Tectonic Evolution and Fluid Migration in the Makran Accretionary Wedge

BUNDESANSTALT
FR GEOWISSENSCHAFTEN IJND ROHSTOFFE

HANNOVER
MAKRAN 1
Tektonische Entwicklung und Fluidtransport
im Makran-AkkretionskeiVPakistan'
Teil 1
The Makran Accretionary Wedge off Pakistan:
Tectonic Evolution and Fluid Migration
-
Part L
Frderungsvorhaben 03 G Ot22 A
SONNE cruise SO-122 (7 August
-
6 September 1997)
Operational Report and Preliminary Results
Author:
Funding Agency:
Date:
Archiv-Nr.:
H.A. Roeser with contributions by J. Adam, H.-O. Bargeloh, M.
Block, V. Damm, H. Dohmann, J. Fritsch, P. Kewitsch, K. Puskeppe-
leit, U. von Rad, C. Reichert, U. Schrader, B. Schreckenberger, J.
Sievers, D. Steinmann,'W. VoB (all BGR), T. Schillhorn (Geomar), A.
Inam, M. Tahir
(both NIO) and A.H. Cheema (HDIP)
Bundesministerium flir Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Tech-
nologie
November 1997
('*'n
w
*q
:hque
l9
!rouse/
116643
BGR 116643
- 2 -
Contents
Li st of Tab1es. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Li st of Fi 9ures............. ......................3
Summary ........................ 8
Zusammenfassung
........ l0
1 Geosci enti fi c obj ecti ves ............
....................l 2
1. 1 I nt r oduct i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.2 Source, migration and discharge of fluids.
............... 13
1.3 Geophysics and morphology of the Makran accretionary wedge....... ..........14
1.4 Stnrcture of the crust off the Makran accretionary wedge
......... 15
1.5 Targets of crui se SO-122......
.........,........17
2 Parti ci pants ................
.................. 18
2.1 Sci enti fi c crew.....
................. 18
2.2 Shi p' s crew..........
................. 19
3 Cr ui se di ar y. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4 Geophysical instrumentation......
...................25
4.1 Ai rgun system.......
................25
4.2 Streamer system....
.................; ................27
4.3 Seismic recording equipment
.................27
4.4 Gravimetric and magnetic equipment
......................27
4.5 Computer systems for navigation, data acquisition, data processing and interpretation 28
4.6Uti l i zed equi pment of the shi p...........
......................28
5 Operati onal reports
......................29
5.1 Profi l e pl an and l i st of profi 1es.............
....................29
5.2 Fishing off Pakistan
..............29
5.3 Navigation and acquisition of non-seismic data.... ..................... 34
5.3.1 Navigation and positioning
.............34
5.3.2Data acqui si ti on
.............34
5.3.3 Data processing
............. 35
5.4 Refl ecti on sei smi cs................
.................36
5.5 Gravi ty
................44
5.5. 1 Gravity connections............
5.5.2 Gravi ty measurements at sea.........
....................47
5.5.2.I Short description of the seagravimeter system. ............47
5.5.2.2 Processing of the gravity data...........
..........4g
5. 6 Magnet i cs. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5.6.1 The gradi ent magnetometer.............
..................49
5.6.2 Processing of the data of the magnetic gradiometer.................
.............50
5.7 Hydroacousti cs
.....................53
5.7.1 Hydroswoop;.......
...........53
5. 7. 2Par asound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
6 Scientific results
........56
6.1 Composite line drawings
...... 56
6.2 Refl ecti on sei smi cs................
.................77
6.2.1 Introducti on
...................77
6.2.2Mafuan accreti onary compl ex..............
.............77
6.2.3 Oman Abyssal Pl ai n.........r......;..........
............... 80
6.2.4Munay Ri dge....
.............80
BGR 1t6&3
- 3 -
6.2.5l ndus She1f.........
............83
6.2.6 Indus Fan...........
............ 83
6.3 Gravity and magnetics............
......,......... 87
6.3.1 Age and nature of the crust of the Indus Fan............
........... 87
6.3.2T\e Murray Ridge area...........
.........90
6.3.3 The Oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran shelf .......... ........ 90
6.3.4The relation of the Murray Ridge to structures onshore Pakistan .........91
6.4 Hydroacousti cs
.....................91
6.4.1Data recording and quality
.............. 91
6.4.2 Preliminary results
Acknowledgements
.... 105
References
.................. 106
Press c1i ppi n9s.............................
................... 110
List of Tables
Table 1. List of the profiles surveyed during cruise SO-122
Table 2. Summarized seismic data volume recorded during cruise so-rzz
Table 3. Observation report on gravity connections in Djibouti
Table 4. Parameters for magnetic lines of cruise SO-122
List of Figures
Fig. 1. Tectonic setting of the Arabian Sea and its surroundings (Coumes
& Kolla,
1984)
Fig.2. The Makran accretionary wedge with the areas where during SO-90 detailed
surveys were carried out, and the profiles that were planned for cruise SO-
122;the lines that were actually surveyed are shown in Fig. 4 on p. 30.
Fig. 3. Configuration of the airgun system of BGR
Fig. 4. Map in mercator projection showing the profiles surveyed during cruise SO-
r22
Fig. 5. Streamer configuration for profiles SOl22-03 andSOl22-04
Fig. 6. Streamer configuration for profile SOL22-04A
Fig.7. Streamer configuration for profiles SO122-08
-
SOl22-23
Fig. 8. Streamer configuration for profiles SOl22-14
-
SOl22-23
Fig. 9. Streamer configuration for profiles SOI22-24
-
SOl22-027
Fig. 10. Port of Djibouti (from Admiralty Chart 262); (a) mooring site of RV
SONNE at quay 13 from August 6 to 9, 1997; (b) reference station BGI
31
43
46
51
l 3
t 6
26
30
37
38
39
40
4T
BGR 116&3
- 4 -
#798 at quay 13. The inset shows details of the gravity observation station at
bollard 74 alongside R/V SONNE.
Fig, I 1. Gravity Sensor GSS30 of the seagravimeter system KSS31
Fig. 12. The configuration of the tow system of the magnetic gradiometer during
cruise SO-122
Fig. 13. Mean gradient on SO-122lines plotted against the course. (a) Lines where
the sensor no. 805 was used and (b) lines without sensor no. 805.
Fig. 14. Example for the reconstruction of the magnetic anomaly from the measured
gradient (a) on line SOl22-04A. (b) shows the reconstructed anomaly
(continuous curve) compared with the total intensity measured by the master
sensor (dotted curve) when the linear trend (stippled
line in (a)) is removed.
(c) is the result of the reconstruction if only the mean gradient is removed.
(d) shows the difference between the two curves in (c).
Fig. 15. Planetary magnetic three-hour-range indices (Kp) for the interval June 21-
Oct3l, L997
Fig. 16. Line SO122-01 across the Indus Fan, without reflection seismics. Uppermost
panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep
swath; lowermost panel: Bathymebry
Fig. 17. Line SO122-02 across the Murray Ridge, without reflection seismics. Up-
permost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hy-
drosweep swath; lowermost panel: Bathymetry
Fig. 18. Line SO122-03 across the Murray Ridge, with reflection seismics. Upper-
most panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hy-
drosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one channel of the re-
flection seismic record
Fig. 19. Line Sol2z-Ml04{across Murray Ridge, Dalrymple Trough, Little Munay
Ridge, oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran accretionary wedge, with re-
flection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies;
central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one
channel of the reflection seismic record
Fig. 20. Line SO122-05 on the Makran accretionary wedge,,without reflection seis-
mics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel:
Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Bathymetry
Fig.2l. Line SO122-05A across the Oman Abyssal Plain, without reflection seis-
Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Bathymetry
Fig.22. Line 50122-06 across the Oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran accretionary
wedle, without reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and
magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel:
Bathymetry
Fig.23. Line SOl22-07 along the Makran accretionary wedge, without reflection
seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central
panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Bathymetry
45
48
J)
57
58
49
52
54
58
59
60
60
6l
62
BGR 11,6&3
- ) -
Fig. 24. Line SO122-08 from the Indus Shelf to the eastern,end of the Murray Ridge,
with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic
anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line draw-
ing of one channel of the reflection seismic record
Fig.25. Line SO122-09 from the eastern end of the Murray Rdige across the Makran
accretionary wedge, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric
and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost
panel: Line drawing of one channel of the reflection seismic record
Fig.26. Line SO122-10 across the eastern end of the Makran accretionary wedge and
the Indus Shell with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and
magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel:
Line drawing of one channel of the reflection seismic record
Fig.27 . Line SO122-11 from the Indus Shelf to the eastern end of the Murray Ridge,
with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic
Fig. 28. Line SO122-L2 aqoss the Oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran accretionary
wedge, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and mag-
netic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line
drawing of one channel of the reflection seismic record
Fig.29. Line SO122-I3/L3A across the Makran accretionary wedge, with reflection
panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one channel of
the reflection seismic record
Fig. 30. Line SO122-14 along the slope of the Indus Shelf and across the Indus Can-
yon, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic
Fig. 31. Line SOl22-15 across the Indus Canyon and on the Indus Shell with reflec-
tion seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; cen-
tral panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one chan-
nel of the reflection seismic record
Fig.32. Line 50122-16 from the Indus Shelf to the Indus Fan, with reflection seis-
Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one channl of the
reflection seismic record
Fig. 33. Line SO122-17 fromthe Indus Fan across the eastern Murray Ridge, with
reflection seismics. Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies;
central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one
channel of the reflection seismic record
Fig. 34. Line SO122-18 across the Murray Ridge, with reflection seismics. Upper-
most panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hy-
drosweep swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one channel of the re-
flection seismic record
63
63
64
64
65
65
66
67
67
68
69
BGR 116643
- 6 -
Fig. 35. Line SOl22-l9Bll9 across the south-eastern Murray Ridge, with reflection
panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermostpanel: Line drawing of one channel of
Fig. 36. Line SO122-20 across the Murray Trough, without reflection seismics. Up-
Fig.37. Line SO122-21 across the south-eastern Munay Ridge and to the Indus Fan,
with reflection seismics. uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic
Fig. 38. Line SO122-22ftomthe Indus Fan across the Murray Ridge, with reflection
Fig. 39. Line SO122-23 across the Murray Ridge and the Indus Fan, with reflection
Fig. 40. Line SO122-24 onthe Indus Fan, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel:
Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep s*uth;
lowermost panel: Line drawing of one channel of the reflection seismic rec-
ord
Fig. 41. Line SO122-25 on the Indus Fan, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel:
Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath;
ord
Fig.42. Line 50122-26 on the Indus Fan, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel:
ord
Fig. 43. Line SO122-27 onthe Indus Fan, with reflection seismics. Uppermost panel:
ord
Fig.44. Line SO122-28 across the Murray Ridge, without reflection seismics. Up-
Fig. 45. Structural map of the survey area based mainly on data of the SONNE cruise
so-r22
Fig. 46. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the seismic reflection profile
SO122-04A showing the BSR at the front of the Makran accretionary com-
plex
70
70
7l
71
72
73
73
74
I J
76
78
79
BGR 116&3
1
-
I -
Fig.47. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line
SO122-10 showing a 9 km long and 600 m thick sheet which has slumped
down from the Indus Shelf
Fig. 48. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line
SOl22-t4 showing the Indus Canyon near the slope of the Indus Shelf
Fig.49. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line
SO I22- 14 showing channel-levees
Fig. 50. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line
SA9}-I4 showing some structures which we interpret as mud diapirs
Fig. 51. Magnetic anomalies (master sensor) observed on cruise S}-I22plotted
along the ship's tracks. Positive anomalies are red, negative green.
Fig.52. Magnetic anomalies plotted along the ship tracks. Positive anomalies in dark
gray, negative anomalies in light gray. Lines in the north-western part of the
map are from this cruise (Fig. 51), lines in the south-eastern part are from
CHARLES DARWIN cruise 20 (Miles & Roest, 1993). The harched area
indicates the location of the continuation of the Laxmi Ridge to the east in-
ferred from gravity anomalies (Miles & Roest, 1993).
Fig. 53. Structural map of a pa$ of the Bela-Whaziristan ophiolite zone (Bannert et
al.,1992) with the free-air gravity anomalies observed in the north-eastern
part of our survey. A gravity high indicates that on the shelf the ophiolite
zone bends south-westwards and possibly extends into the Murray Ridge.
Fig; 54. Line SOl22-M:Puallel packages of subbottom reflectors intervened by
acoustically transparent layers of varying thickness in the Dalrymple Trough
Fig. 55. Line SO122-MA: Grabenlike structures with multiple and parallel subbot-
tom reflectors between the Dalrymple Trough andihe Little Munay Ridge
Fig. 56. Line SO122-O4A: Unconformity with underlying dipping sediments at the
northern edge of the Little Murray Ridge
Fig. 57. Line SO122-04A: Small-scale folding and faulting
just
south of the frontal
fold of the Makran accretionary complex
Fig. 58. Line SO122-MA: Basin on the Makran accretionary complex with gently
dipping reflectors
Fig. 59. Line SO122-10: Highty deformed sedimentary sequence underneath an
acoustically stratified section at the uppermost continental slope
Fig. 60. Line SO122-10: Continental shelf with a strong subbottom reflector that in-
dicates an erosional unconformity
Fig. 61. Line SO122-14: Channel in the Indus Fan area (printed by the Paradigma
system)
Fig.62. Line SO122-14:Upper slope region of the Indus Canyon with acoustic facies
ULc, h
82
84
85
86
88
94
95
96
98
100
89
92
101
103
99
r04
BGR 1166/.3
- 8 -
Summary
The Makran accretionary wedge is located in the southern part of western Pakistan and off the
south coast of this area. It has formed by the subduction of oceanic crust under the Eurasian
Plate which lasts since 70
-
80 mill. years. Two features make this accretionary wedge espe-
cially interesting: Firstly, the sediment thickness on the oceanic crust is extremely high, sec-
ondly the angle of subduction is extremely small. On this cruise with R/V SONNE rflection
seismic, gravimetric, magnetic, sediment echographic and bathymetric me{rsurements were
planned to investigate the structure of the submarine part of the accretionary wedge and to
dcfine targets for sampling fluid discharge areas in early 1998. The cruise was financially sup-
ported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology.
The cruise was severely affected by the problem that
-
at least at the end of the SW monsoon
-
fishery with several km long gill nets was very intense off the Makran coast. Already at the
begin of our cruise we lost about 213 of our streamer when we crossed one of the numerous
groups of small fishing-boats. Furthermore, the fishery forced us to change the survey lines
considerably in comparison to the initial plan. Altogether, 4082 km were surveyed with gra-
vimetry, magnetometry, swath bathymetry and sediment echography,2927 km of them were
surveyed additionally with multichannel reflection seismics (Fig. 4).
The main structural units can be described best with line SOL2}-M1O4A (Fig. 19, p. 59):
The line starts at the southem margin of the Murray Ridge, which at least partly is covered by
volcanic rocks which in the summit area partly outcrop out of the sediments. Largepans are
clearly not volcanic.
