joi

Joint

Oceanographic

Institutions Incorporated

2600 Virginia Avenue, NW., Suite 512, Washington, DC. 20037 Phone-(202)333-8276 Cable Address: JOINC INTERIM OMD PLANNING COMMITTEE

March 3 · 6, 1980

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During the week of March 3, 1980, some 80 scientists and engineers from 19 academic institutions, 9 petroleum companies, and 3 government agencies met in Houston to evaluate the scientific objectives and engineering considerations of Ocean Margin Drilling and to develop an optimal program. Scientific objectives were prioritized within each of the four categories recognized in the FUSOD report: Passive Margin, Active Margin, Paleoenvironment

and Ocean Crust. Sites where the high priority objectives could be reached were identified by problem groups and a panel of generalists selected sites to make a balanced program.

The Passive Margin Group (L.L. Sloss, Northwestern University, Chairman) was divided into three subgroups: Stratigraphy and Sedimentation (R. W. Weimer, Colorado School of Mines, Chairman), Geochemistry and Diagenesis (J. Hower, University of Illinois, Chairman), and Basement and Tectonics (J. Grow, USGS, Woods Hole, Chairman). Highest priority was given to the study of the sedimentary column, particularly lithology, mineralogy, chemistry and paleontology of the older rocks recording the early history of the Atlantic and the basement transition from continental to oceanic crust. Suitable sites were identified on both sides of the North Atlantic and in the Gulf of Mexico.

A

The Active Margin Group (C. Moore, University of California, Santa Cruz, Chairman) identified the study of processes occuring at the subduction contact as the highest priority objectives. three hole model program which could be applied in any active margin was developed, and seven suitable areas identified.

University of California at San Diego. Scripps Institution of Oceanography Columbia University. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory University of Hawaii Hawaii Institute of Geophysics University of Miami. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Oregon State University. School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island. Graduate School of Oceanography Texas A&M University Department of Oceanography • University of Washington Department of Oceanography Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

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Executive Summary

The Paleoenvironment Group (R. Douglas, University of Southern California, Chairman) identified the study of the Mesozoic ocean and high latitude paleooceanography as its highest priorities, and identified a number of sites where these objectives could be achieved.

The engineering consultants to NSF, Santa Fe Engineering Services Co. and its subcontractors, Eaton Industries and Sea Flo Systems, presented an analysis of program costs as a function of variations in the drilling and coring program, and conducted detailed discussions with each of the scientific problem groups. The Generalists group (J. Ewing, Woods Hole, Chairman) analyzed the prioritized list of sites submitted by each of the scientific problem groups and bearing the engineering considerations in mind developed a program. This was then analyzed by the engineers to provide a new estimate of time and cost.

The new program includes the highest priorities of each of the scientific groups and identifies ten prospective drilling areas, with 15 holes to be drilled. Each hole would achieve a number of objectives. It includes two passive margin sites off the east coast of the U.S., two in the Gulf of Mexico and one on the eastern margin of the Atlantic. Two active margin areas, the Mid-America trench and Barbados would be investigated. The Paleoenvironment Mesozoic ocean objectives would be investigated in the Atlantic and Gulf passive margin sites and the high latitude objectives by six holes in the critical Weddell Sea area. The desire of the Ocean Crust panel to examine the deep crustal structure of both a fast and a slow spreading center would be achieved off Costa Rica and on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

The new program falls within the presently anticipated time and budgetary constraints.

Mr. BROWN. I am going to ask each of the panelists to present their statement before we begin asking any questions.

Next we have Dr. Albert W. Bally, Chairman of the National Research Council ad hoc panel to investigate the geological and geophysical research needs and problems of continental margins.

In this situation, I guess, Dr. Bally, you speak for the broader scientific community there.

[The biographical sketch of Dr. Bally follows:]

DR. ALBERT W. BALLY

Albert W. Bally was born in April 1925 in the Hague, Netherlands, and spent his early years in Indonesia, Italy, and Switzerland. He received the Ph.D. degree in geology from the University of Zurich in 1953. An area of the central Appennines was the subject of his thesis. While at the University, he worked for Gulf Oil and mapped the Ragusa Plateau of SE Sicily. Further work involved detailed mapping for hydroelectric power projects in the area of the Penninic nappes and their rootzone in southern Switzerland. This was followed by post-doctoral work at the Lamont Geological Observatory of Columbia University in 1953–54 involving the study of deep-sea sediments.

