drift. The CTD profiles deeper than 100 m are used to reveal the origin of water masses and determine the extent to which these water masses have interacted with ambient water from the continental slope. The subsurface water layer from ~20-70 m depth is comprised of freshened water (30-32 psu) that is likely associated with the Pacific Water outflow from the Arctic Ocean through the western Fram Strait. The underlying halocline layer centered at ~80 m (~33 psu) separates the Pacific Water layer from a deeper (<140 m) layer of modified Polar Water that has interacted with the warm Atlantic Water outflow through Fram Strait. The Atlantic Water layer with temperature above 0°C is recorded below 140 m. Over the outer shelf, the halocline layer shows numerous cold density-compensated intrusions indicating lateral interaction with an ambient Polar Water mass across the continental slope. Mooring data shows an enhanced shelf-slope interaction responding the storm event in 23-24 April 2015 with northerly winds exceeding 10 m/s. The on-shelf transport of a cold and turbid water from the upper continental slope results in enhanced interleaving within the depth range of the halocline layer (~70-100 m). Our observations of Pacific Water in the Wandel Sea subsurface layer are set in the context of upstream observations in the Beaufort Sea for 2002-2011 and downstream observations from the Northeast Water Polynya (1992-1993), and clearly show the modification of Pacific Water during its advection across the Arctic Ocean from the Bering Strait to Fram Strait. Moreover, the Wandel Sea shelf and continental slope water shows a different water mass structure indicating the different origin and pathways of the on-shore and off-shore branches of the Arctic Ocean outflow through the Western Fram Strait.

76 FR 71595 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales for Years 2012-2017

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-18

..., these comments should identify specific CMP policies of concern, the nature of the conflict foreseen... conditions or conflicts, or other information that might bear upon the potential leasing and development of this area. Comments are also sought on potential conflicts between future OCS oil and gas activities...

77 FR 40376 - Outer Continental Shelf, Oil and Gas Lease Sales in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (CPA...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-09

..., archaeological and socioeconomic conditions or conflicts, or other information that might bear upon the potential leasing and development of this area. BOEM also seeks comments on possible conflicts between future OCS... Programs (CMPs). If possible, these comments should identify specific CMP policies of concern, the nature...

30 CFR 550.251 - If I propose activities in the Alaska OCS Region, what planning information must accompany the DPP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... production activities in the Alaska OCS Region, the following planning information must accompany your DPP... Region, what planning information must accompany the DPP? 550.251 Section 550.251 Mineral Resources... IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

30 CFR 550.251 - If I propose activities in the Alaska OCS Region, what planning information must accompany the DPP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... production activities in the Alaska OCS Region, the following planning information must accompany your DPP... Region, what planning information must accompany the DPP? 550.251 Section 550.251 Mineral Resources... IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

30 CFR 550.251 - If I propose activities in the Alaska OCS Region, what planning information must accompany the DPP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... production activities in the Alaska OCS Region, the following planning information must accompany your DPP... Region, what planning information must accompany the DPP? 550.251 Section 550.251 Mineral Resources... IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

75 FR 21653 - Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Delaware-Request...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-26

... to enable MMS to gauge specific interest in commercial development of OCS wind resources in the area... (IP) to allow the issuance of leases to assess the renewable energy resource potential on the OCS and... resources that will guarantee stable prices for electricity. The Delaware legislature also passed a...

The Coastal Zone: Man and Nature. An Application of the Socio-Scientific Reasoning Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maul, June Paradise; And Others

The curriculum model described here has been designed by incorporating the socio-scientific reasoning model with a simulation design in an attempt to have students investigate the onshore impacts of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) gas and oil development. The socio-scientific reasoning model incorporates a logical/physical reasoning component as…

76 FR 38676 - Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Central Planning Area (CPA), Oil and Gas...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-01

... September 2008. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEMRE developed the Draft SEIS for CPA Lease Sale 216/222 to consider new information made available since completion of the Multisale EIS and 2009-2012 SEIS, including information concerning the Deepwater Horizon event and spill and new regulatory requirements. This Draft SEIS...

75 FR 20271 - Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf-Oil and Gas Production...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-19

... amending the regulations regarding oil and natural gas production requirements. This is a complete rewrite... flaring natural gas, to ensure appropriate development of these natural resources. The final rule eliminates most restrictions on production rates and clarifies limits on the amount of natural gas that can...

30 CFR 250.256 - What related facilities and operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What related facilities and operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.256 Section 250.256 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

30 CFR 250.250 - What oil and hazardous substance spills information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What oil and hazardous substance spills information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.250 Section 250.250 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

Projected status of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) in the twenty-first century

Treesearch

Chadwick V. Jay; Bruce G. Marcot; David C. Douglas

2011-01-01

Extensive and rapid losses of sea ice in the Arctic have raised conservation concerns for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), a large pinniped inhabiting arctic and subarctic continental shelf waters of the Chukchi and Bering seas. We developed a Bayesian network model to integrate potential effects of changing environmental...

78 FR 36244 - Information Collection; Proposed Collection for OMB Review; Comment Request: General Oil and Gas...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... all operations conducted under a lease. Operations in the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop oil.... Section 1332(6) states that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf should be conducted in a safe... deal with regulatory requirements of oil, gas, and sulphur operations on the OCS. This request also...

75 FR 44276 - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE); Cancellation of Oil and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-28

... Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, (the National Commission was established by Executive...); Cancellation of Oil and Gas Lease Sale 215 in the Western Planning Area (WPA) on the Outer Continental Shelf... measures to improve the safety of oil and gas development in Federal waters, provide greater environmental...

Microphytobenthos production potential and contribution to bottom layer oxygen dynamics on the inner Louisiana continental shelf

EPA Science Inventory

To investigate the relative importance of microphytobenthos (MPB) oxygen (O2) production on a river-dominated shelf, we made sediment core incubation measurements of MPB O2 production and sediment O2 consumption, and compared these to water-column measures of primary production ...

Ecology of Great Salt Pond, Block Island

EPA Science Inventory

Great Salt Pond is an island of estuarine water on Block Island, which sits in the middle of the Northwest Atlantic Continental Shelf. When the last continental glaciers retreated, they left a high spot on a terminal moraine. The rising sea from melting glaciers formed two island...

The WilkEs land GlAcial history (WEGA) Project (East Antarctica): Preliminary Results From the Analysis of Multichannel Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Santis, L.; Brancolini, G.; Harris, P. T.; Donda, F.

2001-12-01

This work presents a preliminary interpretation of seismic reflection data collected in February-March 2000, from the Wilkes Land-George V continental margin (East Antarctica), in the frame of the international, multidisciplinary WEGA project (WilkEs basin GlAcial hystory), funded by the Italian (PNRA) and Australian (CRC) Antarctic agencies. The aim of the project is to reconstruct the Cenozoic evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, throughout the investigation of the sedimentary sequences deposited on the Wilkes Land continental margin between 68oS and 65oS of latitude and between 143oE and 148oE of longitude. The data used are gravity and piston cores up to 5.5 m in length, multichannel seismic reflection and subbottom - chirp profiles. On the inner continental shelf the expedition discovered and mapped a shelf sediment drift deposit covering about 400 km2, lying in an >800m deep section of the George Vth Basin west of the Mertz Glacier. The ``Mertz Drift'' is over 35 m thick and core samples demonstrate that it is composed of laminated, anoxic, olive green, siliceous mud and diatom ooze (SMO). On the continental rise there are 3 sediment mounds, elongated perpendicularly to the margin, each ca.150 km in length and more than 20 km wide (covering ca. 3000 km2) that have been surveyed. The present depth of the mound crests ranges from 2300 m to 3500 m. The crests dip ca. 0.5o downslope and they are bound by channels whose axes lie up to 500 m below the mound crests. In this work in particular we present a model for the origin and evolution of the rise mounds in the frame of Cenozoic glaciations. The evolution of the rise mounds and channels likely started in the early-mid Miocene and was influenced mainly by downslope currents, showing a strong variability both in space and in time. The main growth phase of the mounds is characterised by the incision of deep channels and the deposition of large levees with well developed sediment waves, likely formed on the overbanks of high energetic turbidity currents. The eastward migration of the mound crests and of the inter-mounds channels is consistent with the deviation of downwelling flow in the southern Hemisphere toward west along the slope and the rise in response to the Coriolis force. In recent times the high topographic relief of the rise mounds and channels was gradually filled and draped with sediment, and only locally maintained (mound attenuation phase). Large shelf margin prograding wedges developed during or possibly after this time. Differences in the current energy are believed to reflect variations of the terrigenous delivery from the shelf to the rise. In particular we suggest that the phase of the main mound development represents a deposition under a temperate glacial regime, when a large amount of sediment was likely delivered to the slope and rise by wet-based glaciers grounding on the continental shelf. We believe that the reduction of both the ambient energy and the sediment supply in the most recent attenuation phase of the mounds marks a transition from the temperate, wet-based to the present polar, dry-based glacial regime.