On this line, the Little Murray Ridge divides the oceanic crust between the Murray Ridge and
the front of the Makran accretionary wedge into two very different units. The sedimentary
cover of the south-eastern unit shows numerous, mostly recent faults which indicate active
extensional tectonics. The Dalrymple Trough with a depth of more than 4000 m at the north-
western flank of the Murray Ridge has formed by this extension. It is an asymmetric graben
with a steep north-west facing main fault at its south-eastern margin. To the north-west of the
Little Murray Ridge is the trench area of the Makran subduction zone. The basement surface
dips here towards the accretionary wedge. The sedimentary cover with a total thickness of up
to 5.6 s (twt) (roughly 7 km) is divided by a distinct unconformity which subparallel to the
basement surface dips northward. A wide drift structure lies immediately below the uncon-
formity. The sediments above the unconformity show a horizontal layering. They mask the
trench which therefore is not a topographic trench.
The frontal area of the Makran accretionary complex shows intensively folded and over-
thrusted sedimentary thrust slices and a well developed BSR (Bottom
Simulating Reflector).
The subducting oceanic crust is nowhere visible on the single-channel monitor rcord.
Off Karachi, in the more than 100 km wide shelf with water depths of less than 200 m and in
the easternmost part of the Makran accretionary complex, lines SO122-07
-
SOl22-13 were
surveyed. The most important new result concerns the extension of prominent
tectonic ele-
ments from Pakistan into the Arabian Sea:
BGR 116&3
- 9 -
In the central part of Pakistan, along distinct strike-slip faults (Chaman Fault, Ghazaband
Fault, Ornach-Nal Fault) the Bela-Waziristan ophiolite zone separates the Makran Flysch
complex in the west from the Khuzdar block in the east. It consists of marine limestone and
claystone, basaltic and andesitic lavas, gabbros, serpentinites and their conglomerates and is
considered as the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the subducted Arabian Plate in the
west and the Indo-Pakistanian Plate in the east. This mainly N-S strikingzone is bent eastward
in the Karachi Arch north of Karachi. Near Karachi, the layers of this zone are covered by
alluvial sediments.
On our lines, we found zones of positive gravity anomalies related to areas with elevated
seismic reflectors which show characteristics of melange zones. It seems reasonable to parallel
these high-density subbottom structures to the Bela-Waziristan ophiolite zone. This implies
that south of the Karachi Arch the ophiolite zone is deflected WSW in direction to the Murray
Ridge. The Murray Ridge may even be a direct prolongation of the Bela-Waziristan ophiolite
zone. This finding throws new light onto the development of the triple
junction
between the
Eurasian, the Arabian and the Indo-Pakistanian Plates which is also documented in the re-
gional disfribution of the ophiolite belts.
Another focus concerned margin and slope of the Indus Shelf . Especially, lines SO122-14
and 50122-16 cross at a point where, based on data from SONNE cruise SO-90, an ODP drill
site will be proposed for investigation of the oxygen minimum zone.
The basement of the Indus Fan consists mainly of oceanic crust. The sediment thickness de-
creases southward. Our lines lie partly outside the present EEZ (Exclusive
Economic Zone) of
Pakistan in an area into which Pakistan could extend its EEZ in case of sufficient sediment
thickness. (For a part of our lines this could be case.)
The magnetic anomalies in the area of the Indus Fan are conspicuously weak. An anempt to
extend the identification of the seafloor spreading anomalies which has been made south of
20'N to the north, has not been successful.
The elevated parts of the Murray Ridge show strong magnetic anomalies only in a few places.
Therefore, basic volcanism has not played a dominating role. North-west of the Murray Ridge,
in the area of the presumed Little Murray Ridge, extensive magnetic anomalies with ampli-
tudes of 200 nT and more are observed which continue into the region below the Makran
accretionary complex. They strike predominantly SW-NE. These anomalies are stronger than
those observed on our Indus Fan lines. We cannot yet say whether they are at least partly
seafloor spreading lineations which might allow determination of age and spreading rate. Al-
together, magnetically the crust north-west of the Murray Ridge differs considerably from the
crust of the northern Indus Fan.
The nature of the Murray Ridge remains unknown. Surely, it is a part of the boundary between
the Arabian and the Indo-Pakistanian Plates. The present extension in this part of the bound-
ary is responsible for the forrnation of the Dalrymple Trough and an additional basin lying in
its north-eastern prolongation. The ridge which parallels the basins to the south-east, may
have formed by overthrusting of two oceanic crustal plates. However, it could also be a vol-
canic ridge which has formed at the plate boundary which presumably is a weakness zone of
the lithosphere.
BGR 116643
-
1 0 -
Zusammenfassung
Im Sden des westlichen Pakistans und vor der Sdkste dieses Gebietes liegt der Makran-
Akkretionskeil, der durch die seit ca.70
-
80 Millionen Jahren andauernde Subduktion ozea-
nischer Kruste unter die Eurasische Platte entstanden ist. Aus zwei Grnden verdient dieser
Akkretionskeil unser besonderes Interesse: Zum einen ist die Mchtigkeit der Sedimente auf
der ozeanischen Kruste extrem hoch, zum anderen ist der Abtauchwinkel der subduzierenden
Platte extrem gering. Die auf dieser vom BMBF gefrderten Fahrt mit FS SONNE geplanten
reflexionsseismischen, gravimetrischen, magnetischen, sedimentechographischen und bathy-
metrischen Messungen sollten die Struktur im seewirtigen Bereich des Makran-Akkretions-
keils erkunden rrnd Untersuchungsgebiete fiir die im Fnihjahr 1998 geplante Beprobung von
Fluidaustritten ausweisen.
Die Fahrt war durch das Problem geprgt, daB zumindest am Ende des SW-Monsuns die Fi-
scherei mit mehrere km langen Stellnetzen vor der Makranktiste Pakistans auBerordentlich
rege ist. Beim Durchqueren einer der zahlreichen Gruppen von kleinen Fischerbooten gingen
bereits zu Beginn der Fahrt etwa2l3 des Streamers verloren. Ferner fthrte die Fischerei zu
einem gegenber der urspriinglichen Planung stark genderten Me8netz (Fig. 4). Insgesamt
wurden 4082 km mit Gravimetrie, Magnetik, Hydrosweep und Parasound vermessen, 2927
km davon wurden zustzlich mit Mehrspurreflexionsseismik vermessen.
Die wichtigsten tektonischen Einheiten lassen sich am besten an Hand von Profil SOI22-
04.I0/.A(Fig. 19, S. 59) beschreiben:
Das Profil beginnt im Stiden am Siidrand des Murray-Rckens, der zumindest teilweise von
Vulkaniten bedeckt ist, die im Gipfelbereich stellenweise aus der Sedimentbedeckung ragen.
Gro8e Teile des Rckens bestehen
jedoch
nicht aus Vulkaniten.
Der Kleine Murray-Rcken unterteilt auf diesem Profil die ozeanische Kruste zwischen dem
Munay-Riicken und der Front des Makran-Akkretionskomplexes in zwei sehr unterschiedli-
che Einheiten. Im Sdosten zeigt die Sedimentbedeckung zahlreiche, meist rezente Strungen,
die auf aktive Dehnungstektonik hinweisen. Der tiber 4000 m tiefe Dalrymple-Trog an der
NW-Flanke des Murray-Rckens ist durch diese Dehnung entstanden und Uitaet einen asym-
metrischen Graben mit der Hauptabschiebungsflche im SE. Nordwestlich des Kleinen Mur-
ray-Rckens befindet sich der Trenchbereich der Makran-Subduktionszone. Das Basement
fiillt dort zum Akkretionskomplex hin ein. Die bis zu 5,6 s (twt) (grob geschtzt7 h,rrl mch-
tige Sedimentbedeckung wird von einer sehr markanten Unkonformitat unterteilt, die sub-
parallel zur Basementoberflche ebenfalls nach Norden einftillt. Direkt unter der Unkonformi-
tt liegt eine ausgedehnte Driftstruktur. Dariiber verlaufen die Sedimentschichten horizontal
und decken den Trench za, der deshalb topographisch nicht als Tiefseerinne erkennbar ist.
Der Makran-Akkretionskomplex zeigt im Frontbereich einige gefaltete und iibereinanderge-
schobene Sedimentschuppen und einen deutlichen BSR (Bottom simulating reflector). Die
subduzierende ozeanische Kruste ist im gesamten Bereich des Akkretionskomplexes
auf der
Einspur-Monitoraufzeichnung nicht erkennbar.
In dem ber 100 km weiten Schelfbereich mit Wassertiefen unter 200 m vor Karachi und im
stlichen Bereich des Makran-Akkretionskeils sind die Profile SOl22-07 bis SO122-13 ver-
BGR 1T6&3
-
1 1 -
messen worden. Der wichtigste neue Befund in diesem Gebiet betrifft die Fortsetzung bekann-
ter tektonischer Elemente Pakistans in das Arabische Meer:
Im zentralen Teil von Pakistan trent die Bela-Waziristan-Ophiolith-Zone den Makran-
Flysch-Komplex im'Westen vom Khuzdar-Block im Osten
"U*g
ausgeprgter Blattver-
schiebungen (Chaman-Strun9, Ghazaband-Strung, Ornach-Nal-Strung). Sie wird aus ma-
rinen Kalk- und Tonsteinen, basaltischen und andesitischen Laven, Gabbrogesteinen, Serpen-
tiniten und Konglomeraten dieser Gesteine gebildet und als Grenzbereich zwischen der Eura-
sischen Platte im Westen und der Indo-Pakistanischen Platte im Osten betrachtet. Die im we-
sentlichen Nord-Sd ausgerichtete Erstreckung dieser Zone ist nrdlich von Karachi im sog.
Karachi-Bogen nach Osten gebogen.ImBereich von Karachi werden die zu dieser Tnne geh-
renden Schichten von alluvialen Sedimenten iiberdeckt.
Im Schelfbereich wurden Tnnen positiver Schwereanomalien kartiert, denen sich Hochlagen
seismischer Reflektoren zuordnen lassen. Es liegt nahe, diese Untergrundstrukturen hherer
Dichte mit der Bela-Waziristan-Ophiolith-Zone zu parallelisieren. Demriach wtirde die
Ophiolith-Zone stidlich vom Karachi-Bogen nach
rWSW
in Richtung auf den Murray-Rticken
abgelenkt. Mglichenreise geht sie direkt in diesen ber. Dieser Befund wirft neues Licht auf
die Tektonik im Bereich des Tripelpunktes zwischen Eurasischer, Arabischer und Indo-
Pakistanischer Platte, tiber die bisher bemerkenswert wenig bekannt ist.
Weitere Schwerpunkte waren der Site Survey fiir eine Bohrung im Bereich der Sauerstoff-
Minimum-Zone in der Niihe des Indus-Canyons und die Profile ber den Murray-Rticken bis
zum Indus-Sediment-Fcher.
Im Bereich des Indus-Fchers ist die Kruste ozeanisch, die Mchtigkeit der Sedimente nimmt
nach Sden ab.ZumTeil liegen die Profile auBerhalb des EEZ Pakistans in einem Bereich, in
den Pakistan bei ausreichender Sedimentmchtigkeit seine EEZ ausdehnen knnte. (Auf
ei-
nem Teil der Profile knnte das der Fall sein.)
Die magnetischen Anomalien im Bereich des Indus-Fchers sind auffallend schwach. Eine
Fortsetzung der Identifizierung der sdlich von 20oN beobachteten ost-west-streichenden ma-
gnetischen Lineationen nach Norden hin ist uns nicht gelungen.
ber den Hochlagen des Murray-Riickens finden sich nur an wenigen Stellen auffallend starke
magnetische Anomalien. In weiten Bereichen hat hier also basischer Vulkanismus keine do-
minierende Rolle gespielt. Nordwestlich vom Munay-Riicken, im Bereich des vermuteten
Kleinen Murray-Rckens, fallen groBrumige Anomalien mit Amplituden von 200 nT und
mehr auf, die sich bis unter den Makran-Akkretionskomplex fortsetzen. Ihre Streichrichtung
ist vorwiegend SW-NO. Die magnetischen Anomalien sind in diesem Gebiet stiirker als auf
den Indus-Fcher-Profilen. Ob sie wenigstens teilweise durch Seafloor-Spreading entstanden
sind und ob man aus ihnen Alter und Spreadingrate ableiten kann,lBt sich beim gegenwiirti-
gen Stand der Datensammlung und
-bearbeitung
nicht sagen. Insgesamt unterscheidet sich die
Kruste nordwestlich vom Murray-Rcken in magnetischer Hinsicht deutlich von der Kruste
im Bereich des Indus-Fchers.
Die Natur des Murray-Rckens selbst bleibt noch ungekllirt. Er ist sicherlich ein Teil der
Grenze zwischen der Arabischen und der Indo-Pakistanischen Platte, zwischen denen im Be-
reich des Munay-Rckens derzeit Extension stattfindet, die zur Bildung des Dalrymple-
Grabens und eines weiteren, nordstlich von diesem liegenden Becken gefhrt hat. Der siid-
BGR 116&3
- 1 2 -
stlich an die Grabenzone anschlieBende Rcken knnte in einer frtiheren Kompressionsphase
durch berschiebung zweier ozeanischer Krustenplatten entstanden sein. Es knnte sich aber
auch um einen vulkanischen Rticken handeln, der an der Plattengrenze als einer Schwchezo-
ne der Lithosphiire entstanden ist.
1 Geoscientific objectives
(H.A.Roeser, U. von Rad & C. Reichert)
l.L fntroduction
As shown by the COSOD tr priority list and the "White Papers" of the Tectonic Panel and the
Sedimentary and Geochemical Processes Panel of the Ocean Drilling Program, the investiga-
tion of accretionary wedges (particularly the Nankai Trough off Japan, the Cascadia subduc-
tion zone off Oregon and British Columbia, the continental margin of Peru and Chile, and the
Barbados accretionary wedge) are in the center of current scientific interest. A considerable
amount of research has been focussed on this field within the framework of the ODP drilling
campaigns and ODP presite surveys (Suess, von Huene et al. 1990; Suess t992,1994).
A main topic concerns the seepage of reduced vent gases and interstitial waters from the sea
floor associated with very specialized biota of sulfur-oxidizing or methanotrophic bacteria, the
chemo-autotrophic "cold vent faunas", and the formation of authigenic minerals which are
frequently observed at accretionary wedges. Indeed, these cold seeps belong to the most excit-
ing discoveries of the marine sciences within the past decade (see Ritger et al., 1987;
Schmaljohann, 1993).
