Summary for Field Activity Number 1965-001-FA

Area of Operations: Blake Plateau, Florida-Hatteras Slope, Southeast Georgia Embayment, U.S. Atlantic continental shelf and margin, United States, North America, North Atlantic

Dates: April 17, 1965 to May 17, 1965

Objectives: In May 1964, Institute of Marine Sciences-U. Miami, Scripps-U.CA, WHOI, and Lamont-Columbia U. joined in the establishment of the Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES) Program. The long range purpose of this organization is to obtain continuous core samples of the entire sedimentary column from the floors of the oceans. The initial efforts were limited to water depths less than 6,000 feet, and tentative drilling locations were selected off the eastern, western, and gulf coasts of the United States. In late December 1964 the M/V CALDRILL I, a drilling vessel capable of working in depths of 6,000 feet, was engaged to drill on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland during summer 1965 for the Pan American Petroleum Corp. Pan American agreed to pay for moving costs if JOIDES could organize a drilling program along the track between California and the Grand Banks. JOIDES assumed responsibility for the vessel during drilling periods. Sites along track near good logistic ports were examined that would yield valuable information on the continental margin. Based on previous geological and geophysical investigations by the participating laboratories and a large body of knowledge of the continental-oceanic border, the Blake Plateau off Jacksonville, Florida was selected. Six sites were chosen along a transect southeastward from Jacksonville out 250 miles to 1,000 m water depth.

Type of Activity: JOIDES drilling

Information to be derived: Samples and chemical analysis

Summary: 6 core-holes logged: #1 - #6.

USGS Project Number: unknown

Contact: John Schlee (jschlee@usgs.gov)