Ocean processes at the Antarctic continental slope

PubMed Central

Heywood, Karen J.; Schmidtko, Sunke; Heuzé, Céline; Kaiser, Jan; Jickells, Timothy D.; Queste, Bastien Y.; Stevens, David P.; Wadley, Martin; Thompson, Andrew F.; Fielding, Sophie; Guihen, Damien; Creed, Elizabeth; Ridley, Jeff K.; Smith, Walker

2014-01-01

The Antarctic continental shelves and slopes occupy relatively small areas, but, nevertheless, are important for global climate, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning. Processes of water mass transformation through sea ice formation/melting and ocean–atmosphere interaction are key to the formation of deep and bottom waters as well as determining the heat flux beneath ice shelves. Climate models, however, struggle to capture these physical processes and are unable to reproduce water mass properties of the region. Dynamics at the continental slope are key for correctly modelling climate, yet their small spatial scale presents challenges both for ocean modelling and for observational studies. Cross-slope exchange processes are also vital for the flux of nutrients such as iron from the continental shelf into the mixed layer of the Southern Ocean. An iron-cycling model embedded in an eddy-permitting ocean model reveals the importance of sedimentary iron in fertilizing parts of the Southern Ocean. Ocean gliders play a key role in improving our ability to observe and understand these small-scale processes at the continental shelf break. The Gliders: Excellent New Tools for Observing the Ocean (GENTOO) project deployed three Seagliders for up to two months in early 2012 to sample the water to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula in unprecedented temporal and spatial detail. The glider data resolve small-scale exchange processes across the shelf-break front (the Antarctic Slope Front) and the front's biogeochemical signature. GENTOO demonstrated the capability of ocean gliders to play a key role in a future multi-disciplinary Southern Ocean observing system. PMID:24891389

Ocean processes at the Antarctic continental slope.

PubMed

Heywood, Karen J; Schmidtko, Sunke; Heuzé, Céline; Kaiser, Jan; Jickells, Timothy D; Queste, Bastien Y; Stevens, David P; Wadley, Martin; Thompson, Andrew F; Fielding, Sophie; Guihen, Damien; Creed, Elizabeth; Ridley, Jeff K; Smith, Walker

2014-07-13

The Antarctic continental shelves and slopes occupy relatively small areas, but, nevertheless, are important for global climate, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning. Processes of water mass transformation through sea ice formation/melting and ocean-atmosphere interaction are key to the formation of deep and bottom waters as well as determining the heat flux beneath ice shelves. Climate models, however, struggle to capture these physical processes and are unable to reproduce water mass properties of the region. Dynamics at the continental slope are key for correctly modelling climate, yet their small spatial scale presents challenges both for ocean modelling and for observational studies. Cross-slope exchange processes are also vital for the flux of nutrients such as iron from the continental shelf into the mixed layer of the Southern Ocean. An iron-cycling model embedded in an eddy-permitting ocean model reveals the importance of sedimentary iron in fertilizing parts of the Southern Ocean. Ocean gliders play a key role in improving our ability to observe and understand these small-scale processes at the continental shelf break. The Gliders: Excellent New Tools for Observing the Ocean (GENTOO) project deployed three Seagliders for up to two months in early 2012 to sample the water to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula in unprecedented temporal and spatial detail. The glider data resolve small-scale exchange processes across the shelf-break front (the Antarctic Slope Front) and the front's biogeochemical signature. GENTOO demonstrated the capability of ocean gliders to play a key role in a future multi-disciplinary Southern Ocean observing system.

The role of remote wind forcing in the subinertial current variability in the central and northern parts of the South Brazil Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dottori, Marcelo; Castro, Belmiro Mendes

2018-06-01

Data analysis of continental shelf currents and coastal sea level, together with the application of a semi-analytical model, are used to estimate the importance of remote wind forcing on the subinertial variability of the current in the central and northern areas of the South Brazil Bight. Results from both the data analysis and from the semi-analytical model are robust in showing subinertial variability that propagates along-shelf leaving the coast to the left in accordance with theoretical studies of Continental Shelf Waves (CSW). Both the subinertial variability observed in along-shelf currents and sea level oscillations present different propagation speeds for the narrow northern part of the SBB ( 6-7 m/s) and the wide central SBB region ( 11 m/s), those estimates being in agreement with the modeled CSW propagation speed. On the inner and middle shelf, observed along-shelf subinertial currents show higher correlation coefficients with the winds located southward and earlier in time than with the local wind at the current meter mooring position and at the time of measurement. The inclusion of the remote (located southwestward) wind forcing improves the prediction of the subinertial currents when compared to the currents forced only by the local wind, since the along-shelf-modeled currents present correlation coefficients with observed along-shelf currents up to 20% higher on the inner and middle shelf when the remote wind is included. For most of the outer shelf, on the other hand, this is not observed since usually, the correlation between the currents and the synoptic winds is not statistically significant.

Role of CO2-forced Antarctic shelf freshening on local shelf warming in an eddying global climate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goddard, P.; Dufour, C.; Yin, J.; Griffies, S. M.; Winton, M.

2017-12-01

Ocean warming near the Antarctic ice shelves has critical implications for future ice sheet mass loss and global sea level rise. A global climate model (GFDL CM2.6) with an eddying ocean is used to quantify and better understand the mechanisms contributing to ocean warming on the Antarctic continental shelf in an idealized 2xCO2 experiment. The results indicate that the simulated shelf region warming varies in magnitude at different locations. Relatively large warm anomalies occur both in the upper 100 m and at depth, which are controlled by different mechanisms. Here, we focus on the deep shelf warming and its relationship to shelf freshening. Under CO2-forcing, enhanced runoff from Antarctica, more regional precipitation, and reduction of sea ice contribute to the shelf freshening. The freshening increases the lateral density gradient of the Antarctic Slope Front, which can limit along-isopycnal onshore transport of heat from the Circumpolar Deep Water across the shelf break. Thus, the magnitude and location of the freshening anomalies govern the magnitude and location of onshore heat transport and deep warm anomalies. Additionally, the freshening increases vertical stratification on the shelf. The enhanced stratification reduces vertical mixing of heat associated with diffusion and gravitational instabilities, further contributing to the build-up of temperature anomalies at depth. Freshening is a crucial driver of the magnitude and location of the warming; however, other drivers influence the warming such as CO2-forced weakening of the easterly wind stress and associated shoaling of isotherms. Understanding the relative role of freshening in the inhomogeneous ocean warming of the Antarctic continental shelf would lead to better projections of future ice sheet mass loss, especially near the most vulnerable calving fronts.