The characteristics of subduction zones vary in a wide range, depending on a wealth of pa-
rameters. Among these are:
-
age of the oceanic crust
-
sediment thickness, age and properties of the sediments
-
rate ofconvergence
-
sediment supply during the subduction
-
angle of subduction
-
angle between the direction of convergence and the direction of the subduction zone
The Makran accretionary eomplex, which has developed by the subduction of the Arabian
Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate (Fig. l), is characterized by a very thick column of incoming
sediment on the oceanic crust. This creates an accretionary wedge which to a large part is ele-
vated above the sea level where it is intensely eroded and deposited back onto the lower parts
of the wedge. Reflection seismic data indicate that the wedge consists mainly of imbricate
thrust slices which often show a regular appearance. Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSR)
indicate the presence of gas hydrates at a large part of the complex.
We have selected the Makran accretionary wedge for a thorough and multidisciplinary inves-
tigation because due to its extreme situation it may give particularly clear answers to some of
the existing questions.
BGR 116&3
- 1 3 -
Fig. 1. Tectonic setting of the Arabian Sea and its surroundings (Coumes
& Kolla, Lg84)
Some of the other parameters are only poorly known for the Makran subduction zone, espe-
cially the age of the oceanic crust, the direction of fracture zones within it and the conver-
gence rate. As these features influence considerably the evolution of the wedge, it is most im-
portant to study also the oceanic crust south of the wedge.
1.2 Source, migration and discharge of fluids
Increasing compaction of the sediments with increasing tectonic and lithostatic pressure
within the accretionary wedge is the most important driving force for expelling fluids. The
compaction can be estimated on the basis of the relationship between the sonic velocity and
the porosity (von Huene et al., 1993; Fruehn etal.,1994). For this purpose it is necessary to
trace back the deformation chronologically using tectonic balancing methods. This allows
calculation of a lower limit to the present flow rate. The calculated flow rate can then be com-
pared with the directly measured fluid discharge from the accretionary sediments into the deep
rwater
of the Arabian Sea.
The upward migration of methane and other gaseous hydrocarbons from the deeper part of the
sedimentary wedge may be strongly affected by gas hydrates in the upper 400 rn-of the sedi-
EURASI AN
PLATE
ARABI AN
KARACHI
PLATE
BGR I 16g3
- t 4-
ments. The presence of these gas hydrates has been demonstrated by identification of the BSR
in the Makran accretionary wedge down to water depths of 1500 m. The gaseous hydrocar-
bons from below the BSR can penetrate the gas hydrate zone only by fluid migration. During
their migration through the hydrate zone, the fluids may mobilize additional methane.
The distribution of vents is very variable. In most cases it is related to local tectonic structures,
such as the outcrops of reverse faults or thrusts, transform faults, back thrusts, and steep
slump escary)ments and canyon walls over the entire continental slope area (Minshull
&
White, 1989). A detailed knowledge of the tectonic structure of the accretionary wedge is nec-
essary to assess the spatial distribution of structures which favour the occurrence of vents so
that the mean fluid discharge over a large area can be estimated. This requires investigation of
the active dewatering area on a large scale along the strike of the accretionary structures. In
addition, information on the escape channels in unconsolidated sediment is necessary: At what
depth and under which pressure/temperature regime is the catchment area of the fluids in the
channels? Do the channels originate at the foot of faults or in another kind of tectonic struc-
ture? Do they penetrate the BSR horizon, which can be expected to occur in the study area?
All this would help to determine the best sampling sites.
1.3 Geophysics and morphology of the Makran accretionary \iledge
The active Makran continental margin and its dewatering was investigated geochemicalty by
the working group of J. Leggett, London, and R.
rwhite,
cambridge, England, during the
1980s. A few single-channel seismic profiles were obtained by RRS Shackleton (Leg 1/S0)
and Atlantis tr (Leg 96113) during an ODP Site Survey in the area south of Gwadar. A multi-
channel (MC) seismic profile was published by Minshull & V/hite (1989). In addition to a
commercial MC line (Harms et al., 1983
,Fig.2),
several unpublished commercial single-
channel and multichannel seismic lines exist (e.g. Raza et al., 1990; Wintershall from the
1960s).
Gnos, Immenhauser & Peters (1997) have investigated the ages of the emplacement of the
ophiolites in the Vy'estern Ophiolite Belt in Pakistan and the sediments related to that event.
They found that the youngest obducted oceanic crust is 65
-
70 million years old. They saw
clear evidence that subduction along this belt did not start earlier than 70
-
75 mill. years ago.
The youngest accretionary ridge presently forms at the foot of the steep continental slope at a
water depth of about 3000 m. On the continent and on the upper part of the slope, there are
five to seven E-W striking, folded, and elevated accretionary ridges which have been thrust
northward; these ridges are separated by ponded slope basins filled with turbidites and
hemipelagic sediments, which are horizontal or dip downslope (White & Louden, 1982;
White, 1983; von Rad et al.,1994). The subduction zone has an unusually small inclination
(about 2o) and the temperature gradient is only l8"C per km (Harms et al., 1984).
A large part of the accretionary wedge is well exposed on the continent because the area is
free of vegetation (Bannert et al., 1992: Leggett & Platt, 1984). The sedimentation rate of the
slope sediments is extremely high (> 1-5 mmla; von Rad et a7., 1994) because of rapid tec-
tonic uplift, the narrow shelf, and the lack of vegetation in the hinterland. As a result, the
hemipelagic sediments have a very high rate of consolidation and compaction, and the accre-
tionary sediments undergo rapid dewatering due to tectonic deformation (Fowler
et al., 1985).
BGR 116&3
According to these and other data, the Makran accretionary wedge has formed by subduction
of the Arabian Plate below the continental Eurasian Plate (Lut Block) which may have started
70
-
80 million years ago and is still active. Some of the sediments of the oceanic plate, which
are up to 9 km thick, have been folded, sheared, and repeatedly thrust, increasing the thickness
to up to 15 km (Harms et al., 1984; Leggett & Platt, 1984; Farah et al., 1984; Raza et al.,
1990). The Makran fore-arc is an especially interesting type of convergent continental margin
in so far as (1) a morphologically distinct deep sea trench does not exist (probably because of
the enormous supply of sediment from the continent), and (2) the accretionary wedge is ex-
tremely wide (about 500 km, only 70 km of which are submarine) and characterized by large
thicknesses of sediment
@annert
et al., 1992). The Arabian Plate is being subducted below
the Eurasian Plate along a very gently inclined, northward dipping subduction zone at about 5
cmla. This causes uplift of the Makran coast at a rate of 1.5 mmla and 1 cm/a seaward move-
ment of the coastline (White & Louden, 1982; White, 1983).
During SONNE cruise SO-90 PAKOMIN (1993), four areas of the continental slope off
Pakistan were surveyed in detail in water depths between 100 and 3000 m using Hydrosweep
swath bathymetry and Parasound 3.5 kHz profiling (von Rad & Shipboard Scientific Party,
1994; von Rad et al., 1995; von Rad & Tahir, 1997). Two of these areas (A and B) are in the
region of the Makran accretionary wedge (Fig. 2). The morphological structure of these areas,
which is strongly influenced by deformation during the subduction process, is very complex.
A 90 km long, N-S transect (area A) shows five or six E-W trending, folded, faulted, imbri-
cated, and uplifted anticlinal structures (accretionary ridges) separated by ponded turbidite
slope basins in water depths between 1300 and 3000 m (White & Louden, l9S2). Area B
shows a complex system of submarine E-V/ running canyons which probably are related to
tectonic zones of weakness.
Near "oil seeps" often weak local magnetic anomalies are found (Donovan etal.,1979, e.g.)
which may be due to the reduction of minerals by hydrocarbons. It is not yet known whether
such anomalies can exist also at places of fluid discharges out of accretionary wedges. Aero-
magnetic measurements at a flight altitude of 300 m within the frame of Project MAGNET
show a quiet magnetic field over most of the Makran accretionary wedge (Taylor, 1968). With
the magnetic gradiometer of BGR it may be possible to detect weak local anomalies if they
exist at places of fluid discharge.
1.4 Structure of the crust off the Makran accretionary wedge
The nature of the Murray Ridge south of the Makran accretionary wedge is only poorty
known. In 1961162 the British Admiralty had carried out magnetic and bathymetric surveys of
the area (Barker, 1966). The quality of the prepared maps is remarkably high. They show an
elongated ridge with water depths of partly less than 200 m in the south-rffest that is paralleled
by a more than 4000 m deep trough on its north-eastern flank. This structure is offset at 64oE
where we observe several prominent circular highs. The crust of the Murray Ridge and the
troughs do not show a strikingly high magnetization. Only the circular highs at the offset must
consist at least partly of higtrly magnetized basic lava. To the north-west of the troughs, we
observe several local magnetic anomalies that partly are not related to topographic expres-
sions.
1 5 -
BGR 1t6&3
-
1 6 -
o
Kz
o g
3
v e
g ,
e
P
5'
Eg
E s 8
383.8
au
, 5hEA
gs3
i l =e=
seFE
$$T
\ f
8 R S 8
z
Y
g
r E -
N R '
E E ' E
, E- - s' ;
= d O E
T
6

F E g
I . S
N +
o o
iir l! N
E
o
o
x ^
O ^ ^
: E T
- 6 0
5 *
- !
* i
E ' -
g
o
q r t
9 > ?
g r -
s 6 b
t r { <
o : -
b d
.
E
H =
1' . E
E v
i i ? t J
i . I ! Q
8 : V
e U '
+
9 ) e
. O O
Fig.2. The Makran accretionary wedge with the areas where during SO-90 detailed surveys
were carried out, and the profiles that were planned for cruise SO-I22; the lines that were ac-
tually surveyed are shown in Fig. 4 on p. 30.
trJ
o
C!
\t,
g
Ea.
5 =
r ! r
<( )
o 9 S l J
gfrg
PF
I
E
gr,9
. t =

8
8f i
E
' 5 b
s
---"-;-::"
^6ss
{roo"
1_.._,-'
i f-----_-.."o=
ii =*=l:'.
l . i
\-
r,
\ i
R;.i
O @
it
o
i if,
t .
F.
.D
(-
t9
E
L
C)
t o
I
I
3-
q,
=t
c
a10
\
a t t - - -
,rt"
I
F
t 2 '
KfT-
.
,d.
-.--
^'
_,.,'
o9
Z
-
=r.' -
-.r--' -'
t t ?, . t - 3
,1, ro
^--t' 3 r E
, / . t t - t d , <
l - i
3
)
:.i#
,,.-' ::--)F ,)
l
(p
;_4)
f
5
v,
J
E
c
BGR 116&3
- 1 7 -
Mainly on the base of reflection seismic measurements, Minshull et al. (1992) have developed
a picture of the plate tectonic evolution. Using additional information by Bannert et al. (1992),
it can be reviewed as follows (Fig. 1):
Three plates must be considered: The Indo-Pakistanian Plate moves northwards relative to the
Eurabian Plate. Main expression of the collision is the emergence of the Himalaya. In the cen-
tral part of Pakistan, along distinct strike-slip faults (Chaman Fault, Ghazaband Fault, Ornach-
Nal Fault), the Bela-Waziristan Ophiolite Zone separates the Makran Flysch complex in the
west from the Khuzdar Block in the east. This zone consists of marine.limestone and clay-
stone, basaltic and andesitic lavas, gabbros and serpentinites and their conglomerates. This
mainly NS striking zone bends eastward in the Karachi Arch north of Karachi. Near Karachi
and south of it, alluvial sediments cover the layers. The seaward extension of this zone is not
known. It is assumed that the Bela-Waziristan Ophiolite Zone, the Murray Ridge and the
Owen Fracture Zone separate the Indo-Pakistanian Plate in the SW from the Arabian Plate in
the NW (Minshull et al., 1992).
Between the Murray Ridge and the Makran accretionary wedge, the Arabian Plate consists of
oceanic crust which subducts to the north. The nature of the triple
junction
between the three
plates mentioned is completely unknown.
It is assumed that most of the oceanic crust of the Arabian Plate, namely the Oman Basin and
the Owen Basin, bel.ongs to the old Tethys Ocean. The crust between the Sharbithat Ridge and
the Sheba Ridge has formed much later, namely in parallel with the Gulf of Aden (Stein
&
Cochran, 1985). Age determinations on the basis of magnetic anomalies exist neither for the
Owen Basin nor the Oman Basin. From a synthesis of the existing geophysical evidence, Min-
shull et al. (1992) conclude that the crust north of the Murray Ridge possibly has formed dur-
ing the Cretaceous Magnetic
Quiet
Zone.
Between the axis of the Murray Ridge and the Oman Abyssal Plain, extensional features
dominate. Their most prominent expression is the Dalrymple Trough. Fig. 8 of Minshull et al.
(1992) shows that the extension is still active. The nature of the Murray Ridge itself is un-
known. It may be continental or a compressional feature where oceanic crust of the Indo-
Pakistanian Plate is thrust over oceanic crust of the Arabian Plate.
South of the Murray Ridge, ages of the oceanic crust are well defined south of 19"N where
anomaly 28 is observed (Miles & Roest, 1993). Further to the north, some east-west striking
anomalies are observed but not identified. The buried Laxmi Ridge is the boundary between
these two regions.
1.5 Targets of cruise SO.l22
SO-I22 has been the first of four geoscientific research cruises with R/V SONNE in the area
of the Makran accretionary wedge. It comprises multichannel reflection seismics, gravimetry,
magnetics, swath echosounding and sediment echosounding. The main questions approached
by this survey are:
-
Does a trench exist below the thick sediments at the foot of the continental slope?
-
Is it possible to estimate the amount of sediment that has been subducted?
BGR 1t6&3
- 1 8 -
-
Does a sliver-shaped, high-velocity, allochthonous splinter of crust exist off Makran, as
has been observed at many active continental margins ?.
-
What is the relationship between the oceanic crustal material in the Bela-Waziristan
Ophiolite Zone of central Pakistan and the submarine Murray Ridge (Minshull et al.,
r992)?
-
Does the oceanic crust show any specific features and are they related to the subduction
patern?
-
Is the particular sfyle of subduction related to the hydrocarbon potential, the dewatering of
the sediments and the fluid transfer?
-
How does the study area compare with other types of collision zone between oceanic and
continental plates (e.g., Barbados, Costa Rica, Peru, Oregon
)
with respect to structure?
-
V[hat is the nature of the Murray Ridge?
-
How differs the oceanic crust north-west of the Murray Ridge from that south-east of it?
We had planned to
-
concentrate during cruise SO-122 on a geophysical survey of an area of about 400 km x
150 km on the Makran continental margin offPakistan (Fig. 2),
-
to convert the velocity data into a porosity model to derive fluid losses (Fowler et al., 1985;
Minshull & lVhite, 1989; von Huene et al., 1993) and
-
on this basis to select key regions for investigation by geological sampling during cruise
so-130.
Intense fishery in the area of the Makran accretionary wedge prevented a large part of these
investigations. We had to shift the emphasis to more southerly regions (Fig. a). This provided
data for an improved understanding of the regional tectonic evolution and to questions con-
cerning the development of the crust on a larger scale which previously had not been in the
center of interest.