Dr. Bally was employed by Shell Canada in 1954. In Canada he was first involved in an exploration program on the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta, which was followed by a large-scale reconnaissance project in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. As Chief Geologist from 1962-66, he was concerned with all Canadian exploration matters, but particularly with offshore programs on the Canadian east and west coasts and in the Northwest Territories.

In 1966 he was transferred to Houston as Manager of Geological Research at Shell Development Company. He was appointed Chief Geologist U.S.A. for Shell Oil in 1968, a position he held until January 1975. During this time, he was involved in exploration in the U.S. both offshore and onshore and, since 1972. mainly with the study of global geology. Since January 1975 he has been Consulting Geologist for Shell Oil and is continuing his studies in global geology as well as more detailed studies in the Western Cordillera and the sedimentary basins of the U.S.

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Ad Hoc Committee on the Geologic Sciences, U.S. National Research Council (1968).

Member Council of the Geological Society of America (1975).

Crosby Visiting Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Spring 1977).

Member Passive Margin Panel of International Panel Ocean Drilling (IPOD) (1975-78).

Member Working Group 7 (Interunion Commission of Geodynamics): Geodynamics of Plate Interiors and Editor of Section on Basin Subsidence of Final Report (1978-79).

Member U.S. Geodynamics Committee (1977–80).

Member Executive Committee of COCORP (Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling) and chairman of Site Selection Committee (1974-80).

Co-covener of Penrose Conference: The Function of the Geologist in Society (Houston, Spring 1976).

Co-covener of Penrose Conference: Geophysics and Structure in Folded Belts (Ascona, Switzerland, Fall 1978).

Member Oceanography Advisory-Executive Committee of the National Science Foundation (1978–79).

Chairman of Panel on Research and Problems on Continental Margins—U.S. National Academy of Sciences (1976-78).

Member Scientific Committee of the International Geological Correlation Programme (IGCP) (1978-80).

Member IUGS Task Group on Post-Geodynamics Project Planning (1978-79). Member of Plate Tectonics Delegation (of U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Scholarly Communication with People's Republic of China)—visit in 1979.

Advisory and Visiting Committees Member: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics; Geology Department, University of New Brunswick, Canada; Department of

Earth and Planetary Sciences, MIT; Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Caltech; Department of Geology, Princeton University.

STATEMENT BY A. W. BALLY, CHAIRMAN OF THE AD HOC PANEL TO INVESTIGATE THE GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF CONTINENTAL MARGINS, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Dr. BALLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let me first answer the introduction. I was chairman of the ad hoc panel; I do work for Shell Oil, and as chairman, I served to the geological community; the panel finished its deliberations in 1978; 2 years have passed, so I will try to address my remarks to two questions: (1) why did we give deep sea drilling second priority, and (2) has anything happened since then that may be relevant to the drilling program.

The first question relates to the continental margin panel, which had the purpose to look at research on continental margins. We weren't specifically addressing the questions of deep sea drilling, and we did include landward portions of continental margins.

Looking at everything, we did conclude that a program such as the deep sea drilling proposed here was highly desirable. We were, however, aware of probable limits in funding. We felt, therefore, that it would be our responsibility to offer priorities; the priorities were such that drilling was given a second priority. The reason was that we felt the research of the academic community could be strengthened considerably by an aggressive program in dynamics, and by outfitting two modern geophysical ships.

These were the main reasons for our prioritization.

Let me now quickly review what happened since. Please realize that these are strictly my own personal views, and that in that context I don't represent the committee, I am no longer an active member of that committee.

Two new developments are relevant to continental margins.

One is the development of a hydraulic piston device, which has been successful in getting high quality cores and core recoveries from shallow sedimentary layers in the ocean. This is a development scientists have been hoping for; the new coring device now makes very precise analyses of possible events that affect and reflect climatic changes. In other words, the coring device provides a realistic data background for long-term climate modeling and forecasting.

A second aspect relates to the geophysics; I was pleased to hear Mr. Johnson pointing out that NSF had in mind to provide for a new geophysical vessel. This would go a long way to strengthen the grass roots of geophysical oceanography.

Let me conclude that personally I would still stick with the prioritization given on the continental margin panel.

I think some of our original funding fears may have been alleviated by industry contributions, if the explorer program comes to pass I would favor an extension of the Challenger program making use of the hydraulic piston device modes, because it would give us better coverage, and I would like also to encourage NSF to pursue its plans for a new vessel.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Dr. Bally, plus questions and answers. for the record follows:]