The role of remote wind forcing in the subinertial current variability in the central and northern parts of the South Brazil Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dottori, Marcelo; Castro, Belmiro Mendes

2018-05-01

Data analysis of continental shelf currents and coastal sea level, together with the application of a semi-analytical model, are used to estimate the importance of remote wind forcing on the subinertial variability of the current in the central and northern areas of the South Brazil Bight. Results from both the data analysis and from the semi-analytical model are robust in showing subinertial variability that propagates along-shelf leaving the coast to the left in accordance with theoretical studies of Continental Shelf Waves (CSW). Both the subinertial variability observed in along-shelf currents and sea level oscillations present different propagation speeds for the narrow northern part of the SBB ( 6-7 m/s) and the wide central SBB region ( 11 m/s), those estimates being in agreement with the modeled CSW propagation speed. On the inner and middle shelf, observed along-shelf subinertial currents show higher correlation coefficients with the winds located southward and earlier in time than with the local wind at the current meter mooring position and at the time of measurement. The inclusion of the remote (located southwestward) wind forcing improves the prediction of the subinertial currents when compared to the currents forced only by the local wind, since the along-shelf-modeled currents present correlation coefficients with observed along-shelf currents up to 20% higher on the inner and middle shelf when the remote wind is included. For most of the outer shelf, on the other hand, this is not observed since usually, the correlation between the currents and the synoptic winds is not statistically significant.

Recurrent decadal-scale dust events over Holocene western Africa and their control on canyon turbidite activity (Mauritania)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanebuth, Till J. J.; Henrich, Rüdiger

2009-02-01

Sediment records from continental shelves and slopes might provide paleoenvironmental information in the highest temporal resolution but are often hampered due to strong erosional and reworking processes. Here, we present a Holocene sedimentary record from an exceptional shelf mud belt depocenter off northern Mauritania, compared to a second sediment core located inside a large canyon system at the adjacent continental slope. Both records are of outstandingly continuous and highest temporal resolution (9 a/cm) and are investigated by sedimentological and geochemical methods. A series of sharply defined, recurrent dust peaks is preserved in the shelf archive. Each event has lasted for a single decade only and seems to coincide with an individual turbidite bed in the canyon. A joint mechanism should, thus, be responsible for both of these deposits and we suggest a regional atmospheric trigger. Only short-lasting Trade wind strengthening would cause such pronounced aridity over western Saharan Africa. The effect would be massive dust export to shelf and slope. Recently developed high resolution aridity and humidity records from western Africa support the existence of these events over the Holocene and identify them as being controlled by the Atlantic system as far south as 19°N.

Problems of deep drilling in abnormally pressured zones of the Kara Sea continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simonov, V.I.

1996-12-31

There are discussed results of drilling operations in shelf hydrocarbon areas of the Far North of Tyumen Region (Kharassavieskaya, Bovanenkovskaya and Krusenshternskaya ones) and on the Bely Island. The author describes equipment and technologies used, problems arising in the process of operations and possible ways of solving them. Application of the results discussed in the report seems rather attractive in connection with possible realization of joint projects on development of the mentioned areas. Thus, Amoco Eurasia plans to participate in development of Bovanenkovskoye and Novoportovskoye fields. Well planning for Amoco has been done of specialists of ZapSibBurNIPI. Experience of Russianmore » drilling companies in the Yamal area (Far North of Tyumen Region) has proved that well planning for shelf areas requires special attention as drilling-in both overpressured zones (Bovanenkovskoye field) and underpressured ones (Novoportovskoye field) is done actually in balance. Investigated are reasons for such drilling problems as kicks and lost circulation. Taking them into consideration will help to decrease considerably the cost of well drilling in shelf areas.« less

Evolution of a Greenland Ice sheet Including Shelves and Regional Sea Level Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, Sarah; Reerink, Thomas; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.; Helsen, Michiel; Goelzer, Heiko

2016-04-01

Observational evidence, including offshore moraines and marine sediment cores infer that at the Last Glacial maximum (LGM) the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) grounded out across the Davis Strait into Baffin Bay, with fast flowing ice streams extending out to the continental shelf break along the NW margin. These observations lead to a number of questions as to weather the GIS and Laurentide ice sheet (LIS) coalesced during glacial maximums, and if so, did a significant ice shelf develop across Baffin Bay and how would such a configuration impact on the relative contribution of these ice sheets to eustatic sea level (ESL). Most previous paleo ice sheet modelling simulations of the GIS recreated an ice sheet that either did not extend out onto the continental shelf or utilised a simplified marine ice parameterisation to recreate an extended GIS, and therefore did not fully include ice shelf dynamics. In this study we simulate the evolution of the GIS from 220 kyr BP to present day using IMAU-ice; a 3D thermodynamical ice sheet model which fully accounts for grounded and floating ice, calculates grounding line migration and ice shelf dynamics. As there are few observational estimates of the long-term (yrs) sub marine basal melting rates (mbm) for the GIS, we developed a mbm parameterization within IMAU-ice controlled primarily by changes in paleo water depth. We also investigate the influence of the LIS on the GIS evolution by including relative sea level forcing's derived from a Glacial Isostatic Adjustment model. We will present results of how changes in the mbm directly impacts on the ice sheet dynamics, timing and spatial extent of the GIS at the glacial maximums, but also on the rate of retreat and spatial extent at the Last interglacial (LIG) minimum. Results indicate that with the inclusion of ice shelf dynamics, a larger GIS is generated which is grounded out into Davis strait, up to a water depth of -750 m, but significantly reduces the GIS contribution to Last interglacial ESL.

77 FR 5561 - Information Collection Activities: Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

...-0006; OMB Control Number 1014-NEW] Information Collection Activities: Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf, Subpart A, General; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget... Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR...

26 CFR 1.638-1 - Continental Shelf areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... exploitation of oil and is physically present on an offshore oil drilling platform operated by employees of L... a foreign country, designs equipment for use on oil drilling platforms affixed to the continental... corporation, to engage in exploratory oil drilling activities on a leasehold held by Y Corporation. Such...

26 CFR 1.638-1 - Continental Shelf areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... exploitation of oil and is physically present on an offshore oil drilling platform operated by employees of L... a foreign country, designs equipment for use on oil drilling platforms affixed to the continental... corporation, to engage in exploratory oil drilling activities on a leasehold held by Y Corporation. Such...

26 CFR 1.638-1 - Continental Shelf areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... exploitation of oil and is physically present on an offshore oil drilling platform operated by employees of L... a foreign country, designs equipment for use on oil drilling platforms affixed to the continental... corporation, to engage in exploratory oil drilling activities on a leasehold held by Y Corporation. Such...

26 CFR 1.638-1 - Continental Shelf areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... exploitation of oil and is physically present on an offshore oil drilling platform operated by employees of L... a foreign country, designs equipment for use on oil drilling platforms affixed to the continental... corporation, to engage in exploratory oil drilling activities on a leasehold held by Y Corporation. Such...

75 FR 10809 - Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Scientific Committee-Notice of Renewal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-09

... AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior. ACTION: Notice of renewal of the Outer Continental... Minerals Management Service. The Committee reviews the relevance of the research and data being produced to meet MMS scientific information needs for decisionmaking and may recommend changes in scope, direction...

