HR: 1340h
AN: T13D-0501    [Abstracts]
TI: Geological and Sediment Thickness Data Sources From the U.S. Continental Margins
AU: * Hutchinson, D R
EM: dhutchinson@usgs.gov
AF: USGS, 384 Woods Hole Rd., Woods Hole, MA 02543
AU: Childs, J R
T13D-0501 AF: USGS, 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025
AU: Edgar, N T
T13D-0501 AF: USGS, 600 4th St. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701
AU: Barth, G
T13D-0501 AF: USGS, 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025
AU: Hammar-Klose, E
T13D-0501 AF: USGS, 384 Woods Hole Rd., Woods Hole, MA 02543
AU: Dadisman, S V
T13D-0501 AF: USGS, 600 4th St. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701
AU: Rowland, R
T13D-0501 AF: USGS Emeritus, 55825 River Shore Lane, Elkhart, IN 46516
AB: Although the United States has not yet ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), work has begun to assess the geophysical and geological data sources that might be applied to an extended continental shelf submission under Article 76 of the UNCLOS. The U.S. Geological Survey, as a follow-up to the Congressional Report published by the University of New Hampshire on data relevant to a potential U.S. submission (Mayer and others, 2002), has identified existing seismic reflection, seismic refraction, and drill-hole data on the U.S. margins for the areas where an extended continental shelf submission could be considered. This work complements ongoing NOAA efforts to map the foot-of-the-slope. The USGS compilation includes more than 80,000 km of multichannel seismic data, 70,000 km of single-channel seismic reflection data, 25 refraction experiments, and 12 drill holes that penetrate to basement. Data quality varies according to year collected and acquisition system used. Data coverage is generally excellent within the 200-nm EEZ boundary, but new data will be required to adequately assess sediment thickness in the area beyond 200-nm in some of the poorly surveyed regions (e.g., the Arctic). Velocity and drill-hole control for deeper sedimentary units is generally poor; this deficiency will also need to be addressed in new data gathering efforts. Subsea mineral resources that might exist in the region of an extended continental shelf vary by region and include conventional hydrocarbons, gas hydrate, ferro-manganese crusts and nodules, and possibly phosphorite deposits. On-going efforts are directed at interpreting these data with reference to UNCLOS criteria and guidelines, as well as evaluating how recent submissions to the United Nations by other States might affect a possible U.S. submission.
DE: 3025 Marine seismics (0935, 7294)
DE: 3099 General or miscellaneous
DE: 6300 POLICY SCIENCES (7964)
DE: 6620 Science policy (0485)
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005