2 Participants
2.1 Scientific crew
Adam, Ernst-Jrgen
Bargeloh, Hans-Otto
Block, Martin
Cheema, Amjed Hussain
Damm, Volkmar
Dohmann, Hans
Fritsch, Jrgen
Inam, Asif
Kewitsch, Peter
Puskeppeleit, Klaus
Roeser, Hans Albert
Schillhorn, Thies
Schreckenberger, Bernd
Sievers, Joachim
Schrader, Uwe
Steinmann. Dieter
BGR
BGR
BGR
HDIP
BGR
BGR
BGR
NIO
BGR
BGR
BGR
Geomar
BGR
BGR
BGR
BGR
BGR 116&3
Tahir, Muhammad
VoB, Wolfgang
BGR
-
Geomar
-
HDIP
-
NIO
-
- 1 9 -
NIO
BGR
2.2 Ship's crew
Andresen, Hartmut A.
Angermann, Rudolf
von Arronet, Johannes Georg
Bethke, Hans G.
Bochnik, Eberhard
Bronn, Johann
Dracopoulos, Lazaros
Evers, Wolfgang
Hartig, Volker
Hartwig, Karl-Heinz
Hoffmann, Hilmar
Klein, Andreas
Kraft, Jrgen
Krause, Stefan
Lude, Gtinter
Meyer, Helmut
Naeve,Ingo
Paul, Gerhard
Prechtl, Hans-Jrgen
Schade, Peter Uwe
Scholz, Uwe Rudi Gerhard
Schramme, Heinrich
Schrappel, Andreas
Stiingl, Gtinter
Szymanski, Leszek
Tscharnke, Rudolf
Vor, Hans-Jiirgen
V/itkowski,Ingo
Zieten, Wolfgang
Bundesanstalt fiir Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe,
Hannover, Germany
Geomar Forschungszentrum fiir marine Geowissen-
schaften, Kiel, Germany
Hydrocarbon Development Institute, Islamabad,
Pakistan
National Institute of Oceanography, Karachi, Paki-
stan
Kapitiin
Elektroniker
Motorenwiirter
Motorenwiirter
2.Ingenieur
l. Steward
Kochsmaat
Koch
Ltd.Ingenieur
Bootsmann
Ltd. Elektroniker
System-Manager
Matrose
System-Manager
Matrose
Motorenwiirter
Arzt
Motorenwiirter
2. Steward
2. Ingenieur
1. Offizier
2. Steward
Matrose
Matrose
1. Offizier
Deckschlosser
Matrose
Matrose
Ft.-Offizier
BGR 1T63
-20 -
3 Cruise diary
(H.A.Roeser)
All times are in in ship time. This is UTC + 3h until August 12 andUTC + 4h afterwards.
Cruise SO-122 started at Djibouti, a town which recalls unfortunate reminiscences to the
German marine science community because here on March 18, 1987 four German students of
marine biology: Annette Barthelt, Marco Buchalla, Hans-Wilhelm Halbeisen and Daniel Rein-
schmidt, lost their lives during a terrorist attack. We have often remembered them during our
stay in Djibouti. Relatives and friends of the victims have established the Annette-Barthelt
Foundation. It is the intention of this foundation to inform about the problem of terrorism and
its consequences for the persons affected and the community, and to honour outstanding in-
vestigations of young German oceanography scientists.
FS SONNE arrived in schedule at Djibouti on August 6,1997. Cruise SO-122 started on
August 7 with the loading of three 20'containers and the winch with the 3000 m long digital
streamer. Installation of the heavy equipment was finished on August 9. One of the
pakistani
guests had arrived in schedule on August 7, the others were delayed due to flight problems.
After arrival of the missing two guests in the evening of August 9, the ship sailed at22hlocat
time.
On August l0 at 12.45 h, we received an emergency call from RCC (rescue coordinating cen-
ter) Stavanger. On the ship MV RESOURCEFUL, a navy ship which was on its last cruise to
being scrapped in India, a motor man had been heavily burned by hot steam. At 18 h we arriv-
ed at the ship. The swain and our doctor I. Naeve went aboard the ship. The doctor treated the
wounds and gave the necessary injections to the man. Later, a boat from land took the man to
a hospital at Aden. At 19.25 h we continued our
journey.
On August 12we came into monsoonal winds with wind force 7. A short test of the gradient
magnetometer on August 13 revealed problems with the acquisition of the data from the depth
meters and the fluxgate compass. These were remedied on August 14.
On the occasion of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Pakistan
we congratulated on August 14 our partner institutes to this highly important day in the history
of their country. Captain Bhatti, hydrographer of Pakistan navy, and Dr. Shahid Amjad, Direc-
tor General of NIO, conveyed their regards to us and thanked for our interest.
In the afternoon of August 14, we started line SO122-01 without seismics because the sea was
too rough for deployment of the streamer. On August 15, the weather had sufficiently improv-
ed and we started deployment of the streamer. It turned out that the birds were hardly abl to
bring the streamer down to the required depth. Therefore we added 2kgleadper section to
adapt it to the calculated density 1.024 glcm3. After adding a weight of 50 kg to the end of the
tow lead, the birds had wing angles of about 5
-
7 degrees downward, showing that the strea-
mer had the desired buoyancy of about 1 kg per section.
In the morning of August 16, we started line SO122-03, the first one with reflection seismics.
This line was only 30 km long. At 05.50 h we started line SOI22-04 which was intended to
BGR 1t6&3
cross Mruray Ridge, Dalrymple Trough, Oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran accretionary
wedge.
In the evening, the number of fishing-boats increased, they were all drifting. 4 of them were
passed at distances between 0.8 and 1.0 nm. At2339 h the last three birds failed. As we sup-
posed a collision with parts of drifting nets, we decided to intemrpt the line and to pick up the
equipment. Indeed, great pieces of nets were picked up with the airgun arrays. On August 17
at 00.35 h we observed the end buoy of the streamer the last time. Shortly after that it became
clear that the seamer was broken. After picking up the remaining sections, we waited for
daylight. Very soon we observed the end buoy and began to pick up the streamer from its end.
Parallel to this action, a fishing-boat approached which, as we observed, picked up the strea-
mer with its net. We contacted them by megaphone and agreed to separate streamer and net in
cooperation. After several hours it turned out that the fishermen had already cut the streamer
at several places, without knowing its value.
Because of the danger to the propeller, it was not possible to search for the streamer with the
ship itself. Therefore the speedboat went in several hundred meter distance before the ship
searching for the streamer. Because of the rough sea, this had to be stopped in the evening.
During the night, we tried to observe more reliable values for the water currents. The new ob-
servations essentially confirmed our previous values. Altogether it followed that the chance to
find the remainder of the seamer was very small. Also, it had to be taken into account that a
passing ship may have dragged with it streamer or that it had already sunk due to insufficient
buoyancy. Therefore we did not continue the search.
Instead, we began in the morning to reconfigure the streamer from the parts that were left, and
from the spare parts. On August 18 at 18.08 h we had finished the new configuration with all
17 sections and a weight of 100 kg at the end of the tow lead, and started line SO122-04A
with an overlapping over SOIZ2-U of about 5 nm.
During this line we observed ftequently fishing-boats which were in more than 2 nm distance
from our line. This limit seemed safe enough for us because we could not imagine that the
observed small boats could work with nets of this length. On August 19 at 14.10 h we observ-
ed several fishing-boats 5 nm ahead on our survey line. We changed course from 0o to 45". At
17.10 h we saw numerous fishing-boats in front of us and on both sides. Although the distan-
ces from us were still around 5 nm, from their movements it became clear that it was neces-
sary to take as fast as possible the airguns, the magnetometer and the streamer on board.
At 18.45 h, we started our way back. At 20.00 h we crossed two fishing-nets which mean-
while were put out.
'We
were not able to return to the end of line SO-122-04A because the
area was occupied by many fishermen.
From our observations we concluded, that it was much to dangerous to work with our com-
plete equipment. Instead, at?I.s0 h we started line SO122-05 with the magnetometer alone
in direction 148' to the southern end of the planned next seismic line to survey that line firstly
with the magnetometer alone and then with reflection seismics from as far north as possible.
Only a few hours later, at 00.35 h on August 20, we had to finish the line because there were
many fishermen around us and one exactly in front of us. Only 15 nm later, we could start line
SO122-05A in direction 120'. On this line, until5.20 h we observed many fishermen. As af-
-21
BGR 1T6&3
-22 -
terwards no fishermen were observed, we concluded that we could try to go northwards at
longitude 63o50'E.
At 8.00 h on August 20, Mr. Inam, one of the participants from NIO, got information from his
institute that his wife had died during the night. Therefore we decided to go to Karachi. On
this way we surveyed line 50122-06 at longitude 63'50'E until 24"50'N and then line SOl22-
07 eastwards. On line 06 we observed at 13.30 h a group of 7 boats at 3 nm distance from our
track line.
On August 21 at 8.00 h, we arrived at Karachi. Three hours delayed, at 10.50 h a boat from
land picked up Mr. Inam.
As we had no fishing observed in the eastern part of the Makran accretionary wedge, we went
from Karachi only 60 nm in SE direction and started there with our easternmost lines. Because
of the high danger to loose the streamer again, we used only 12 of the 17 sections that had
remained. The 62 km long line SO122-08 was surveyed without fishing problems. During the
line, the seismic data acquisition system displayed an error message that it was unable to write
the data for the monitor record to disk. Consequently, it was not possible to prepare the usual
monitor records at the end of these lines. The same problem occurred later also on lines
-09
and
-10.
It turned out that this was caused by the high temperature in the laboratory and conse-
quently in the housings of the seismic data acquisition system. We solved the problem by the
installation of fans in front of the warmest units. At the end of cruise SO-122, the refrigerant
of the air conditioning of the ship was cleaned.
On line SO122-09 we observed on August22 at 7 .00 h two fishing-boats in front of us which
forced us to shift our line 2 nm to the east. In all these cases we changed the course by 3"
every 3 minutes. Obviously, this slow change did not disturb the records excessively. Fur-
thermore, it did not cause problems of collision between the towed equipment. We did not go
back to the old line because then we would have had to make additional course changes.
Similarly, we had to change line SO122-10 by 2 nm because of two fishing-boats. In this case,
we did not shift the line parallel. Instead, we kept the same end point because we wanted to
cross there the Drill Site Indus Marine A-1.
On line SOl22-12 we observed on August23 at 19.00 h one boat near our survey line which
we passed by shifting our line 2nm. Some time later, we lost the signal of bird (depth control-
ler) no. 6, the last one. The signal of that channel where the bird was positioned seemed to
have a slightly increased noise. As bird no. 5 continuously controlled the streamer upward, in
contrast to its usual behaviour, we suspected that a heavy object was caught by the bird. How-
ever, as no additional damage was expected, we did not pick up the streamer. Some time later,
channel T disappeared. We suspected an intemrption of the line from the channel to the mod-
ule which did not require any immediate action.
On the connection between lines SO122-12 and-13 we observed several boats at a distance of
about 4 nm. They became unvisible when at the first beginning of dawn they extinguished
their lights. On August24 at 6.40 h we observed at a distance of 1.5 nm a boat with an I nm
long net which extended parallel to our course. 5 nm in front of us two more boats appeared.
However, they did not affect us because we were just
changing course for line SOI22-13
which we started at 7.10 h.
BGR 116&3
-23 -
In the morning, the signal of bird no. 6 reappeared. Possibly, the range of the signal is not
large enough so that it disappears under some conditions.
At 9.00 h we approached two boats with unclear behaviour. One picked up a net and approa-
ched a red flag whereas the second boat tied to keep it away from the flag. We finished the
line at 9.24h, changed slightly our course and shortened magnetometer and airguns to enable
rapid reactions. Finally the first boat passed the red flag which bbviously belonged to the net
of the other boat. In safe distance of the two boats we started line SO122-13A at 10.00 h.
Some time later, the signal of bird no.4 disappeared.
The problems with fshing-boats continued on this line. At 14.00 h we approached a group of
boats which started to move in different, mostly souther$, directions at speeds of 4
-
6 knots.
All this could be observed very well on the excellent radar of R/V SONNE. One boat in front
of us was only drifting, we changed our course in the usual way by 3'13 minutes. At sufficient
distance we were able to observe the red end buoy of the net. Then in the radar several drift-
ing boats appeared in front of us. As we suspected that they were fishing, we finished our line
and began to pick up the equipment as fast as possible. When the magnetometer was on board,
we had only 300 m in front of us the red buoy of a net. We changed our course sharply and
picked up the streamer. Then we moved carefully southward out of this extensive group of
fishermen which covered a 15 nm long area.
At the start of line SOl22-14 we o6served that the last bird continuously headed upward. We
had t9 pick up the whole equipment and to replace the bird. The new bird gave wrong com-
pass values, but that was tolerabl. The defective bird was ok after removing and reinstalling
the batteries. Therefore we suspect that a bad pulse had disturbed the electronic board within
the bird. After an intemrption of more than 12 hours we were able to start line SOL22-I4 at
04.58 h.
August 25 has been the 60 birthday of the chief scientist. The most suitable present was a
small package of "Fishermen's Friend".
The main purpose of lines SOI22-I4
-
3U^122-16 was a site survey for an ODP hole which
will be proposed on the base of data obtained on cruise SO-90 (PAKOMIN). These lines were
surveyed without any disturbances by fishing. There were only some intemrptions in the re-
ception of the DGPS signals due to an unfavourable course. The officers tried to keep the in-
temrptions as short as possible.
Lines SOl22-17 and SO122-18 should return us to the Makran accretionary wedge. However,
20 minutes after the end of line SOl22-17 in the Oman Abyssal Plain, on August 28 at2 .00h
the lights of five boats became visible in the noctoviser. We decided to turn t direction 270"
to go northward further in the west. However, then we saw another boat exactly west of us, we
had to turn further southwards. When after short time also there a boat appeared, we turned to
180". Finally, we had to turn to 167" to pass another boat at a distance of 2 nm which ran
southward at a speed of 2 knots. Supposedly it was paying out his net, however, we did not
see anything of it. Other boats forced us then to change direction to south-west. Only at 5.45 h
on August 28 we were able to start line SO122-18 south-eastward across the Murray Ridge.
On line SOt22-19 we encountered fishing-boats much earlier than expected, namely at
23'15'N on August 29 at 5.50 h. First we tried to pass between the two boats, however, at 6.10
h we detected there some weak reflections in the radar, indicating that there might be a net.
BGR 116643
-24 -
We finished the line at6.14 h and began to turn to the west. Meanwhile, we shortened airguns
and magnetometer, to be more reactive in case of additional problems. This was necessary
because during the dawn the optical visibility is very poor. At 7.48h we continued the line,
only shifted by 9 km to the west and called 50122-194.
During these manoeuvres, we saw hundreds of tunas (bonitos?) jumping
out of the water.
During the day, we observed the same several times. This indicates the presence not only of
many tunas but also of larger fishes feeding on them.
At 8.30 h on August 29 intermittent error messages started at the Syntron system by which we
lost 12 shots duringz00 shot points. It was necessary to finish line SOI22-19A. We made a
loop and started line SO122-20 without seismics in direction 150o, at a distance of 6 km anti-
parallel to line
-19.
