Resources

RRS Charles Darwin CD157

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Charles Darwin (74AB)
Cruise identifierCD157
Cruise period2004-05-28 — 2004-06-13
StatusCompleted
Port of departureSanta Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Port of returnVigo, Spain
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesThe main objective of the cruise was to groundtruth the sidescan sonar coverage of the Setubal and Nazare Canyons that was collected on the RV Pelagia in November 2003. A range of corers including box, mega, kastenlot and piston provided a range of possibilities to core sediment of varying grainsize from gravel to mud. In addition a deeptowed profiler was used to collect subsurface profiles across the canyons, but plans to use SHRIMP were abandoned due to problems with the conducting cable.
The coring was a success given the difficult topography; site location was aided by the TOBI sidescan survey completed in 2003, making it possible to hit relatively small targets just a few hundred metres across. Careful choice of corer type ensured core recovery in the sequence of mixed sands and muds. No corers worked well in the Nazare thalweg due to presumed hard or sandy seabed.
The data will be used to groundtruth the TOBI sidescan and to determine the flux of sediment through the Setubal and Nazare Canyons. Initial interpretations suggest significant differences between the canyons and strong changes in the amount of activity with time.
Chief scientistPhilip P E Weaver (Southampton Oceanography Centre)
ProjectEUROSTRATAFORM
Cruise reportRRS Charles Darwin CD157 cruise report cd157.pdf (0.21 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Atlantic Ocean
SpecificSetubal Canyon, Nazarre Canyon
Track chartsRRS Charles Darwin CD157 cruise track — cd157track.pdf (0.12 MB) 
Measurements 
Geology and geophysics 
Core - soft bottomQuantity: number of stations = 50
Description: Coring using box, kastenlot, mega and piston types