Sediment property changes in response to the glacial activity on the continental slope to the eastern side of Pennell-Iselin Bank in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Sangbeom; Khim, Boo-Keun; Colizza, Ester; Marci, Patrizia; Sagnotti, Leonardo; Caricchi, Chiara; Langone, Leonardo; Giglio, Federico; Kuhn, Gerhard

2017-04-01

High latitude marine environments including the Antarctic continental margin have sensitively responded to the climate change, and the Ross Sea is one of these examples. Subglacial marine sedimentary changes have been studied extensively in the continental shelf areas of the Ross Sea to understand the growth and retreat of glaciers in response to the glacial-interglacial changes. However, the continental slope areas of the Ross Sea have not been investigated comparatively less. Thus, in order to comprehend the glaciomarine sedimentation change on the continental slope of the Ross Sea, 3 gravity cores (GC1, GC2, GC3) and 3 box cores (BC1, BC2, BC3) were collected from 3 sites (RS14-C1, C2, C3 by decreasing water depth), respectively, across the continental slope to the eastern side of the Pennell-Iselin Bank during XXIX PNRA (Rosslope II) cruise in 2014. A variety of sedimentological (grain size, magnetic susceptibility, XRF) and geochemical (biogenic opal, total organic carbon, CaCO3, δ13C of organic matter) properties were analyzed along with AMS 14C dating of bulk sediments. All core sediments consist of mostly hemipelagic sandy clay or silty clay with scattered IRD (Ice-Rafted Debris). Sediment color of three cores changes consistently downward from brown to gray with some alternations in core GC1. Based on the basic sediment properties such as sediment color, grain size, and magnetic susceptibility, sediment lithology was decided to divide Unit A and Unit B, both of which were further divided into two subunits. Despite old carbon effect, AMS 14C dates confirm that Unit A belongs to the Holocene and Unit B covers the deglacial to last glacial period at the top of cores. Unit A is characterized by low TOC, low CaCO3, low biogenic opal content and low C/N ratios, whereas Unit B is characterized by high TOC, high CaCO3, moderate to high biogenic opal content and high C/N ratios. Consequently, Unit A represents the modern and interglacial sediments deposited mainly by the suspension settling of biogenic particles in the open marine condition. In contrast, because Unit B shows higher TOC, CaCO3 content and C/N ratios, these sediments might be supplied by the lateral melt-water plume or distal part of debris flow originated from the front of grounding ice in the subglacial continental shelf under the ice shelf and during the glacial or post-glacial period. Thus, Unit B contains mostly reworked and eroded continental shelf sediments and IRDs. In addition, because the peaks of biogenic opal and TOC contents at Site C1 are distinctly higher than Sites C2 and C3, surface water production occurred under seasonally open marine condition at the deeper Site C1. In conclusion, the influence of subglacial continental shelf sedimentation in terms of melt-water transport and/or distal stage of debris flow was limited as far as to Site C2 during the deglacial and glacial period. However, such depositional effect was insignificant, but the seasonal open marine condition was recognized, at the deeper Site C1 in the continental slope of the Ross Sea.

Maps showing the change in modern sediment thickness on the Inner Continental Shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, between 1996-97 and 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Denny, Jane F.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 1996 and 1997, using high-resolution sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection systems, and again in 2011, using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents a comparison of sediment thickness and distribution as mapped during these two investigations. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system and provide baseline information for research on coastal processes along southern Long Island.

Gas hydrate potential of the mid Atlantic outer continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shedd, William W.; Hutchinson, Deborah R.

2006-01-01

For the last two years, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has been studying the resource potential of gas hydrates in federal offshore lands of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Alaska in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Naval Research Lab (NRL) and academia. Utilizing its extensive seismic, well, and geochemical databases, the MMS will be reporting the in-place resource numbers within the next few months. Though the methodology of the study was not prospect oriented, discrete prospects have been recognized.

Geological perspectives on the Monte Verde archeological site in Chile and pre-Clovis coastal migration in the Americas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, William R.

2011-09-01

Discovery of the Monte Verde archeological site in Chile overturned the previous consensus that the first Americans into the New World from Asia were the makers of Clovis projectile points, and rejuvenated the hypothesis that migration through the Americas occurred largely on portions of the Pacific continental shelf exposed by Pleistocene drawdown in eustatic sea level. The postulate of travel along a paleoshoreline now hidden underwater is an attractive means to posit pre-Clovis human movement southward from Beringia to Chile without leaving traces of migration onshore. Geologic analyses of the Pleistocene paleoenvironment at Monte Verde and of the morphology of the potential migration route along the continental shelf raise questions that have not been fully addressed. The periglacial setting of Monte Verde may call its antiquity into question and the narrowness of the Pacific continental shelf of the Americas makes it unlikely that people could travel the length of the Americas without impacting ground still onshore and no farther inland than Monte Verde itself. Geological perspectives on Monte Verde and coastal migration jointly suggest that the Clovis-first hypothesis for peopling the New World may have been abandoned prematurely.

A model of the methane cycle, permafrost, and hydrology of the Siberian continental margin

DOE PAGES

Archer, D.

2014-06-03

A two-dimensional model of a passive continental margin was adapted to the simulation of the methane cycle on Siberian continental shelf and slope, attempting to account for the impacts of glacial/interglacial cycles in sea level, alternately exposing the continental shelf to freezing conditions with deep permafrost formation during glacial times, and immersion in the ocean in interglacial times. The model is used to gauge the impact of the glacial cycles, and potential anthropogenic warming in the deep future, on the atmospheric methane emission flux, and the sensitivities of that flux to processes such as permafrost formation and terrestrial organic carbonmore » (Yedoma) deposition. Hydrological forcing drives a freshening and ventilation of pore waters in areas exposed to the atmosphere, which is not quickly reversed by invasion of seawater upon submergence, since there is no analogous saltwater pump. This hydrological pump changes the salinity enough to affect the stability of permafrost and methane hydrates on the shelf. Permafrost formation inhibits bubble transport through the sediment column, by construction in the model. The impact of permafrost on the methane budget is to replace the bubble flux by offshore groundwater flow containing dissolved methane, rather than accumulating methane for catastrophic release when the permafrost seal fails during warming. By far the largest impact of the glacial/interglacial cycles on the atmospheric methane flux is attenuation by dissolution of bubbles in the ocean when sea level is high. Methane emissions are highest during the regression (soil freezing) part of the cycle, rather than during transgression (thawing). The model-predicted methane flux to the atmosphere in response to a warming climate is small, relative to the global methane production rate, because of the ongoing flooding of the continental shelf. A slight increase due to warming could be completely counteracted by sea level rise on geologic time scales, decreasing the efficiency of bubble transit through the water column. The methane cycle on the shelf responds to climate change on a long time constant of thousands of years, because hydrate is excluded thermodynamically from the permafrost zone by water limitation, leaving the hydrate stability zone at least 300 m below the sediment surface.« less

Durophagous Predation by King Crabs on the Continental Slope off Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, K.; Aronson, R. B.; Steffel, B. V.; McClintock, J. B.; Amsler, M.; Thatje, S.

2016-02-01

For perhaps tens of millions of years, marine communities in Antarctica have been essentially devoid of durophagous (shell-crushing) predators, which have been excluded by low temperatures. In their absence, the resident species have evolved in isolation and are slow-moving with limited defenses. Rapidly rising sea temperatures around Antarctica are now relaxing the cold-thermal barrier and appear to be allowing deep-water king crabs (Lithodidae) to move up the continental slope, into shallower water. Their potential to emerge on the continental shelf could drastically restructure the endemic communities that live there; in other areas of the world, lithodids are typically generalist predators of invertebrates. Their diet in Antarctic waters remains unknown and it has been speculated that they are opportunistic scavengers. We report the findings of a trapping study conducted in deep water off the western Antarctic Peninsula in 2015. Stomach contents were analyzed for 18 adult Paralomis birsteini trapped on the continental slope. P. birsteini feed primarily on invertebrates such as echinoderms, gastropods and polychaetes. By understanding the prey species targeted by slope-dwelling lithodids, we can begin to project the future impact of an expansion of king crabs onto the Antarctic continental shelf.

Geologist argues for renewed, deeper look at US Gulf Coast

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pratsch, J.C.

1992-09-01

Over 10 bbo (billion barrels of oil) and about 130 Tcf of gas have been reported as proved reserves discovered in the offshore U.S. continental shelf (OCS or outer continental shelf) along the northern Gulf Coast. Of these reserves, only 2.5 bbo and 36,146 Bcf of gas remain, which seem small in comparison to a U.S. consumption rate of over 5 bbo/yr. Reserves, new additions and production levels in the Gulf Coast region have fallen for the last decade and more. Rig and crew boat counts are down, employment is down, and it is difficult for most to remain optimistic.more » This paper reports that there is good reason for optimism---A major new exploration play for oil and gas exists on the Texas/Louisiana shelf. Modern geological, geophysical (mainly seismic) and geochemical data, when combined, offer a sound base for a major renewed exploration campaign.« less

Shallow geology, seafloor texture, and physiographic zones of the Inner Continental Shelf from Nahant to northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Barnhardt, Walter A.; Ackerman, Seth D.; Foster, David S.; Andrews, Brian D.; Schwab, William C.