These lines seemed to us important because we had observed there a
trough which was similar to the Dalrymple Trough and had a depth of more than 4000 m. At
12.45 h we identified the cause for loosing shots: The PC for triggering the shots was defec-
tive: It triggered sometimes between the shots, and then the Syntron system was unable to
start the next record. After exchange of the PC and adapting everything, the problem was re-
moved. We ended line
-20
at 14.37 h, made a loop and started line 50122-198 at 16.2lh.
After 12nmwe reached the starting point of line SO122-19A, and began repeating it. At
18.55 h we observed optically the lights of 6 fishing-boats which do not appear in the radar.
At 19.10 h, they appeared at 6 nm distance in the radar.'We found that obviously the boats
consisted of two groups and that there was a 4 nm wide gap between them through which we
might be able to pass.
In the VFIF radio we heard very intense talking, it sounded Portuguese, which nobody on the
bridge could understand. At 20.00 h the two boats through which we intended to pass and a
third boat started blinking with strong searchlight beams.
'We
understood that they tried to
inform us that there were nets between them and that we should not pass. As the technicians
and the deck crew were already informed that a rapid reaction might become necessary, we
stopped the line and started immediately with picking up the airguns and the magnetometer.
During that time we had reduced already the speed as much as possible. At20.14 h we began
to turn over starboard to direction south. After some minutes we passed the end buoy of our
streamer which still moved to the north. At secure distance distance from the boats, we chang-
ed course to south-west and then to west to find a place to get through northward. However,
observation with the noctoviser showed fishing-boats everywhere and also in larger distances
to the north. After 10 nm we observed boats not only to the north but also to the west of us.
We concluded that any attempts to come more northward were unreasonable, and turned
southward.
On August 30 at 00.46 we crossed a net which supposedly belonged to a boat that was 3.5 nm
away from us. The signals of bird 1 of the streamer disappeared 2 minutes later. At 01.04 h
the birds of the streamer showed the following depths: Bird I nothing, bird229 m, bird 3 20
m, bird 4 10 m, bird 5 1.5 m. Otherwise the streamer was ok. We picked up the magnetometer
and found that the fin of one of the sensors was broken. Then we began to pick up the
streamer partly.
'We
found that the 50 kg weight at the end of the tow lead was lost. Further
bi r dl wasshi f t edbyl m, onecol l ar wasbr oken. Api eceof si zel 0mx3mof af i shi ng- net
was still attached to it. We removed the net and refixed the bird to the right place. Then we
put out the streamer again, replacing the weight at the end of the tow lead. At 03.20 h the
streamer and the magnetometer were ready for continuation of the survey. However, there
BGR 1t6&3
- 25 -
were still several fishing-boats around which we had to circumvent. At last, 25 nm more to the
south we started line SO122-2t at5.56 h.
Line SO12 2-22 wasintended to bring us again to the north. However, already at 4.00 h on
August 31 we observed 5 fishing-boats and finished the line. Without problems we went to an
appropriate point on line SOtr22-23 in direction 145'. It ended at 8.28 h on September I on
the Indus Fan. For the next lines in the area of the Indus Fan we extended the length of the
streamer to 16 sections because firstly we did not expect problems with fishermen and second-
ly the additional moveout would be very important for the determination of the velocity of
sound within the thick sedimentary sequence.
The next three lines were partly outside of the present EEZ of Pakistan. Line 5U-122-26 ended
at the SW end of line SOI22-L6. The last line SO122-27 was intended to enable connection of
lines SOl22-17
-
SOl22-23. However, at 15.40 h we detected two fishing-boats and within
the next 40 minutes two additional.ones which forced us to break off the line. During picking
up the equipment with careful cleaning of the streamer two fishing-boats laid out their nets in
our immediate neighbourhood. After the end of this work we started at sufficient distance
from the fishing-boats line SO122-27 without seismics in direction to Muscat. At longitude
61'50''W we picked up the magnetometer and ended our investigations on September 5,1997
at 11. 00 h.
On September 6 at 7.30 h the ship moored at Mutrah, near Muscat, the capital of Oman. Later
in the morning, the streamer winch was removed and a part of the scientific crew disem-
barked. This ended cruise SO-I22.
On September 7, four scientists from the University of Oman visited the ship.
'We
informed
them about the equipment of the ship, the geophysical equipment installed especially for this
cruise and the first scientific results. Afterwards, a group of scientists from the ship was
guided through the impressive geoscientific facilities of the University of Oman which had
been built up by a group of very engaged scientists within only a few years.
4 Geophysical instrumentation
4.1 Airgun system
The seismic signals were generated by two tuned linear:urays consisting of together 20 arr-
guns (type VLF Prakla-Seismos) in 6 groups with a total volume of Sl.Zlifte (3,124 cu.in.),
total length of each anay 19.6 m, operating pressure 135 bar (1,920 psi), operating depth 7 m
(Fig. 3). Exact timing of the shooting of the airguns was ensured by a microprocessor-con-
trolled airgun-synchronization unit type Prakla-Seismos VZAD andYZAC2 with storage os-
cilloscope.
BGR r t63
-26 -
Fig. 3. Configuration of the airgun system of BGR
, EE
EI
! l * 9!
E s r
H H 3
* E* =
J, g
E
EE
gi
V AA
E
e
=
E
'il;:
:ii
'1::
, orj
5
q,
O )
- l
. r U )
\-./
o
C\
l u)
r t
f - L U )
^ c ! $ i
1 1
- - o I - J
@ r r l g V
(r)

: ;
#
- c - ( L
( U
5 , *
r P ; ;
f
o
=
C v ' F J
- ! ! o
q i t a
@ o o
BGR 116643
- 27
4.2 Streamer system
For acquiring the multichannel seismic data a digital 3,000 m Syntron streamer manufactured
by Syntron Inc., Houston, Texas was used. It consisted of:
-
one tow lead,length 150 m
-
three stretch sections, length 50 m each
-
4ORDS active sections, eactr wittr three seismic channels, length 75 m each
-
ten active 24bit electronic modules
-
one passive electronic module to repeat (amplify) the data signals
-
11 MultiTRAK remote units (birds) to control interactively streamer depth and position
-
22O m end rope with Prakla-Seismos tail buoy
4.3 Seismic recording equipment
The equipment for recording the multichannel seismic dataconsisted of:
-
digital seismic recording system capable of recording up to 480 channels per streamer,
type Syntron SYNTRAK 480 MSRS (Multiple
streamer Recording sysrem)
The settings were:
-
Recording time: 15 s
-
sampling rgte:
-
Filter LC:
4 ms | 1 ms (cf. Table 2 onp. 43)
3Hz
-
two 4280 StorageTek 3480IBM compatible dual tape units, for 3480 cartridges with
208 m tape length, using SEG-D demultiplexed2.Sbyte format
-
Syntron MultiTRAK System Controller to control streamer depth and position
-
two OYO GEOSPACE GS-624 thermal plotters. Near resp. single-channel paper plors
were made on one of the thermal plotters. Shot gathers were plotted every 200 shots (l
hour) on the second thermal plotter.
-
master control system including trigger control, shot point counter and additional equip-
ment developed by BGR (Adam
& Sievers, 1996) for communication between the record-
ing system, the airgun control system, the streamer control system and the navigation
system to create, transfer and store an external data header containing
navigation data of the navigation system,
-
air pressure data of the airgun anays,
-
YZAD data,
-
MultiTRAK data,
-
GPS time.
-
one satellite-controlled clock Meinberg GPS 166
4.4 Gravimetric and magnetic equipment
-
land gravimeter LaCoste-Romberg model G no. 480
-
manne gravrmeter KSS31 no.Z2,Bodenseewerk Geosystem GmbH
-
high sensitivity proton precession gradient magnetometer Geometrics G-81lG
-
Hatlapa gradient magnetometer winch
BGR 1t6&3
-28 -
4.5 Computer systems for navigation, data acquisition, data processing
and interpretation
-
workstation for data acquisition: VAXstation 3200,32\\tBmemory, 32 serial lines,2 GB
hard disk, MO optical drive
-
workstation for data processing and interpretation: VAXstation 3100/NI76,32 MB mem-
ory,3 GB hard disk, MO optical drive, DAT tape drive
-
2 PC systems
-
3 plotters (1 drum plotter Hewlett-Packard Draftmaster II, I desk-top plotter Mutoh iP
220, I ink-jet printer/plotter DEC LJ250)
-
3 printers (l laser printer DEClaser 3500, | 24-dot matrix printer Fujitsu DL-2400, 1
9-dot matrix printer DEC LA50)
-
3 graphic terminals, 1 alphanumeric terminal
-
1 precision digitizer Kontron Summagraphics (DIN Al)
-
I scanner Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 4c
-
1 satellite-controlled clock Meinberg GPS 166.
All computers were integrated into the LAN of the ship.In addition, the VAXstation 3100
worked as a network server (file and print services using Digital PCSA) for the PC systems.
4.6 Utilized equipment of the ship
The list contains only the most important systems.
-
2 LMF compressors, manufactured by I-eobersdorfer Maschinenfabrik, capacity
25 m'/h each
-
1 Elliot V/hite Gill azimuth thruster
-
I Hydrosweep DS swath echosounder system, manufactured by Atlas Elektronik
-
I HMS 300 system (processing
of Hydrosweep data)
-
1 Parasound sediment echograph, manufactured by Atlas Elektronik
-
I Paradigma recording system
-
2 GPS receivers Ashtec LD-Xtr
-
1 GPS receiver Trimble 4000 DS
-
I DGPS system Racal Skyfix with MultiFix 2 software
-
1 interface processor belonging to the ANP2000 navigation system
-
I general purpose minicomputer MicroVax 3100 ('WISVAX')
-
4 terminal seryers (DEC)
-
I plotter Graphtec MP 4300 (DIN A3)
-
I ink-jet plotter Hewlett-Packard DesignJet 650C
-
1 precision digitizer Kontron Summagraphics (DIN A0)
-
alphanumeric terminals
-
PC systems (text processing and graphic data processing)
BGR 116&3
-29 -
5 Operational reports
5.1 Profile plan and list of profles
Fig. 4 shows the profiles obtained during cruise SO-L22. The positions of the lines are greatly
determined by the intense fishing off Pakistan which did not allow to survey the lines which
had been planned originally (Fig. 2). Table 1 is a list of the profiles surveyed during cruise
SO-122. The positions are start and end points. The profile lengths are not the distances be-
tween start and end points, but measured along the lines.
5.2 Fishing off Pakistan
(H.A.Roeser & M. Tahir)
Unfortunately, during this geophysical cruise we have learned a lot about the fishing off the
Makran coast of Pakistan. The following section desciibes the main observations. We suppose
that the fishing activity is very variable during the year. Thus our experience refers only to the
months August and September.
We encountered mainly fishing-boats with Pakistanis. Only in one case we encountered a
group of Portuguese fishermen with larger boats. When
rwe
approached them, they showed us
with their searchlight beams that their nets, which extended between neighbouring boats,
where about 4 nm long.
Usually, the fishermen work in groups of 5
-
10 fishing boats which during the night lie sev-
eral miles apart and use separate nets. The nets which we have observed are 0.8 nm long, they
have a red and a black end flag, the distance between the flags is about 30 m. Several of these
nets can be connected to one another, with the end flags attached to each net. The nets are put
out in the evening and picked up in the morning. The fishing-boats remain several days in the
fishing area. Usually, the boats move with speeds around 6
-
7 kn, the nets are put out at 2 kn.
During the night, the boats lie mostly in lee of their nets.
The nets are several (5?) m high. Their material is nylon thread or something similar with a
diameter of 2 mm, consisting of fibres with a diameter of 0.01 mm. The meshes are 70 mm
wide. The nets have a weight of 30 glrr. Occasionally, black spheres or pieces of styropor are
used.
During the night the boats bear lights. Then they become visible at a distance of 6 nm. During
day time, on clear days, they are visible at5
-
6 nm distance. During dawn, the boats are
nearly invisible because they do not use their lights. The radar detects most boats at a distance
of 4 nm, some, however, only at 1
-
3 nm distance.
In response to a fax request, we received on August 21,1997 from Captain Bhatti, Hydrogra-
pher of the Pakistanian Navy, the following additional information:
"The fishing in Pakistani waters during summer months is generally restricted to north
of latitude 24'.It is, however, more concentrated up to the 200 m isobath along the
BGR T166/.3
with seismics
without seismics
without seismics, without magnetics
Fig.4. Map in mercator projection showing the profiles surveyed during cruise SO-122
BGR 116&3
- 3 1 -
Table 1. List of the profiles surveyed during cruise SO-LZ2
Part I
so122-01
so122-02
so122-03
so122-04
SOL22-MA
sol22-05
so122-05A
sol22-06
so'22-a7
so122-08
so122-09
sol 22-10
sot22-11
so122-12
sol 22-13
sor22-13A
sor22-14
I
t245
I
1980
I
t940
I
2260
I
198s
I
450
I
1260
1
4220
14.8.97
14.8.97
t4.8.97
15.8.97
16.8.97
16.8.97
16.8.97
.
16.8.97
18. 8. 97
19.8.97
19.8.97
19.8.97
t9.8.97
20.8.97
20.8.97
20.8.97
20.8.97
20.8.97
2t . 8. 97
2r. 8. 97
21.8:97
22.8.97
22.8.97
22.8.97
22.8.97
23.8.97
23.8.97
23.8.97
24.8.97
24.8.97
24.8.97
24.8.97
25.8.97
25.8.97
lI:25
2O:M
20:04
03:00
00:40
03:28
05:50
19:52
14:08
l0:12
17:48
20 25.3 N
22 08.5 N
22 08.5 N
23 10.1 N
22 16.5N
220/..7N
22 00.5 N
22 58.7 N
22 53.6N
24 38. 1 N
24 35.7 N
24 t3.7 N
24 06.8 N
23 37.0 N
23 37.5 N
24 50.5 N
24 51. 9 N
24 44.4N
24 09.5 N
24 02.8 N
24 02.4N
24 55.6 N
24 55.9 N
2424. 7 N
2425. 1N
24 09.3 N
24 09.4 N
25 02.7 N
25 01. 0 N
24 48.7 N
24 45.s N
2412. 2N
23 59.5 N
22 57. r N
63 20.08
63 33.28
63 33.28
6237. 68
63 r7. 98
6328. 28
63 21. 58
6229. 38
6234. 88
6221.28
6224. 28
6239. s8
6253. 68
63 48.0 E
63 48.38
63 48.08
63 5r.7 E
66 06.6 E
66A7. 28
65 3l . t E
65 3r. 98
65 34. 38
65 31. 3 E
6616. 68
66 16.48
65 11. 9 E
65 r2.58
65 15.0 E
64 54.58
64 53.98
64 53.28
64 5r. 48
65 11.7 E
66 55.6 E
150
320
130"
320'
3200/ 00
l 4go
1200
00
93"
259'
00
127. / l2l"
t <5 0
360.
l g0.
l g0.
