RRS Discovery D16
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
| Cruise identifier | D16 |
| Cruise period | 1967-01-20 — 1967-05-06 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Plymouth, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Plymouth, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | 1. Stability trials of a one third scale model of GLORIA to be made on passage to Malta.
2. Seismic refraction stations and further gravity measurements to be made in the north end of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. 3. Selected magnetic tracks to establish and map main E-W anomaly at Gulf of Aden. 4. Gulf of Aden - special area studies:- (a) Survey and sampling programme in a one degree square in the Central Rough Zone. (b) Survey programme in sediment filled south main trough. (c) Dredging and seismic programme on cliffs and flanks of Alula-Fartak trench where gravity measurements have indicated high density rocks near the surface. 5. To survey magnetic and topographic lineations as far as possible in towards Afar depression and to sample exposures on cliffs. 6. Seismic refraction stations to determine crustal structure and nature and depth of Moho boundary. 7. Topographic, magnetic and gravity survey to determine the nature of the connection between the central rough zone of the Gulf of Aden and the Owen fracture zone with special reference to the epicentre belt. 8. Topographic and seismic reflection survey to determine direction of continuity (if any) of the fracture zone and whether the Somali Basin was at one time enclosed. 9. Samples obtained in 1963 in area 40 showed variable composition over short ranges. Dredging, coring, grabbing, photography and water sampling planned in relation to topography. 10. Chemical and thermal structure in bottom 200 metres to be studied with closely spaced water bottles and continuous temperature recorder. 11. Simultaneous measurement of temperature gradients above and below the sediment-water interface. 12. Sampling programme of sediment and bottom water in the deep holes along the Red Sea rift for geochemical studies. |
| Chief scientist | Anthony S Laughton (National Institute of Oceanography) |
| Cruise report |  (1.15 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Red Sea Gulf of Aden |
| Specific | Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, |
| Track charts | (0.07 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of stations = 5 Description: water bottle stations for pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and silicate analyses. |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Oxygen | Quantity: number of stations = 5 Description: water bottle stations for pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and silicate analyses. |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of stations = 5 Description: water bottle stations for pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and silicate analyses. |
| pH | Quantity: number of stations = 5 Description: water bottle stations for pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and silicate analyses. |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Gear research | Description: GLORIA model trials. |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of deployments = 20 |
| Grab | Quantity: number of samples = 2 |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of cores = 7 |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of stations = 2 |
| Single channel seismic reflection | Quantity: 5 Description: Airgun seismic reflection profiles. |
| Seismic refraction | Quantity: 12 |