2013-01-01

The Massachusetts inner continental shelf between Nahant and northern Cape Cod Bay has been profoundly affected by the occupation and retreat of glacial ice sheets and relative sea-level change during the Quaternary. Marine geologic mapping of this area is a component of a statewide cooperative effort involving the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. Interpretation of high-resolution geophysical data (interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry, lidar, backscatter, and seismic reflection), sediment samples, and bottom photographs was used to produce a series of maps that describe the distribution and texture of seafloor sediments, shallow geologic framework, and physiographic zones of this inner-shelf region. These data and interpretations are intended to aid efforts to inventory and manage coastal and marine resources, and provide baseline information for research focused on coastal evolution and environmental change.

High particle export over the continental shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buesseler, Ken O.; McDonnell, Andrew M. P.; Schofield, Oscar M. E.; Steinberg, Deborah K.; Ducklow, Hugh W.

2010-11-01

Drifting cylindrical traps and the flux proxy 234Th indicate more than an order of magnitude higher sinking fluxes of particulate carbon and 234Th in January 2009 than measured by a time-series conical trap used regularly on the shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The higher fluxes measured in this study have several implications for our understanding of the WAP ecosystem. Larger sinking fluxes result in a revised export efficiency of at least 10% (C flux/net primary production) and a requisite lower regeneration efficiency in surface waters. High fluxes also result in a large supply of sinking organic matter to support subsurface and benthic food webs on the continental shelf. These new findings call into question the magnitude of seasonal and interannual variability in particle flux and reaffirm the difficulty of using moored conical traps as a quantitative flux collector in shallow waters.

Direct observations of American eels migrating across the continental shelf to the Sargasso Sea

PubMed Central

Béguer-Pon, Mélanie; Castonguay, Martin; Shan, Shiliang; Benchetrit, José; Dodson, Julian J.

2015-01-01

Since inferring spawning areas from larval distributions in the Sargasso Sea a century ago, the oceanic migration of adult American eels has remained a mystery. No adult eel has ever been observed migrating in the open ocean or in the spawning area. Here, we track movements of maturing eels equipped with pop-up satellite archival tags from the Scotian Shelf (Canada) into the open ocean, with one individual migrating 2,400 km to the northern limit of the spawning site in the Sargasso Sea. The reconstructed routes suggest a migration in two phases: one over the continental shelf and along its edge in shallow waters; the second in deeper waters straight south towards the spawning area. This study is the first direct evidence of adult Anguilla migrating to the Sargasso Sea and represents an important step forward in the understanding of routes and migratory cues. PMID:26505325

Seabed fluid expulsion along the upper slope and outer shelf of the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brothers, D.S.; Ruppel, C.; Kluesner, J.W.; ten Brink, Uri S.; Chaytor, J.D.; Hill, J.C.; Andrews, B.D.; Flores, C.

2014-01-01

Identifying the spatial distribution of seabed fluid expulsion features is crucial for understanding the substrate plumbing system of any continental margin. A 1100 km stretch of the U.S. Atlantic margin contains more than 5000 pockmarks at water depths of 120 m (shelf edge) to 700 m (upper slope), mostly updip of the contemporary gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). Advanced attribute analyses of high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection data reveal gas-charged sediment and probable fluid chimneys beneath pockmark fields. A series of enhanced reflectors, inferred to represent hydrate-bearing sediments, occur within the GHSZ. Differential sediment loading at the shelf edge and warming-induced gas hydrate dissociation along the upper slope are the proposed mechanisms that led to transient changes in substrate pore fluid overpressure, vertical fluid/gas migration, and pockmark formation.

Glider monitoring of shelf suspended particle dynamics and transport during storm and flooding conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourrin, François; Many, Gaël; Durrieu de Madron, Xavier; Martín, Jacobo; Puig, Pere; Houpert, Loic; Testor, Pierre; Kunesch, Stéphane; Mahiouz, Karim; Béguery, Laurent

2015-10-01

Transfers of particulate matter on continental margins primarily occur during energetic events. As part of the CASCADE (CAscading, Storm, Convection, Advection and Downwelling Events) experiment, a glider equipped with optical sensors was deployed in the coastal area of the Gulf of Lions, NW Mediterranean in March 2011 to assess the spatio-temporal variability of hydrology, suspended particles properties and fluxes during energetic conditions. This deployment complemented a larger observational effort, a part of the MOOSE (Mediterranean Ocean Observing System of the Environment) network, composed of a coastal benthic station, a surface buoy and moorings on the continental slope. This set of observations permitted to measure the impact of three consecutive storms and a flood event across the entire continental shelf. Glider data showed that the sediment resuspension and transport observed at the coastal station during the largest storm (Hs>4 m) was effective down to a water depth of 80 m. The mid-shelf mud belt, located between 40 and 90 m depth, appears as the zone where the along-shelf flux of suspended sediment is maximum. Besides, the across-shelf flux of suspended sediment converges towards the outer limit of the mid-shelf mud belt, where deposition of suspended particles probably occurs and contributes to the nourishment of this area. Hydrological structures, suspended particles transport and properties changed drastically during stormy periods and the following flood event. Prior to the storms, the shelf waters were weakly stratified due in particular to the presence of cold dense water on the inner- and mid-shelf. The storms rapidly swept away this dense water, as well as the resuspended sediments, along the shelf and towards a downstream submarine canyon. The buoyant river plumes that spread along the shelf after the flooding period provoked a restratification of the water column on the inner- and mid-shelf. The analysis of glider's optical data at different wavelengths suggests that the coastal area and the bottom nepheloid layer during the largest storm are primarily composed of coarse particles, probably macroflocs, and that the size of particles decreases further offshore. A similar trend, albeit less contrasted, is observed after the flooding. This work provided a unique synoptic view across the entire shelf of the impact of a typical Mediterranean storm on bottom sediment erosion and particulate fluxes. Repeated glider transects across the south-western part of the Gulf of Lions shelf permitted for the first time to measure continuously the thermo-haline structures, the suspended particles concentrations and size, the current speed, and to estimate the particulate transport before, during and after typical Mediterranean storm events. Glider data complement and compare well with concomitant high frequency time series at fixed stations along the coast and in a downstream submarine canyon.

Impacts of Suspended Sediment and Estuarine - Shelf Exchange Pathways on Shelf Ecosystem Dynamics in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggert, J. D.; Pan, C.; Dinniman, M. S.; Lau, Y.; Fitzpatrick, P. J.; O'Brien, S. J.; Bouchard, C.; Quas, L. M.; Miles, T. N.; Cambazoglu, M. K.; Dykstra, S. L.; Dzwonkowski, B.; Jacobs, G. A.; Church, I.; Hofmann, E. E.