123.
G MP
192.63 km
G MP
148.46 km
S G MP
29.68[<L
S G M P
l4O.42kur
S G MP
201.63 km
G M P
48.35 km
G M P
107.34 km
G MP
135.34 km
G M P
227.59ln
S G M P
62.53 km
S G M P
99. 51km
S G M P
97.48 km
S G M P
112. 81km
S G M P
99.75 km
S G M P
22.67 km
S G MP
62.79h.nl
S G M P
211. 15 km
Methods used:
G
-
graviry
M
-
magnetics
P
-
Hydrosweep,parasound
S
-
reflection
seismics
BGR 1163 -32 -
Table 1. List of the profiles surveyed during cnrise SO-122
Part 2
so122-1s
sot22-t6
sor22-17
so122-18
sol22-19
so122-19A
so122-20
so122-198
sot22-21
so122-22
so122-23
sot22-24
so122-25
so122-26
sot22-27
sot22-28
I
1300
1
2165
I
4670
1
2745
I
t430
2
350
I
733
1
1696
I
2227
I
5005
I
2Lr0
I
1695
1
6212
1
3529
25.8.97
26.8.97
26.8.97
26.8.97
26.8.97
27.8.97
28.8.97
28.8.97
28.8.97
29.8.97
29.8.97
29.8.97
29.8.97
29.8.97
29.8.97
29.8.97
30.8.97
30.8.97
30.8.97
31.8.97
3t.8.97
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r.9.9' 7
r. 9. 97
1. 9. 97
2.9.97
2.9.97
3.9.97
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23:55
06:24
09:26
20:15
22;19
2l : 40
01: 45
15:28
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02:14
03:48
05:32
07: 10
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10:25
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00:04
03:27
04:28
09:29
20:01
22: 21
06:49
08: 36
15: 39
18: 51
12: 30
l 6: 18
2254. 8N
2329. 6N
23 34.0 N
22 51. 3 N
22 51. 1 N
24 09.8 N
23 54. 2N
2248. 4N
2241. 3N
23 15.2 N
23 17.9 N
2326. 2N
2324. 8N
23 08.5 N
23 08.0 N
23 25.7 N
22 59.8 N
222r . 7 N
22 r5. 2N
23 04.9 N
23 00.0 N
2t 04.5 N
21 04.8 N
2024. 4N
2024.7 N
20 57.4 N
20 56.3 N
22 5r . 8 N
22 5r. 4N
22 42. 3N
2239. 0N
23 08.3 N
66 5s.3 E
66 50.9 E
66 56.1 E
66 12.68
66 13.8 E
6426.48
6422. 98
65 00.2 E
46. 48
6426.28
64 18.5 E
6413. 58
64 10.0 E
&19. 68
6424. 48
6414.5,
6419. 58
64 47.48
64 40. 18
64 03.1 E
63 56. 38
65 18. 1 E
65 18. 8 E
6435. 98
64 36.8 E
6402. 58
6402. r8
66 13. 48
66 16.9 E
6435. 58
6422. 88
61 48. 68
3530
223"
30go
1520
331'
331o
15 10
33lo
1460
325"
145"
225.
315'
47"
27001249"
280"
S G M P
64.98 krrr
S G M P
108.32 km
S G M P
233.63km
S G M P
137.53 km
S G MP
71.77l sl
S G M P
17.55 km
G M P
34.28 km
S G MP
36.75 km
S G M P
85. 31km
S G M P
111. 63 km
S G M P
251.20km
S G M P
105.64 km
S G M P
84.93 km
S G M P
311. 05 km
S G M P
176.39 km
G M P
261.34krrl
Methods used:
G
-
gravity
M
-
magneticb
P
-
Hydrosweep,Parasound
S
-
reflection seismics
total survey length 4OBZ.43kf,n
with reflection seismics 29Zi.lOkm
BGR 116643
- 3 3 -
entire coast. Extreme caution is, therefore, advised while operating underwater sen-
sors."
From Dr. Amjad, Director General of the National Institute of Oceanography, Karachi, Dr.
Tahir received fuither information by telephone on August27, 1997:
"During the summer, fishing is very active on tuna, especially bonitos. The tunas mi-
grate around the whole Indian Ocean. At the end of the SE monsoon, they iue espe-
cially frequent off Pakistan because here at this time nutrition is excellent. They are the
most important part of the catch. Fishing with long nets is done mainly during the
night when the fish can't see the nets. The nets are 500 m long, several nets can be at-
tached to another. During the day, the main feeding time of tunas, use of fish-rods is
more effective. Most fishermen are not alphabetized. It is difficult to talk with them
because they have a traditional slang in which the words often have unusual meanings.
The knowledge of the positions of the most promising fishing grounds in dependence
ofthe season is handed down over generations.
Often, the fishing-boats belong to larger companies and the fishermen have to deliver
most of the catch. For being able to fish several days, the fishing-boats have ice on
board into which the fishes are laid. The main home port is Karachi."
There are two differences to our observations:
-
The net lengths that we have observed were much greater. This may be due to technical
development.
-
We have never seen fishermen using fish-rods.
Typical for the observed fishery is that they use only surface gear. For future geophysical work
in this area it is important to find out whether at other seasons this type of fishery is less
promising and thus perhaps less intensive. The most comprehensive study on fishery in the
Indian Ocean has been prepared by Stquert & Marsac (1989)
on behalf of FAO . They state
that the Baluchistan fishing ground are exploited more intensively during the months April to
September and that most tuna schools were sighted between 30 and 180 nm offshore. Kingfish
make up about two third of the total catches.
According to the information by Dr. Amjad, fishery concentrates on several kinds of tuna.
They belong to the category "tropical surface tunas" which pose a riddle to the biologists
(Roger, 1994): Although they have high metabolic demands, they live in a poor environment,
namely in the uppermost 200 m of tropical oceans. Moreover, they are day-feeders. Thus their
prey-fishes must stay in the depth range 0
-
200 m during the day. However, the base of the
food chain, the micronekton migrates depending on the illumination: During the day it is
deeper than 400 m, during the night it comes up to 0
-
200 m. Only a small proportion remains
at 0
-
200 m during the day. Investigation of the stomach content of tunas showed that the
prey-fishes of tunas are predominantly species which prey on this small proportion of
zooplankton that remains at shallow depth during the day. It was found that in those areas
where fishing for surface tunas is successful, not only the total biomass of zooplankton is
higher, but also the proportion of "useful" zooplankton.
The fact that the nets are put out at night demonstrates that during the night fishing with gill
nets is more successful than during the day. This indicates that the day-feeding tunas can
BGR 1163
-34 -
avoid the nets during the day whereas during the night, in spite of their reduced activity, they
get caught sufficiently frequent in the nets.
Sharp (1979) emphasizes another effect. Tuna are near the surface where the deeper layers of
water are hostile to them. One cause may be that there is less oxygen, possibly due to high
productivity in the upper'layers of water. Thus, well expressed oxygen minimum zones may
be indicative ofhigh concentration oftunas in the surface layers.
5.3 Navigation and acquisition of non-seismic data
(8. Schreckenberger & H.-O. Bargeloh)
5.3.1 Navigation and positioning
Since 1996, SONNE uses the differential GPS (DGPS)
system SkyFix by Racal Survey. Dara
from several reference stations are collected for SkyFix and correction values are broadcasted
via INMARSAT satellites to the users. On board of SONNE the special software package
MultiFix 2 utilizes the the signals from a special decoder and from the new GpS receiver
Trimble 4000 DS for the calculation of the DGPS positions. The reference stations Bahrein,
Baku, Bombay, and Abu Dhabi were used by MultiFix on this cruise. The system calculated a
mean RMS error of a few meters, in general below 10 meters, for the final position solution.
Navigation by SkyFix overcomes all former problems with Selective Availability giving
positions that are accurate within approximately ten meters. Therefore, for the first time on
our cruises, it was possible to use the GPS position without further postprocessing.
The only problem on cruise SO-122 were short gaps of one or two minutes on a few lines
because of problems with the rotation of the INMARSAT antenna beyond 360" into the right
angle and because of its possible shadowing by the mast of the ship.Under these conditions
the SkyFix system did not use the unconected GPS position but simply stopped the data
output. Mostly, the ship's officers remedied this problem within very short time.
5.3.2 Dataacquisition
The BGR's marine gravity/magnetics group operates two VAXstation computers that run
under the operating system VMS. On board of R/V SONNE they are connected with the ship's
computers and terminal servers via thinwire Ethernet. One of the computers (VAXstation
3200) is equipped with 32 serial interface connectors and is used for data acquisition and
realtime data display. Data processing, interpretation, and text processing is done on a
VAXstation 3 I 00/lvl76.
All data are read into the computer via serial interfaces or over the Ethernet network. There is
a number of real time programs that write the data into the memory as soon as they are
available. The main data acquisition program checks, reformats, and collects the data items to
one data set each 20 seconds and writes it to direct access files on magnetic disk.
BGR 1t6&3
- 3 5 -
The navigation data come via the ship's WISVAX computer over an ethernet link once per
second. On this cruise the following data were received from the ship's navigation system:
-
position from GPS
-
heading fromthe gyro
-
speed from the doppler-sonar (DO-Log)
-
waterdepth values from HYDROSWEEP (the central beam only) and PARASOIJND
-
weather data, water temperature, and salinity.
The following data are read over serial lines:
-
precise time marks (UTC) from a GPS controlled clock once per second
-
shot point numbers and shot point times from the seismic system
-
magnetic total intensity and depth below the sea surface for both sensors from the
gradient magnetometer
-
heading of the magnetometer array from the compass between the sensors
-
raw gravity values from the marine gravimeter
The data aequisition progrzrm provides online navigation data for the following systems:
-
once per second to the marine Gravity meter where they are used to support the gyro
system
-
for every shotpoint to the seismic system
Analog records are produced for the magnetic total intensity, the gradient, and the gravity.
Moreover, we use a small navigation program (Roeser et al., 1992) for plotting the planned
profile lines and a continuous online track plot on a DIN A3 plotter.
5.3.3 Data processing
Processing of the positions used to take much time before the installaton of DGPS but now it
is reduced to filling the (rare) gaps mentioned in 5.3.1.
Standard processing of the magnetic data includes the elimination of obviously erroneous
readings of the magnetometers, time shift of the measurements due to the cable length of the
sensors and subtraction of the geomagnetic reference field. Vy'e use a two-dimensional poly-
nomial of degree 4thatapproximates the IGRF 1995 reference field (IAGA,
1996) with an
accuracy of better than I nT. Obviously, the IGRF does not reproduce the magnetic field in
the survey area accurate enough because the magnetic anomalies calculated in this way are too
high by about 80 nT. This is caused by the fact that the IGRF is only an approximation of the
main field of the Earth up to degree and order 10. The observed deviation is in the usual
range. Therefore we subtract this value from the residual field whenever we display the ma-
gnetic anomalies on maps or diagrams.
A first reconstruction of the magnetic field from its longitudinal gradient was done routinely
during the survey. The procedure and the results obtained on board are discussed in section
5.6.2. Final processing will be done after the cruise when the records from the magnetic
observatory in Karachi are available.
BGR I 163
-36 -
The processing of the gravity values includes a time shift due to the relaxation time of the
internal filters of the instrument, scaling, the connection to the gravity values in the port,
subtraction of the normal gravity according to the international gravity formula and calcu-
lation of the Etvs correction under application of the processed navigation data (cf. section
s.s.2.2).
5.4 Reflection seismics
(V. Damm, J. Adam, H. Dohmann, K. Puskeppeleit, U. Schrader, J. Sievers, D. Steinmann &
W. VoB)
The Leobersdorfer compressor and the airgun iurays were very reliable. There was no loss of
shooting during the whole survey. Maintenance was done during the transit between succes-
sive profiles.
The shots were triggered in time intervals of 18 seconds depending on the instantaneous speed
of the ship. The intended shot distance was 50 m at a speed of 5.4 knots. In general, the dis-
tances were very constant due to the use of DGPS.
The time triggering interval was superposed with a random time function of 300 ms for sup-
pressing multiples from previous shots through stacking after CDP sorting. The shot time in-
terval with the random function, which was exactly evenly distributed, was generated on the
Master PC with an interface card for tiggering the airgun array via the SYNTRAK 480 sys-
tem and the VZAD.
Time triggering involves that the CDP sorting has to be done by coordinates. To correlate
between shot numbers and positions the FFID (Field File Identification) numbers written on
cartridge were transmitted to the positioning system.
The streamer configuration had to be changed during the survey compared to the initial one
(Fig. 6). On August 17 the streamer was broken due to collision with a fsher net and only 6
sections were recovered. Another 6 sections were picked up next day, but 28 sections were
lost. V/ith these and the spare sections the survey was continued on August 18, 14:08 UTC
with 17 active sections (each with three data channels) (Fig. 5). Because of a group of fisher
boats in the area seistnic data acquisition was finished at Aug. 19, 10: 12UTC. At Aug. 21,
14:39 UTC we continued the reflection seismic investigations in the eastern part of the survey
area were fishery was less intensive. Because the risk of loosing the streamer was considered
to be very high, as a precaution the streamer was reduced to 12 active sections (Fig.
7). The
survey was continued in this configuration until Alg.24,12:17IJTC. Then, in view of the
great problems with fishery, the streamer was further shortened to 8 active sections (Fig. 8).
The survey was restarted with that configuration on Aug. 25,00:58 UTC. On Sep. I the
streamer was reconfigured to 16 sections to get enough move-out on the lines for investigation
of the Indus Fan where less intense fishery was expected (Fig. 9). This configuration wal used
until the end of the cruise. The streamer configurations for all profiles measured during the
cruise are shown in Fig. 5
-
Fig. 9. During the whole time of the cruise the survey was se-
verely disturbed by the intense fishery. Therefore a number of survey lines had to be changed,
intemrpted, or cancelled.
-37 -
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- 40- BGR 116&3

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(f,
.r
cr)
f.-
(t)
o)
(f)
T
v
o
\t
(\
$
J
f
o
o
E
t
F
l()
(')
r
ro
s
F
(o
(o
11
@
s
o
o-
o
.
E
o
c\
N
6
'fi
3
' u )
c
c)
E
n
1
'
I
N
s
(o
J ,
f
3 ! F
c
E
r.)
t -
O)
t
o
(\,1
Fig. 9. Streamer configuration for profiles SOL22-24
-
SOl22-027
BGR 116643
g
f
,
(Y)
f
,
o
t -
f,
(o
g
E t".
T N
2 .!l
l N l r
;
S F
= I o I
. i ! =
* f
i
s s
BGR 1166/'3
- 42-
The seismic signals are amplified, filtered, analogue-digital converted by up to ten active
electronic acquisition modules, each one capable to acquire twelve data channels. One addi-
tional passive electronic module is used in front of the streamer (within the winch) to repeat
(amplify) the data before recording with the SYNTRAK 480 system.
