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Immediate Report of Victoria University Of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1987-88: VUWAE 32

Results

Results

Several areas of exposed bedrock were identified during the sampling programme. These sites had very little sediment cover, and are generally in shallow water. They include exposed capes and steeply dipping (17°) sea floor. Tripp Island and Gregory Island exhibit this sort of submarine topography (Figure 2). The bedrock surfaces extend deeper than sea ice influences, so other factors must be responsible for the lack of sediment. These include glacial ice scouring, non-deposition at the present time and strong current activity.

Intermediately sloping sea floor localities include Cape Roberts, Dunlop Island and Cape Bernacchi (Figure 2). These have exposed bedrock from 0 m to 10 or 20 m, then gravel which grades to muddy sand at about 100 m.

Beach-type coastal topography is found at Explorers Cove (New Harbour, Figure 2) and Blue Glacier. These areas have gravelly sand at 0 m with sediment fining into the deeper water. Blue Glacier (0 to 40 m depth) is a moraine remnant, presumably ice cored, with a slope of 15°. Further offshore the slope lessens to 3°.

Cape Armitage, on Ross Island (Figure 2) has a substrate of volcanic scoria. We found this transect to be strongly influenced by sea floor anchor ice formation in water to 11 m depth, and a very strong current (75 cm/sec) regime.

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Figure 2. Bathymetry and sediment distribution along each of the eight sampling transects. Spot depths and sample sites (arrows) are shown for each transect. The major types of biota recovered are shown for each sample at the left side of each transect.

Figure 2. Bathymetry and sediment distribution along each of the eight sampling transects. Spot depths and sample sites (arrows) are shown for each transect. The major types of biota recovered are shown for each sample at the left side of each transect.

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Figure 2. Bathymetry and sediment distribution along each of the eight sampling transects. Spot depths and sample sites (arrows) are shown for each transect. The major types of biota recovered are shown for each sample at the left side of each transect.

Figure 2. Bathymetry and sediment distribution along each of the eight sampling transects. Spot depths and sample sites (arrows) are shown for each transect. The major types of biota recovered are shown for each sample at the left side of each transect.