2017-12-01

A circulation model based on the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) Modeling System, with coupled biogeochemical and sediment transport modules, has been implemented for Mississippi Sound and the adjacent continental shelf region. The model has 400-m horizontal resolution, 24 vertical layers, and includes wetting/drying capability to resolve shallow inshore regions. The circulation model was spun-up using oceanographic initial and lateral boundary conditions provided by a 1-km resolution regional implementation of the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) in the Gulf of Mexico. The biogeochemical module includes multiple size classes of phytoplankton, zooplankton and detritus, a fish larvae compartment, and explicitly tracks dissolved oxygen with benthic cycling interaction. The sediment transport model is implemented based on benthic mapping data that provides bottom sediment type distributions and spatio-temporal validation. A regionally specific atmospheric forcing product that provides improved spatial and temporal resolution, including diurnal sea breeze impacts, has been developed and applied. Model experiments focus on periods when comprehensive ship-based sampling was deployed by the CONCORDE (Consortium for Coastal River-Dominated Ecosystems) research program, which was established to investigate the complex fine-scale biological, chemical and physical interactions in a marine system controlled by pulsed-river plume dynamics. Biophysical interactions and biogeochemical variability associated with estuarine - shelf exchanges between nearshore lagoonal estuarine waters and the continental shelf revealed by the model provide new insight into how seasonal variation of hydrological forcing conditions influence ecological and biogeochemical processes in the highly productive Northern Gulf region. Application of the COAWST-based model system with and without inclusion of the sediment transport module demonstrates how suspended sediment in the nearshore waters influences inner shelf ecosystem function through impacts exerted on the in situ light environment and particle aggregation-mediated organic matter fluxes.

Inferring Source Regions and Supply Mechanisms of Iron in the Southern Ocean from Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, R. M.

2016-02-01

In many biogeochemical models a large shelf sediment iron flux is prescribed through the seafloor over all areas of bathymetry shallower than 1000 m. Here we infer the likely location of shelf sediment iron sources by identifying where mean annual satellite chlorophyll concentrations are enhanced over shallow bathymetry ( < 1000 m). We show that mean annual chlorophyll concentrations are not visibly enhanced over areas of shallow bathymetry located more than 500 km from a coastline. Chlorophyll concentrations > 2 mg m-3are only found within 50 km of a continental or island coastline. These results suggest that large sedimentary iron fluxes only exist on continental or island shelves. Large sedimentary iron fluxes are unlikely to be found on isolated seamounts and submerged plateaus. We further compare satellite chlorophyll concentrations to the position of ocean fronts to assess the relative role of horizontal advection and upwelling for supplying iron to the ocean surface. Sharp gradients in chlorophyll concentrations are observed across western boundary currents. Large chlorophyll blooms develop where western boundary currents detach from the continental shelves and turn eastwards into the Southern Ocean. Chlorophyll concentrations are enhanced along contours of sea surface height extending off continental and island shelves. These observations support the hypothesis that bioavailable iron from continental shelves is entrained into western boundary currents and advected into the Sub-Antarctic Zone along the Dynamical Subtropical Front. Likewise, iron from island shelves is entrained into nearby fronts and advected downstream. Mean annual chlorophyll concentrations are very low in open ocean regions with large modelled upwelling velocities, where fronts cross over topographic ridges. These results suggests that open ocean upwelling is unlikely to deliver iron to the surface from deep sources such as hydrothermal vents.

MeBo70 Seabed Drilling on a Polar Continental Shelf: Operational Report and Lessons From Drilling in the Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gohl, K.; Freudenthal, T.; Hillenbrand, C.-D.; Klages, J.; Larter, R.; Bickert, T.; Bohaty, S.; Ehrmann, W.; Esper, O.; Frederichs, T.; Gebhardt, C.; Küssner, K.; Kuhn, G.; Pälike, H.; Ronge, T.; Simões Pereira, P.; Smith, J.; Uenzelmann-Neben, G.; van de Flierdt, C.

2017-11-01

A multibarrel seabed drill rig was used for the first time to drill unconsolidated sediments and consolidated sedimentary rocks from an Antarctic shelf with core recoveries between 7% and 76%. We deployed the MARUM-MeBo70 drill device at nine drill sites in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. Three sites were located on the inner shelf of Pine Island Bay from which soft sediments, presumably deposited at high sedimentation rates in isolated small basins, were recovered from drill depths of up to 36 m below seafloor. Six sites were located on the middle shelf of the eastern and western embayment. Drilling at five of these sites recovered consolidated sediments and sedimentary rocks from dipping strata spanning ages from Cretaceous to Miocene. This report describes the initial coring results, the challenges posed by drifting icebergs and sea ice, and technical issues related to deployment of the MeBo70. We also present recommendations for similar future drilling campaigns on polar continental shelves.

Sediment provenance and paleoenvironmental changes in the northwestern shelf mud area of the South China Sea since the mid-Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Fangjian; Hu, Bangqi; Dou, Yanguang; Liu, Xiting; Wan, Shiming; Xu, Zhaokai; Tian, Xu; Liu, Zhaoqing; Yin, Xuebo; Li, Anchun

2017-07-01

The late Quaternary paleoceanography and paleoenvironment of the South China Sea (SCS) have been well reconstructed over the last decade. In contrast, the provenance of the terrigenous sediments that have accumulated in the northwestern continental shelf mud area remains enigmatic. This study investigated the provenance of these sediments and the paleoenvironmental changes archived in Core X2 via the analysis of geochemical elements, grain size, and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C ages. Based on the upper continental crust (UCC)-normalized REE patterns and REE fractionation parameters, southwestern and western Taiwanese rivers and the Pearl River were identified as the main sources of the fine-grained sediment deposited in the northwestern shelf mud area off Hainan Island. This finding further confirms the long-distance transport (> 1000 km) of fine-grained sediment from Taiwanese rivers to the northern SCS shelf and slope. Obvious changes in the grain size and Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) record occurred at approximately 4.0 cal kyr BP and were likely caused by increased Hainan Island inputs due to sea level changes.

Anatomy of a shoreface sand ridge revisited using foraminifera: False Cape Shoals, Virginia/North Carolina inner shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, M.M.; McBride, R.A.

2008-01-01

Certain details regarding the origin and evolution of shelf sand ridges remain elusive. Knowledge of their internal stratigraphy and microfossil distribution is necessary to define the origin and to determine the processes that modify sand ridges. Fourteen vibracores from False Cape Shoal A, a well-developed shoreface-attached sand ridge on the Virginia/North Carolina inner continental shelf, were examined to document the internal stratigraphy and benthic foraminiferal assemblages, as well as to reconstruct the depositional environments recorded in down-core sediments. Seven sedimentary and foraminiferal facies correspond to the following stratigraphic units: fossiliferous silt, barren sand, clay to sandy clay, laminated and bioturbated sand, poorly sorted massive sand, fine clean sand, and poorly sorted clay to gravel. The units represent a Pleistocene estuary and shoreface, a Holocene estuary, ebb tidal delta, modern shelf, modern shoreface, and swale fill, respectively. The succession of depositional environments reflects a Pleistocene sea-level highstand and subsequent regression followed by the Holocene transgression in which barrier island/spit systems formed along the Virginia/North Carolina inner shelf ???5.2 ka and migrated landward and an ebb tidal delta that was deposited, reworked, and covered by shelf sand.

Anatomy of a shoreface sand ridge revisted using foraminifera: False Cape Shoals, Virginia/North Carolina inner shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Marci M.; McBride, Randolph A.

2008-01-01

Certain details regarding the origin and evolution of shelf sand ridges remain elusive. Knowledge of their internal stratigraphy and microfossil distribution is necessary to define the origin and to determine the processes that modify sand ridges. Fourteen vibracores from False Cape Shoal A, a well-developed shoreface-attached sand ridge on the Virginia/North Carolina inner continental shelf, were examined to document the internal stratigraphy and benthic foraminiferal assemblages, as well as to reconstruct the depositional environments recorded in down-core sediments. Seven sedimentary and foraminiferal facies correspond to the following stratigraphic units: fossiliferous silt, barren sand, clay to sandy clay, laminated and bioturbated sand, poorly sorted massive sand, fine clean sand, and poorly sorted clay to gravel. The units represent a Pleistocene estuary and shoreface, a Holocene estuary, ebb tidal delta, modern shelf, modern shoreface, and swale fill, respectively. The succession of depositional environments reflects a Pleistocene sea-level highstand and subsequent regression followed by the Holocene transgression in which barrier island/spit systems formed along the Virginia/North Carolina inner shelf not, vert, ~5.2 ka and migrated landward and an ebb tidal delta that was deposited, reworked, and covered by shelf sand.