A tail buoy (constructed by hakla-Seismos) with Radar reflector and blinking light was used
during the whole survey.
For controlling the streamer position, both depth and heading, a Syntron MultiTRAK system
was used with up to l1 MultiTRAK Remote Units (MTU's or birds) and a PC-based digital
control system which allows separate interactive control for each bird. For our measurements
we chose 9 m which is an optimum depth to reduce reverberations between water surface and
streamer. To reduce the relative high buoyancy of the streamer according to water temperature
and salinity we applied an additional weight of 2 kg lead to each section. In addition, a weight
of 100 kg was mounted at the seaward end of the tow lead. During the measurements the av-
erage streamer depth variations as indicated by the MTU-values were between I-2m. The bird
angles were mostly around 7o downward.
Recording of the seismic data is performed by the SYNTRAK 480 Multiple Streamer Teleme-
try System. The main components are the System Controller, the Multiple Streamer Telemetry
Processor (MSTP), and the Multiple Streamer Recording System (MSRS).
The MSTP is the shipboard interface between the MSRS and the digital streamer, it can ac-
quire seismic data at 1 ms sample rate. Usually, the sampling rate was set to 4 ms. To get a
higher resolution of thin layers (in particular free gas beneath a gas hydrate zone) along lines
where we expected bottom simulating reflectors (BSR) the samplingrate was set to 1 ms
(Table 2). The MSRS is the actual recording system performing data collection, recording,
and plotting. The MSRS supports two IBM 3480 compatible dual tape units, one 4 GB hard
disk for the single-channel, and two OYO GEOSPACE thermal plotters. The recording system
is interfaced by the Master PC with the MultiTRAK data acquisition streamer control system.
The seismic data are received via the data collector boards in the MSRS chassis. Then the data
are converted into SEG-D demultiplexed format and written into the VME memory. The tape
headers are created using the MultiTRAK and the navigational data and together with the
formatted seismic channels written to the tapes. One to twelve single channels can be gathered
and written to the hard disk as well. These channels can be accessed at the end of the line ei-
ther for storing to tape or for plotting. During the survey, one plotter plotted online a single
channel resp. near-trace and the other plotter plotted a shot gather every 200 shots (that is once
per hour). After ending the line, up to 9 additional single-channel plots were produced from
the single-channel data written to the hard disk. For most of these plots the plotting parame-
ters were 10 s record length and 25 channels per inch (TPI), in addition we produced for de-
tailed studies three plots with 4 s record length (time windows: 0-4 s,4-8 s, and 8-12 s) and,25
channels per inch (TPI).
On lines SO122-08 until SO122-10, high room temperature and humidity caused sometimes
failures in the SCSI controller of the hard disk. Therefore it was not possible to plot copies of
the single channels after the end of these lines. In these cases only one online plot with l0 s
record length was used for interpretation. For plotting the shot gathers and auxiliary channels
a time window of up to 10 s was used depending on the water depth. An AGC with a 1000 ms
BGR 116&3
Table 2. Summarized seismic data volume recorded during cruise SO-I22
Profile Shots Channels Sampling interval
so122-03 560 r20 4ms
SOL22.M 2805 r20 4ms
sor22-MA 4018 60 | 5l active 4ms
so122-08 t245 36 4ms
sot22-09 1980 36 l ms
so122-10 1940 36 4ms
sot22-rr 2260 36 4ms
sor22-12 1985 36 4ms
sot22-13 450 36 l ms
so122-13A 1260 36 1 ms
soL22-14 4220 24 4ms
so122-15 r300 24 4ms
sot22-16 2165 24 4ms
sol22-17 4670 24 4ms
so122-18 2745 24 4ms
sor22-t9 1429 24 4ms
sot22-I9A 350 24 4 ms Test
so122-198 733 24 l ms
sot22-21 1696 24 4ms
so122-22 2227 24 4ms
sot22-23 5005 24 4ms
soL22-24 2rt0 48 4ms
so122-25 r695 48 4ms
so122-26 6212 48 4ms
soL22-27 48 4ms
s.s.r
BGR 116643
- 4 4 -
window length was applied to the single-channel plots, whereas a fixed gain of 60 dB was
applied to the shot gathers and auxiliary channels.
Quality
control during acquisition consisted of:
-
continuously controlling the airgun pressure,
-
controlling the airgun functions,
-
observing the signals of the hydrophones within the arrays and adjusting the trigger delays
for an optmum signal,
-
checking and recording the streamer depth and position (heading) of each shot via the
control screen of the MultiTRAK system. These data were also stored in the header and
written to field tape.
-
continuously checking, whether all sections of the streamer were free of abnormal noise
and yielded about the same signal amplitude. This was done for every shot via the
QC
graphics display of the SYNTRAK system.
-
continuously observing the single-channel resp. neartrace records.
5.5 Gravity
(Jiirgen Fritsch, Peter Kewitsch & Bernd Schreckenberger)
Gravity connections
The results of different surveys of gravity at sea are only comparable, if they are related to the
International Gravity Standardization Net IGSN71 (Morelli, 1974). Therefore, gravity meas-
urements at land have to be carried out to connect the gravity measurements at sea with the
world gravity net. The marine geophysics group of BGR uses for the gravity connections a
LaCoste-Romberg gravimeter model G, no. 480.
The International Gravity Standardization Net IGSN71 was established in 197lby the Inter-
national Union of Geodesy and Geophysics IUGG as a set of world-wide distributed locations
with known gravity values better than a few tenths of mGal. It replaced the formerly Potsdam
System which did not conform any more to the necessities of modern geodesy and geophysics.
According to the recommendations of the ruGG, all gravity surveys, marine or land, must be
related to the datum and to the scale of the IGSN7l . The data of the IGSN71 reference sta-
tions is provided on requebt by the Bureau Gravimetrique International BGI, Toulouserance.
Of course, for gravity measurements at sea one cannot rely in every case on the existence of a
reference station near to the harbour site. Therefore, the marine gravity group of the BGR per-
forms always a connection of the harbour sites to the gravity reference point of BGR situated
in the storage and test building VB11.
In Djibouti, the only IGSN71 gravity reference station at the airport is now obsolete due to a
reconstruction of the airport buildings. Instead we received from BGI a description of two
gravity stations in the dock area of Djibouti Harbour. The corresponding gravity values were
determined in l97I from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the Potsdam system, and
later, in l9T4,transformed into IGSN7l values. According to Gilles Balma from BGI, a
French group reassessed the stations in 1995 and recomputed the gravity values into the
IGSN7l svstem.
BGR 1t6&3 - 4 5 -
The gravity connections in Djibouti were made between an auxitiary point at the entrance of
the Sheraton Hotel, the mooring site of RA/ SONNE at quay tg
Gi.-101,
and the reference
station no.798 on the small fuel pier at the north-west comer of the mole du Fontainebleau
(Jete du Large), adjacent to shed 8.
11" 37, 5' N
:\ffi
M l c S u d
Contrimr Trminsl
Fig. 10. Port of Djibouti (from Admiralty Chart 262); (a) mooring site of RV SONNE at quay
13 from August 6 to 9, 1997; (b) reference station BGI #798 at quay 13. The insei
shows details f ttre gravity observation station at bollard Z+ aongsiae R/V SONNE.
Table 3 gives the observation report of the gravity connections. From 3 consecutive readings
between days 4 and 6 of August at the entrance of the Sheraton Hotel it can be deduced, tht
the instrumental drift is about +0.07 mGaVday or +2 mGaVmonth, respectively,
which indi-
cates a typical value for the (positive)
drift according to the manufacturer's
manual: The grav-
ity difference between the mooring site of R/V SONNE and the reference station results to
+0.8 mGal; absolute gravity at the mooring site is97824L.4 mGal while the water level is 2.0
m below the instrument.
BGRtt6643
Table 3. Observation report on gravity connections in Djibouti
r(,1
Reference station:
DJ
j.boui
harbour, nole du Foaaiaebleau, guay 10, BGI no.798
IcS![71
gravity: 978240.6 mGal
(waer
leve1 2.0n)
Gravity stations:
1. ojibouti, IIoteI Sheraton
(HS)
2. Dj i bout i harbour,
quay
13, R/ V SONNE si t e at boI l ard, 7t L (13)
Obserrrers: F
=
Fritsch, K
=
Kewitsch, S
=
Schreckenberger
station/ sea
observer level dae
4 . 8 . 9 7
4 . 8 . 9 7
4 . 8 . 9 7
5 . 8 . 9 7
5 . 8 . 9 7
6 . 8 . 9 7
6 . 8 . 9 7
6 . 8 . 9 7
7 . 8 . 9 7
7 . 8 . 9 7
' t
. 8 . 9 7
7 . 8 . 9 7
7 . 8 . 9 7
urc
U O : J . J
0 6 : 1 - 8
0 6 : 2 0
0 5 : 5 1 -
0 5 : 5 5
0 6 : 5 9
0 7 : 0 2
0 7 : 0 5
0 3 : 5 0
0 3 : 5 3
read,ing
units
t 833. 77
L 8 3 3 . 7 8
1 8 3 3 . 7 8
1 _ 8 3 3 . 8 8
L 8 3 3 . 8 7
L 8 3 3 . 9 2
1 8 3 3 . 9 4
1 8 3 3 . 9 4
l _ 8 3 3 . 9 7
1_83 3 . 97
L834. 49
1 8 3 4 . 5 0
L 8 3 4 . s 0
1 8 3 3 . 9 1
1 8 3 3 . 9 2
1 8 3 3 . 9 0
1 8 3 3 . 9 1
1 _ 8 3 3 . 9 1
] - 834. 54
1 8 3 4 . s 3
1 _ 8 3 3 . 7 3
1" 833 . 77
] - 833 . 7 4
L834. 49
1- 834. 49
tidal
corrected
1833. 79
1- 83 3 . 80
L 8 3 3 . 8 1
1 _ 8 3 3 . 8 5
1 8 3 3 . 8 5
1 8 3 3 . 9 3
1_83 3 . 9s
L 8 3 3 . 9 5
r - 833 . 93
i - 83 3 . 93
L834. 52
l _ 8 3 4 . 5 3
L 8 3 3 . 5 2
1 8 3 3 . 8 9
1 8 3 3 . 8 9
L833. 92
1_83 3 . 93
1 8 3 3 . 9 3
1_834. s1-
1 _ 8 3 4 . 5 0
1 8 3 3 . 7 0
L833 . 7 4
l - 833 . 71
L834. 47
L834. 47
average
( - 2. 0m)
L 8 3 3 . 8 0
1 8 3 3 . 8 5
1_833 . 94
1 8 3 3 . 9 3
+ 0 . 5 9
1- 834. 52
- 0 . 6 3
1 8 3 3 . 8 9
1 8 3 3 . 9 3
+ 0 . 5 4
L 8 3 4 . 5 L
( r e34. 47
)
- 0 . 7 9
1 8 3 3 . 7 2
( 1_833
. 68
)
+ 0 . 7 5
L834 : 47
(
i - 834 . 43
)
( Hs)
/ s
( HS)
/ K
( HS ) / K
( Hs)
/ K
( H S ) / S
( HS ) / S
( HS)
/ F
( H S ) / s
( HS ) / F
( HS)
/ F
di f f er ence
( L3
( 1 3
( 1 3
/ F
/ r
- 2
. 0m
/ F
1-4
L4
t 4
2 8
3 2
3 5
4 0
45
4 8
di f f er ence
( Hs ) / s
( H S ) / F
( HS)
/ F
( H S ) / F
( Hs ) / F
di f f er ence
( 1 3 ) / F
- t . 2 m
( 1 3
) / s
di f f er ence
7 9 8 ) / F
7 9 8 ) / S
- 1 .
r - s
7 9 8 ) / F
di f f er ence
( 13
) / S
- 1
. ] - s
( L3)
/ F
7 .8.e7
J+-,31_
7 . 8 . 9 7 [ 0 5 : 5 9 \
8. 8. e7 i 4T-
8 . 8 . 9 7 0 3 : 4 4
8 . 8 . 9 7 0 3 : 4 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
8 . 8 . 9 7
n A . ? n
0 6 : 3 3
0 6 :
0 6
0 6
0 7
57
0 0
Instnr.mental drift from ugrust 4 to 5:
verage differences (LCR
factor at 1800
( HS)
-
( 13
)
=
- 0. 59
c . u.
- >- 0. 60
nGaL
( 1 3 ) -
( 7 9 8 ) =
0 . 7 7 c . u .
0. 14 c. u. l 2 days
- >
1 . 0 1 5 6 3 ) :
BGR I t6643
- 47 -
Using the very first observation on August I,1997 at the BGR storage and test building VB11
and without considering an instrumental drift, the gravity on the BGI reference site no. 798 is
deduced to978239.3 mGal, i.e. more than I mGal less than the value of 97840.6 mGal known
from BGI files. Either a negative (!) drift of
-1.3
mGaVl0 days, i.e. about 4 mGal/month, or a
wrong gravity value for the BGI station no.798 can explain this discrepancy. Until completion
of the observation loop Hannover-Djibouti-Muskat-Hannover it will not be possible to deduce
the exact value of absolute gravity for the BGI station no.798. Thus, the value of 978240.0
mGal for the absolute gravity at the mooring site of R/V SONNE related to VB11 was used
for the preliminary processing of the marine gravity data on board R/V SONNE. When re-
duced to sea level, it gives978240.6 mGal.
5.5.2 Gravity measurements at sea
5.5.2.1 Short description of the seagravimeter system
The BGR owned gravimeter system KSS31 is a high performance instrument for marine
gravity measurements, manufactured by BODENSEEWERK GEOSYSTEM. The sensor is
based on the ASKANIA sensor GSS3 designed by Prof. Graf in the sixties. The gyro-
stabilized platform and its electronic control devices were developed by the BODEN-
SEEWERK GEOSYSTEM in the second half of the seventies.
The seagravimeter system KSS3l consists of two main assemblies: the gyro-stabilized plat-
form with the gravity sensor and the data handling subsystem.
The gravity sensor is a tube-shaped mass guided by 5 threads in frictionless manner (Fig.
l l).
It is non-astatized and particularly designed to be insensitive to horizontal accelerations. Ac-
cordingly, the motion of the mass is limited to one degree of freedom in vertical direction. The
main part of the gravity acceleration is compensated by a mechanical spring. Changes of the
gravity are detected by an electromagnetic system. A displacement of the spring-mass assem-
bly with respect to the outer casing of the instrument is measured with a capacitance trans-
ducer. The output from the transducer is fed back into an electromagnetic moving coil system
used for feedback control. A P-I feedback (P
-
proportional, I
-
integration) suppresses the
accelerations of sea motion. The I-acting feedback provides an integral signal which drives the
system to zero; it determines the (overcritical)
damping of the system. The current flowing
through the moving coil is the measure for the gravity change.
