Resources

RRS Charles Darwin CD166

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Charles Darwin (74AB)
Cruise identifierCD166
Cruise period2004-10-29 — 2004-11-22
StatusCompleted
Port of departureLisbon, Portugal
Port of returnFunchal, Portugal
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesAfter a three-day weather delay, RRS Charles Darwin left Lisbon on Oct 29th for the start of a new research cruise that would contribute to the UK-TAPS Agadir and Speculobe Projects. The scientific team, representing the UK, Spain, Germany, Russia, Greece and Portugal, were led by Dr Russell Wynn from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. The cruise ended in Madeira on Nov 22nd.

The first two days of the cruise were spent collecting 12 sediment cores in the Gulf of Cadiz, southern Spain, as part of a project called Speculobe that is a NERC/industry consortium project.

The ship then transferred to the Agadir project area, comprising the deep Agadir Canyon and Basin off Morocco, northwest Africa. The water depth is over 4 km in this region, and the work area was several hundred kilometres from the Moroccan coast to the east and the volcanic Canary Islands to the south. However, preliminary work in the deep basin had shown that seafloor sediments contain Moroccan beach sands, volcanic lava fragments from Tenerife, and even pieces of wood! This material was transported by giant underwater avalanches (composed of a turbulent mixture of water, sand and mud), that originate as landslides in shallower water close to land. These underwater avalanches then travel downslope at high speed through canyons and channels until they reach the flat basin floor. Most of their sand and mud was then dumped, smothering huge areas of seafloor and destroying all life. By studying the deposits left behind by these catastrophic events, scientists can work out where they come from, how often they occur, and whether they are capable of generating potentially damaging tidal waves that could effect coastal towns and villages in the region. They can also see how quickly deep-sea organisms can re-colonise the seafloor after being exterminated. In total, about 50 cores were recovered from the Agadir area during the cruise. As well as sediment sampling, the cruise team carried out short geophysical surveys to map interesting areas of seafloor in 3D, and also to look at how the sediment layers have built up. They also recorded all the marine wildlife that was seen, including whales, dolphins and seabirds. The Agadir Project is financially supported by the NERC and a group of four oil companies (ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips and BHP Billiton).
Chief scientistRussell B Wynn (Southampton Oceanography Centre)
ProjectAgadir Project
Coordinating bodyUK-TAPS (Project Leader - Russell Wynn)
Cruise reportRRS Charles Darwin CD166 cruise report cd166.pdf (0.28 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificArea 1: Gulf of Cadiz 35deg40’ to 35deg55’N / 07deg45’ to 07deg25’W Area 2: Agadir 30 to 33degN / 12 to 19degW
Track chartsRRS Charles Darwin CD166 cruise track — cd166trk.html
Measurements 
Biology and fisheries 
BirdsDescription: Record of marine wildlife during cruise including whales, dolphins and seabirds
Mammals and reptilesDescription: Record of marine wildlife during cruise including whales, dolphins and seabirds
Geology and geophysics 
Single-beam echosoundingDescription: multibeam bathymetry and 3.5kHz/echosounder data collected along all ship's track
Multi-beam echosoundingDescription: multibeam bathymetry and 3.5kHz/echosounder data collected along all ship's track
Single channel seismic reflectionDescription: multibeam bathymetry and 3.5kHz/echosounder data collected along all ship's track
Moorings, landers, buoys 
Geology and geophysics 
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 22" N  7° 40' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 19" N  7° 39' 24" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 46' 18" N  7° 37' 12" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 46' 38" N  7° 37' 18" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 11" N  7° 37' 18" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 10" N  7° 36' 24" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 46' 40" N  7° 34' 12" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 29' 59" N  16° 12' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 38' 58" N  16° 20' 58" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 26' 46" N  17° 13' 13" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 27' 9" N  17° 13' 7" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 27' 47" N  17° 12' 43" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 28' 50" N  17° 12' 19" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 20' 59" N  16° 3' 33" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 28' 0" N  16° 17' 30" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 20' 31" N  12° 38' 47" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 14' 29" N  14° 22' 30" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 4' 8" N  14° 43' 53" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 22' 19" N  12° 34' 7" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 32' 40" N  12° 37' 5" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 34' 58" N  12° 36' 24" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 23' 5" N  13° 31' 57" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 27' 2" N  13° 29' 6" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 26' 58" N  13° 29' 4" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 29' 28" N  13° 27' 31" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 29' 27" N  13° 27' 27" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 33' 29" N  13° 24' 31" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 34' 58" N  13° 24' 28" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 34' 18" N  13° 24' 28" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 34' 22" N  13° 24' 30" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 29' 44" N  13° 15' 54" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 32' 28" N  13° 37' 59" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 27' 28" N  13° 51' 59" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 21' 0" N  14° 8' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 8' 59" N  14° 38' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 11' 59" N  14° 30' 1" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 2' 29" N  14° 30' 2" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 17' 30" N  14° 37' 59" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 44' 29" N  14° 34' 29" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 46' 49" N  14° 36' 10" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 53' 30" N  14° 38' 20" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 12' 28" N  14° 50' 59" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 22' 0" N  15° 0' 1" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 36' 41" N  15° 15' 6" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 32' 59" N  15° 10' 20" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 22' 17" N  12° 38' 47" W — Mega Core
Core - soft bottom31° 13' 58" N  17° 9' 36" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 15' 10" N  17° 9' 16" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 26' 23" N  16° 42' 42" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 16' 48" N  16° 41' 39" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 24' 56" N  16° 26' 16" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 17' 33" N  16° 0' 51" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 13' 49" N  15° 57' 17" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 35' 9" N  15° 58' 1" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 41' 0" N  15° 44' 1" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 47' 30" N  15° 13' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 54' 31" N  15° 34' 38" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 52' 6" N  15° 14' 57" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 59' 53" N  15° 0' 7" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 57" N  7° 37' 23" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 22" N  7° 40' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 55" N  7° 37' 12" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 46' 21" N  7° 37' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 1" N  7° 37' 12" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom35° 45' 20" N  7° 39' 6" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 45' 59" N  16° 28' 0" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 27' 6" N  17° 13' 9" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom31° 30' 47" N  17° 11' 46" W — Piston and trigger core
Core - soft bottom32° 29' 30" N  13° 27' 30" W — Piston and trigger core