The three scales of submarine groundwater flow and discharge across passive continental margins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bratton, John F.

2010-01-01

Increased study of submarine groundwater systems in recent years has provided a wealth of new data and techniques, but some ambiguity has been introduced by insufficient distinguishing of the relevant spatial scales of the phenomena studied. Submarine groundwater flow and discharge on passive continental margins can be most productively studied and discussed by distinct consideration of the following three spatial scales: (1) the nearshore scale, spanning approximately 0–10 m offshore and including the unconfined surficial aquifer; (2) the embayment scale, spanning approximately 10 m to as much as 10 km offshore and including the first confined submarine aquifer and its terminus; and (3) the shelf scale, spanning the width and thickness of the aquifers of the entire continental shelf, from the base of the first confined aquifer downward to the basement, and including influences of geothermal convection and glacio-eustatic change in sea level.

Thirty-Three Years of Ocean Benthic Warming Along the U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf and Slope: Patterns, Drivers, and Ecological Consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavanaugh, Maria T.; Rheuban, Jennie E.; Luis, Kelly M. A.; Doney, Scott C.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf is experiencing rapid warming, with potentially profound consequences to marine ecosystems. While satellites document multiple scales of spatial and temporal variability on the surface, our understanding of the status, trends, and drivers of the benthic environmental change remains limited. We interpolated sparse benthic temperature data along the New England Shelf and upper Slope using a seasonally dynamic, regionally specific multiple linear regression model that merged in situ and remote sensing data. The statistical model predicted nearly 90% of the variability of the data, resulting in a synoptic time series spanning over three decades from 1982 to 2014. Benthic temperatures increased throughout the domain, including in the Gulf of Maine. Rates of benthic warming ranged from 0.1 to 0.4°C per decade, with fastest rates occurring in shallow, nearshore regions and on Georges Bank, the latter exceeding rates observed in the surface. Rates of benthic warming were up to 1.6 times faster in winter than the rest of the year in many regions, with important implications for disease occurrence and energetics of overwintering species. Drivers of warming varied over the domain. In southern New England and the mid-Atlantic shallow Shelf regions, benthic warming was tightly coupled to changes in SST, whereas both regional and basin-scale changes in ocean circulation affect temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, the Continental Shelf, and Georges Banks. These results highlight data gaps, the current feasibility of prediction from remotely sensed variables, and the need for improved understanding on how climate may affect seasonally specific ecological processes.

Thirty-Three Years of Ocean Benthic Warming Along the U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf and Slope: Patterns, Drivers, and Ecological Consequences.

PubMed

Kavanaugh, Maria T; Rheuban, Jennie E; Luis, Kelly M A; Doney, Scott C

2017-12-01

The U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf is experiencing rapid warming, with potentially profound consequences to marine ecosystems. While satellites document multiple scales of spatial and temporal variability on the surface, our understanding of the status, trends, and drivers of the benthic environmental change remains limited. We interpolated sparse benthic temperature data along the New England Shelf and upper Slope using a seasonally dynamic, regionally specific multiple linear regression model that merged in situ and remote sensing data. The statistical model predicted nearly 90% of the variability of the data, resulting in a synoptic time series spanning over three decades from 1982 to 2014. Benthic temperatures increased throughout the domain, including in the Gulf of Maine. Rates of benthic warming ranged from 0.1 to 0.4°C per decade, with fastest rates occurring in shallow, nearshore regions and on Georges Bank, the latter exceeding rates observed in the surface. Rates of benthic warming were up to 1.6 times faster in winter than the rest of the year in many regions, with important implications for disease occurrence and energetics of overwintering species. Drivers of warming varied over the domain. In southern New England and the mid-Atlantic shallow Shelf regions, benthic warming was tightly coupled to changes in SST, whereas both regional and basin-scale changes in ocean circulation affect temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, the Continental Shelf, and Georges Banks. These results highlight data gaps, the current feasibility of prediction from remotely sensed variables, and the need for improved understanding on how climate may affect seasonally specific ecological processes.

Late Holocene chronology, origin, and evolution of the St. Bernard Shoals, Northern Gulf of Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, Bryan E.; Kulp, Mark A.; Miner, Michael D.

2009-12-01

Several shore-parallel marine sand bodies lie on the Louisiana continental shelf. They are Trinity Shoal, Ship Shoal, Outer Shoal, and the St. Bernard Shoals. These shoals mark the submerged positions of ancient shorelines associated with abandoned deltas. Three of these shoals are single elongate deposits. The fourth shoal, the St. Bernard Shoals, consists of a group of discrete sand bodies ranging in size from 44 to 0.05 km2, 25 km southeast of the Chandeleur Islands in 15-18 m of water. The St. Bernard Shoals are stratigraphically above the St. Bernard delta complex, which was active 2,500-1,800 years b. p. Understanding the evolution of the St. Bernard Shoals is necessary to reconstruct the Holocene chronology of the St. Bernard delta complex and the eastern Louisiana continental shelf. For this study, 47 vibracores and 400 km of shallow seismic reflection data collected in 1987 across the Louisiana shelf were analyzed. In June 2008, 384 km of higher-resolution seismic reflection data were acquired across the study area and appended to the preexisting datasets. Vibracores were integrated with seismic profiles to identify facies and their regional distribution. Our results demonstrate that the deltaic package stratigraphically below the St. Bernard Shoals is chronologically younger than the northern distributaries, but derived from the same trunk distributary channel (Bayou la Loutre). The river eventually bypassed the northern distributaries, and began to deposit sediment further onto the continental shelf. After abandonment, the overextended delta lobe was rapidly transgressed, creating a transgressive shoreline that eventually coalesced with earlier shorelines in the region to form the Chandeleur Islands. The St. Bernard Shoals formed by the reworking of the relict distributary deposits exposed on the inner to mid shelf during and subsequent to shoreface ravinement.

Sand ridge morphology and bedform migration patterns derived from bathymetry and backscatter on the inner-continental shelf offshore of Assateague Island, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pendleton, Elizabeth; Brothers, Laura; Thieler, E. Robert; Sweeney, Edward

2017-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration conducted geophysical and hydrographic surveys, respectively, along the inner-continental shelf of Fenwick and Assateague Islands, Maryland and Virginia over the last 40 years. High resolution bathymetry and backscatter data derived from surveys over the last decade are used to describe the morphology and presence of sand ridges on the inner-continental shelf and measure the change in the position of smaller-scale (10–100 s of meters) seafloor features. Bathymetric surveys from the last 30 years link decadal-scale sand ridge migration patterns to the high-resolution measurements of smaller-scale bedform features. Sand ridge morphology on the inner-shelf changes across-shore and alongshore. Areas of similar sand ridge morphology are separated alongshore by zones where ridges are less pronounced or completely transected by transverse dunes. Seafloor-change analyses derived from backscatter data over a 4–7 year period show that southerly dune migration increases in magnitude from north to south, and the east-west pattern of bedform migration changes ~ 10 km north of the Maryland-Virginia state line. Sand ridge morphology and occurrence and bedform migration changes may be connected to observed changes in geologic framework including topographic highs, deflated zones, and sand availability. Additionally, changes in sand ridge occurrence and morphology may help explain changes in the long-term shoreline trends along Fenwick and Assateague Islands. Although the data presented here cannot quantitatively link sand ridges to sediment transport and shoreline change, it does present a compelling relationship between inner-shelf sand availability and movement, sand ridge occurrence and morphology, geologic framework, and shoreline behavior.

Sand ridge morphology and bedform migration patterns derived from bathymetry and backscatter on the inner-continental shelf offshore of Assateague Island, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Brothers, Laura L.; Thieler, E. Robert; Sweeney, Edward M.

