Resources

RRS Challenger CH12B/79

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Challenger (74CH)
Cruise identifierCH12B/79
Cruise period1979-08-27 — 1979-09-07
StatusCompleted
Port of departureKirkwall, United Kingdom
Port of returnArdrossan, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
Objectives1. To investigate the occurrence of iceberg plough marks on the west side of the Norwegian Trough and in the northern North Sea east of 0 41.8E (the eastern limit of data obtained from RRS John Murray in May 1972) using the MS47 transit sonar and EG & G 259 side-scan sonar systems.
2. To investigate in more detail the faunas of sand sheets and sand patches and in particular to investigate the distribution of living and dead Ditrupa arietina on the sand sheets and sand patches on the continental shelf west of Scotland.
3. To obtain further samples of the gravels between the sand patches
4. To obtain further dredge samples form the edge of the continental shelf at different depths to supplement existing collections.
5. To take grab and dredge samples from new areas west of Orkney and Shetland not sampled on previous cruises.
6. To obtain some samples for microfaunal study in the Geology Department, University of Exeter.
7. To obtain futher side-scan sonar coverage on the continental shelf west and north of Scotland to supplement existing IOS coverage in the area.
8. To obtain further live specimens of Caryophyllia smithii and Ditrupa arietina for the continuation of experiments at M.B.A, Plymouth.
Chief scientistJohn B Wilson (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Wormley Laboratory)
Cruise reportRRS Challenger CH12B/79 cruise report ch12_79.pdf (0.43 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
Track chartsRRS Challenger CH12B/79 cruise track — trk2452b.html RRS Challenger CH12B/79 cruise track — trk2463.html
Measurements 
Biology and fisheries 
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of specimens = 190
Description: 40 live Cayophyllia and 150 live Ditrupa obtained for experiments at M.B.A, Plymouth.
Geology and geophysics 
DredgeQuantity: number of deployments = 12
GrabQuantity: number of samples = 14
In-situ seafloor measurement/samplingQuantity: track kilometres = 2037.2
Description: acoustical properties