CE11011 Seismic investigation of the geology and oceanography of the northern Rockall Trough survey

Seismic data acquisition, once streamer and airguns are deployed no deck hands are needed unless there is a problem and they need to be hauled in. The compressors will be operating in order to provide air to the guns but the watch scientist will be attending to that. We are proposing an interdisciplinary study across the northern Rockall Trough with three objectives; 1) study of submarine landslide deposits and especially their spatial extent and temporal distribution as well as internal architecture, 2) the effect glacial cycles and in particular the last British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) had on the sedimentary processes occurring on the NW Irish continental slope, 3) determine the relationship between the temperature-salinity structure of the water column and backscatter observed on acoustic data. This project will continue and expand the research that began as a pilot study in June 2010 with CE10008. In order to do this survey we will use a Mini GI Gun (high-resolution 2D multichannel system) belonging to Prof Krastel and which he is making available for this survey and we will hire a coring system (gravity or piston, depending on cost). The Celtic Explorer was modified appropriately for corers to be launched over the starboard side of the back deck for the purposes of CE10008.