2017-07-01

The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration conducted geophysical and hydrographic surveys, respectively, along the inner-continental shelf of Fenwick and Assateague Islands, Maryland and Virginia over the last 40 years. High resolution bathymetry and backscatter data derived from surveys over the last decade are used to describe the morphology and presence of sand ridges on the inner-continental shelf and measure the change in the position of smaller-scale (10-100 s of meters) seafloor features. Bathymetric surveys from the last 30 years link decadal-scale sand ridge migration patterns to the high-resolution measurements of smaller-scale bedform features. Sand ridge morphology on the inner-shelf changes across-shore and alongshore. Areas of similar sand ridge morphology are separated alongshore by zones where ridges are less pronounced or completely transected by transverse dunes. Seafloor-change analyses derived from backscatter data over a 4-7 year period show that southerly dune migration increases in magnitude from north to south, and the east-west pattern of bedform migration changes 10 km north of the Maryland-Virginia state line. Sand ridge morphology and occurrence and bedform migration changes may be connected to observed changes in geologic framework including topographic highs, deflated zones, and sand availability. Additionally, changes in sand ridge occurrence and morphology may help explain changes in the long-term shoreline trends along Fenwick and Assateague Islands. Although the data presented here cannot quantitatively link sand ridges to sediment transport and shoreline change, it does present a compelling relationship between inner-shelf sand availability and movement, sand ridge occurrence and morphology, geologic framework, and shoreline behavior.

Geology of the head of Lydonia Canyon, U.S. Atlantic outer continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twichell, David C.

1983-01-01

The geology of the part of Lydonia Canyon shoreward of the continental shelf edge on the southern side of Georges Bank was mapped using high-resolution seismic-reflection and side-scan sonar techniques and surface sediment grab samples. The head of the canyon incises Pleistocene deltaic deposits and Miocene shallow marine strata. Medium sand containing some coarse sand and gravel covers the shelf except for a belt of very fine sand containing no gravel on either side of the canyon in water depths of 125–140 m. Gravel and boulders, presumably ice-rafted debris, cover the rim of the canyon. The canyon floor and canyon wall gullies are covered by coarse silt of Holocene age which is as much as 25 m thick, and Miocene and Pleistocene strata are exposed on the spurs between gullies. The Holocene sediment is restricted to the canyon shoreward of the shelf edge and has been winnowed from the shelf. Furrows cut in the shelf sands and ripples on the shelf and in the canyon suggest that sediment continues to be moved in this area. Sediment distribution, however, is inconsistent with that expected from the inferred westward sediment transport on the shelf. Either the fine-grained deposits on the shelf to either side of the canyon head are relict or there is a significant component of offshore transport around the canyon head.In the head of Oceanographer Canyon, only 40 km west of Lydonia Canyon, present conditions are strikingly different. The floor of Oceanographer Canyon is covered by sand waves, and their presence indicates active reworking of the bottom sediments by strong currents. The close proximity of the two canyons suggests that the relative importance of processes acting in canyons can be variable over short distances.

Seasonal Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Carbon Under Complex Circulation Schemes on a Large Continental Shelf: The Northern South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Feifei; Dai, Minhan; Cao, Zhimian; Wu, Kai; Zhao, Xiaozheng; Li, Xiaolin; Chen, Junhui; Gan, Jianping

2017-12-01

We examined the distribution and seasonality of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) based on a large data set collected from the northern South China Sea (NSCS) shelf under complex circulation schemes influenced by river plume, coastal upwelling, and downwelling. The highest surface values of ˜117 μmol L-1 were observed nearshore in summer suggesting high DOC supplies from the river inputs, whereas the lowest surface values of ˜62 μmol L-1 were on the outer shelf in winter due to entrainment of DOC-poor subsurface water under strengthened vertical mixing. While the summer coastal upwelling brought lower DOC from offshore depth to the nearshore surface, the winter coastal downwelling delivered higher surface DOC to the midshelf deep waters from the inner shelf fueled by the China Coastal Current (CCC) transporting relatively high DOC from the East China Sea to the NSCS. The intensified winter downwelling generated a cross-shelf DOC transport of 3.1 × 1012 g C over a large shelf area, which induced a significant depression of the NSCS DOC inventory in winter relative to in autumn. In addition to the variable physical controls, net biological production of DOC was semiquantified in both the river plume (2.8 ± 3.0 μmol L-1) and coastal upwelling (3.1 ± 1.3 μmol L-1) in summer. We demonstrated that the NSCS shelf had various origins of DOC including riverine inputs, inter-shelf transport and in situ production. Via cross-shelf transport, the accumulated DOC would be exported to and stored in the deep ocean, suggesting that continental shelves are a potentially effective carbon sink.

Fluid Exchange Across the Seafloor of the Continental Shelf in the South Atlantic Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, S. M.; Wilson, A. M.; Moore, W. S.; Smoak, E. A.; George, C.

2014-12-01

Increasing evidence suggests that saline submarine groundwater discharges from the seafloor in volumes that rival river discharge, but this discharge occurs far from shore, spread regionally across the continental shelves. The very limited observational data suggest that saline discharge occurs via long-term regional flow systems and rapid flushing of porewaters from sandy sediment during storm events. This study aims to overcome the paucity of available observational constraints on characterizing regional-scale fluid exchange on passive margin continental shelves. We are developing a detailed hydrostratigraphic framework based on 200 km of CHIRP seismic lines 5-20 km offshore from Charleston, SC and 13 sediment cores up to 6.5 m long. This survey revealed varying thicknesses (0-15 m) of sediment overlying Cretaceous limestone basement, and a filled paleochannel fluvial system. We have installed 3 sets of nested wells and an additional 10 temperature-gradient arrays to observe a wide variety of environments across the shelf. The wells and thermal arrays have been recently installed in the upper 5 m of the sediment, to allow monitoring of pressure and temperature. The wells will also be sampled for Ra tracers and nutrient concentrations. The combination of wells and survey data will allow us to estimate rates of submarine groundwater discharge via hydraulic gradients and by using heat and geochemical tracers. We have developed a numerical model to invert thermal data to estimate both long-term regional groundwater flow and rapid flushing associated with storm events.

Wave-driven sediment mobilization on a storm-controlled continental shelf (Northwest Iberia)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oberle, Ferdinand; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Hanebuth, Till

2014-01-01

Seafloor sediment mobilization on the inner Northwest Iberian continental shelf is caused largely by ocean surface waves. The temporal and spatial variability in the wave height, wave period, and wave direction has a profound effect on local sediment mobilization, leading to distinct sediment mobilization scenarios. Six grain-size specific sediment mobilization scenarios, representing seasonal average and storm conditions, were simulated with a physics-based numerical model. Model inputs included meteorological and oceanographic data in conjunction with seafloor grain-size and the shelf bathymetric data. The results show distinct seasonal variations, most importantly in wave height, leading to sediment mobilization, specifically on the inner shelf shallower than 30 m water depth where up to 49% of the shelf area is mobilized. Medium to severe storm events are modeled to mobilize up to 89% of the shelf area above 150 m water depth. The frequency of each of these seasonal and storm-related sediment mobilization scenarios is addressed using a decade of meteorological and oceanographic data. The temporal and spatial patterns of the modeled sediment mobilization scenarios are discussed in the context of existing geological and environmental processes and conditions to assist scientific, industrial and environmental efforts that are directly affected by sediment mobilization. Examples, where sediment mobilization plays a vital role, include seafloor nutrient advection, recurrent arrival of oil from oil-spill-laden seafloor sediment, and bottom trawling impacts.

30 CFR 250.294 - May I combine the Conceptual Plan and the DWOP?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Deepwater Operations Plans (dwop) § 250.294 May I combine the Conceptual Plan and the DWOP? If your development project... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May I combine the Conceptual Plan and the DWOP...

30 CFR 250.258 - What information on the onshore support facilities you will use must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What information on the onshore support facilities you will use must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.258 Section 250.258 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF... AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development...