A voltage to frequency converter is used to provide highly accurate output to the rack-
mounted data handling subsystem. The power supply of the gravity sensor contains a sealed
buffered battery unit with sufficient capacity to maintain the internal temperature stabilization
of the sensor lor 24 hours in case of main power loss. The sensor caging electronics which
activates the sensor caging mechanics in case of failure, is included in the data handling sub-
system.
The levelling subsystem consists of the platform and a vertical electrically erected two-axes
gyro. The platform stabilizes the gravity sensor in pitch and roll. Also the control electronics
and the power supply of the platform are located in the data handling subsystem. All logic
functions of the gyro run-up and
-down
sequence as well as the automatic platform
caging ar"
performed in the system controller are located in the data handling subsystem.
The data handling subsystem provides all equipment necessary for filtering, logging, pre-
processing and self-testing of gravity measurements. It also provides the control electronics of
BGR 1166/.3
- 4 8 -
the platform, the power supply for the sensor/platform and monitor record facilities. The sys-
tem controller is the cental part of the data handling subsystem consisting of a central proces-
sor and the interfaces to the peripheral equipment such as gyro, platform, gravity sensor, ex-
ternally derived navigation data and computer for data processing, and analog monitor re-
corder for control pulposes in real-time.
Fig. 11. Gravity Sensor GSS30 of the seagravimeter system KSS3I
The seagravimeter system KSS31 is installed entirely in the so-called gravimeter room of R/V
SONNE which is close to the ship's center of gravity. Gravity data are transmitted to the BGR
data acquisition and processing system in the gravitylmagnetic laboratory, and position,
course and speed are returned from there to the gravimeter system.
5.5.2.2 Processing of the gravity data
Processing of the gravity data consists essentially of the following steps:
-
a time shift of 175 seconds due to the overcritical damping of the sensor,
-
conversion of the output from reading units (r.u.) to mGal by applying a conversion factor
of 0.94542 mGaVr.u..
BGR I L6&3
- 49
connection of the harbour value to the world gravity net; the gravity at the pier reduced to
sea level gives 978240.6 mGal which has to be compared with the KSS3t harbour reading
of
-1685.0
r.u. or
-1593.0
mGal using the conversion factor 0.94542 mGaUr.u.,
-
correction for Etvs effect using the navigation data,
-
correction for the instrumental drift (not performed until completion of the cruise),
-
subtraction of the normal gravity (WGS67).
As a result, we get the so-called free-air anomaly (FAA) which in the case of gravity at sea is
simply observed gravity minus normal gravity. According to the selectable time intrval of the
data acquisition system, gravity values are available every 20 seconds, normally.
5.6 Magnetics
5.6.1 The gradient magnetometer
@.
Schreckenberger & P. Kewitsch)
Generally all marine magnetometer measurements suffer from the lack of base stations that
can be used in order to reduce the temporal magnetic variations, as it is routine for land and
airborne surveys. In the past, only on a few cruises we were able to install a base station on
adjacent islands or coasts. Unfortunately, permanently operating magnetic observatories are
rare in many areas of the world and therefore mostly they are too fargway from our survey
areas in remote oceanic regions. In particular, the short period variations an not be reducd in
this way.
In order to avoid these problems and to obtain variation-free magnetic measurements on the
ship we use the gradient magnetometer Geometrics G-81 lG. The instrument consists of two
proton magnetometer sensors which are towed 150 meters apart as a longitudinal aray about
600 meters astern of the ship (Fig. 12). We have largely modified the instnrment, espjcially
the towing system including all connections of the sensors and the splitter box to the cables.
We use plugs from seismic streamer technology instead of the original fixed connectors at all
these connections in order to enable fast replacement of defective cables and sensors and
easier handling.
<- 600m __+
+150m- - )
Fig.12. The configuration of the tow system of the magnetic gradiometer
during cruise
so-122
Both sensors simultaneously measure the total intensity of the magnetic field. The difference
between the two values appioximates the longitudinal gradient of the field in tne airectionof
the profile line. It is free from temporal variations and its integration along the survey line
restores the variation;free total intensity or magnetic anomaly (apart
from a constant value).
The reconstruction
of the anomaly from the gradient is not trivial because several kinds of
measuring errors have severe effects during the integration.
BGR 116&3
- 5 0 -
The remanent, viscous, and induced magnetizations of the ship are much more critical for
gradiometer than for normal marine magnetic measurements. Because the two sensors have
different distances to the ship, the gradient may contain a systematic error depending on the
course. Due to the viscous part of the ship's mtlgnetization, the error may depend on the time
since the last change ofcourse. These long-period errors can have a disastrous effect on the
reconstruction of the magnetic field from the gradient. Because mostly mathematical models
for the magnetic effect of the ship are not precise enough, it is necessary to tow the sensors at
greater distances behind the ship than it is standard for normal marine magnetic surveys.
Other sources of error are the deviations of the magnetometer sensors from the profile line and
their different depths. In order to obtain information about the location and orientation of the
array behind the ship we installed a fluxgate compass in the middle of the cable between the
two sensors. Furthermore, both magnetometers contain pressure sensors that provide
continuously the depths ofthe sensors.
Eilers et al. (L994) present a more detailed discussion of these and other errors. For example,
magnetic fields are induced by the movement of sea water within the Earth's magnetic field.
This results in an increased noise level of the records during times of rough seas. However,
due to the statistical character of the disnubing fields and the smoothing effect of the
integration this reduces the qualify of the reconstructed anomaly only slightly.
5.6.2 Processing of the data of the magnetic gradiometer
(B. Schreckenberger)
Magnetic measurements carried out during the cruise SO-122 cover about 3500 profile
kilometers on27 lines. Nearly all of them are gradiometer measurements except of a few lines
over the shelf offshore Pakistan (lines 50122-10,-11,-15,-16, and
-17)
where the water was
too shallow (below 150 m) to deploy the gradient magnetometer to its entire length of 750 m.
At the normal speed during seismic mqasurements of 5.4 knots the depth of the master sensor
varies between about 85 and more than 100 meters while the slave always lies 20 meters more
shallow.'Where we shortened the cable in order to reduce the depth of the master sensor to
less than 50 m only the total intensity from the master sensor could be used.
For all lines with magnetic measurements, Table 4 documents the parameters that are relevant
for the reconstruction process. In general, there is a non-zero value of the mean gradient that is
strongly dependent from the course. Because we always calculate the gradient of the magnetic
anomaly it should be expected that its mean is near to zero. Fig. 13 shows the mean gradients
from Table 4 plotted against the course for those lines where it could be distinguished from
true gradients due to magnetic anomalies. It turned out that there are two cases: When the
sensor no. 805 was used then a clear sinusoidal dependency of the mean gradient from the
course is obvious (Fig. 13a) while without sensor no. 805 a more or less constant o.ffset of
about 1 nT is observed (Fig. 13b). We concluded that sensor no. 805 had a problem and
exchanged it with an other sensor (no. 833). In principle, this kind of error is well known but
here with sensor no. 805 its amplitude is.unusually high. Nevertheless, when the offset is
fairly constant on a line with constant course it can be corrected during the reconstruction
process.
BGR 1t6643
- 5 1 -
nT/150 m nT/l50
2.
2.01
-1.7
Table 4. Parameters for magnetic lines of cruise SO-122
For each line are shown the course, the length of the line, the arithmetic mean of the
gradient, a "corrected gtadient", and the serial numbers of the sensors. The "cor-
rected gradient" takes into account the estimated true gradient due to magnetic
anomalies. For some of the lines it was not possible to determine a mean gradient.
Mean gradient Corrected grad Length
Ikml
No.
master
No.
slave
01
02
03
04
0/'a-l
O4a-2
05
05a
06
07
08
09
l 0
1 1
T2
13
13a
t 4
15
T6
17
18
t 9
19a
19b
20
2l
22
23
24
25
26
27a
27b
28
20.
0.
48.
3
I
I
93.
258.
95
II2.
0.
180.
180.00
123.
353.
223
308
r52
331.
t92.
148.
28.
t39
35
165
47.
LO7.
135.
97.
TT2,
99.
2T
2I
l 7
6T
23r
r37.
69.
16.
30.
34.
84
1 1 1 .
1.
0. 13
2.
-1
0. 15
-1.57
2.
2.4
-2.
-2.3
-1.4
t.45
-1
2. t 2
2. 21
2. 51
-2.
2.
-2.3
- 1. 31
- 0. 31
-0.2
3
2.
- 1.
)
2.
-2.1
-2
- 1.
2.
-1
l .
- 1. 80
-2.
2. r
- 1.
-0.
833
833
805
805
833
833
841
841
841
84r
841
841
84r
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
83
83
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
805
833
833
833
833
833
0 99
331
331
151
I
326.
r45.
225.
3 15.
47.
t 3
r32.
280.
a
-0.
-0.
84.
10.
I
3
270.
216.
841
841
841
841
841
841
841
84r
841
BGR 1166/'3 - 5 2 -
5.00
4.00
3.00
-3.00
-4.00
-5.00
Course
[deg]
Fig. 13. Mean gradient on SO-122lines plotted against the course. (a) Lines where the mag-
netically polluted sensor no. 805 was used and (b) lines without sensor no. 805.
The most simple method for the reconstruction of the magnetic field is the integration of the
gradient in the space domain along the profile line. Another approach is the formulation of the
problem in the frequency resp. in the wavenumber domain (Eilers et al., L994). In this method
the integration corresponds to a filter operation on the fourier transform of the gradient. It
provides a better insight into the problems of the reconstruction and can be combined with
additional filter methods.
The-simple integration in the space domain gave a first impression of the quality of the
gradient measurements. A constant value must always be removed from the gradient record
because an offset of varying magnitude is present on nearly every line. In thJreconstruction
2.00
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BGR 116&3
- 53
process this would result in a strong linear deviation from the true anomaly.Fig. 14 shows an
example where the gradient (Fig. l4a),in addition to a constant offset, obviously has a linear
trend. This causes a strong parabolic deviation of the reconstructed anomaly from the
measured total intensity that is unlikely to represent time variations of the earth's magnetic
field (Fig. l4c and d). If the linear trend is removed before the integration, then the
reconstructed anomaly deviates only slightly from the measured total intensity of the master
sensor (Fig. lab). The disadvantage of this ad-hoc procedure is that any constant offset of the
gradient (equivalent to a linear slope in the anomaly) or a linear slope of the gradient
(equivalent to a parabolic function in the anomaly) will be removed even it is real.
Because of mathematical reasons as demonstrated above, the gradient method will always
have its limitations for long-wavelength anomalies and land-based records of the variations
will be higttly desirable even in the future. For this cruise, the Space and Upper Atmosphere
Research Commission (SUPARCO)
of Pakistan agreed to provide after the ruise the values
of the magnetic total intensity from the magnetic observatory in Karachi to BGR via the NIO.
Therefore, the final processing of the magnetic data and the reconstruction of the magnetic
anomaly from the gradient can only be done after the cruise. The Kp values for the time of the
cruises SO-122 and SO-123 shows that the variations were not exceptionally high during
these cruises
@g.
l5).
5.7 Hydroacoustics
(T. Schillhorn, M. Tahir, A. Cheema, M. Block, V. Damm & A. Inam)
5.7.1 llydrosweep
On R/V Sonne, the bathymetric image of the ocean bottom can be continuously recorded us-
ing the swathmapping system HYDROSWEEP (HYDRQgraphic
multi-beam STyEEping rur-
vey echosounder, Atlas Elektronik GmbH, Bremen).
HYDROSWEEP uses two narrow beam transducer arrays. The sound frequency is 15.5 kHz.
While the transmitter system is situated perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ship, the
receiver system is parallel to the axis. With 59 preformed beams and an opening angle of 90.,
a swath about twice as wide as the water depth is surveyed. Precision is about lqo it tne water
depth if the roll angle is less then 10" and the pitch angle less then about 5". The central beam
has a range of 10 to >10000 m, the outermost ones of at least 7000 m. There are several ways
to deal with the velocity of sound in water: Firstly, one can use a mechanism of self-
calibration during data acquisition, or, secondly, one can assume a constant average velocity,
or, thirdly, one can use a depth profile for the water velocity as obtained e.g. from a CTD log
onductivity lemperature
!epth). Position, time, and water depth are continuously writterito
magnetic tapes and optical discs. The observations can be plotted online as contour map dur-
ing acquisition. This has not been done on this cruise as the quality of this plot is roo poor.
For postprocessing of HYDROSWEEP data onboard the Hydro Map System 300 (Arlas
Elek-
tronik GmbH, Bremen) is used to store data on magneto-optical disc and to produce contour
charts of the profile for printing. Furthermore, the Hydro Map 300 softwareian produce
bathymetric maps and coloured 3D perspective views. HYDROSWEEP data cari also be
listed, edited, processed and displayed with the MB-System, a software package which has
been developed at the Lamont.Doherty Earth Observatory.
BGR I t6&3
- 5 4 -
Reeidual: Observed
-
conputed Ernonaly
2 5 . 5
Dotted curve: Obsetived anomaly
Solid curve : Cotputed anornly
.j
'1
a",/----\
Dotted curire: Observed anomaly
So1id curve : Conputed anornaly
(d)
nT
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0 .
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1 0 0 .
(c)
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nf
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( a)
o.
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- 4 .
-,
Fig. 14. Example for the reconstruction of the magnetic anomaly from the measured gradient
(a) on line SO122-MA. (b) shows the reconstructed anomaly (continuous
curve)
compared with the total intensity measured by the master sensor (dotted curve) when
the linear trend (stippled line in (a)) is removed. (c) is the result of the reconstruction
if only the mean gradient is removed. (d) shows the difference between the two
curves in
(c).
BGR 116643
Fig. 15. Planetary magnetic three-hour-range indices (Kp) for the interval June 2l- Oct 31.
1997
9 S
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BGR 116&3
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5.7.2 Parasound
The parametric sediment echosounder PARASOUND @ARAmetric sediment survey echo-
SOUNDeT, Atlas Elektronik GmbH, Bremen) can image the near ocean floor sedimentary
layers down to a maximum penetration depth of about 100 m. In contrast to conventional 3.5
kHz echosounders, the interference of two signals with adjacent high frequencies (I8
-
23
kHz) which by a paramenic effect creates a nflrow beam with the difference of the two fre-
quencies. The depth of penetration of this signal with frequencies selectable between 2.5 to
5.5 kHz is comparable to 3.5 kHz systems. The nzlrrower beam width and the considerably
shorter pulse length enable a much clearer and better resolved acoustic image of multi-layer
structures. The beam width of about 4o corresponds to 7Vo of the water depth. The data quality
depends largely on the morphology and the nature of the sediment of the ocean bottom. At
steep slopes, data quality often is poor.
A colour display unit is incorporated within the system to permit monitoring of the operation.
The display screen can be split to allow a general overview ofthe bottom and a high resolu-
tion display of the sediment layers. The raw data are recorded in analog form on a black and
white thermal graphic plotter DESO 25. Using the software package PARADIGMA
(PABAsound
DlGitalisierungs- und lv[ehrkanal
{uswertesystem,
V. Spie8, University of
Bremen), data can also be printed on a colour printer and digitally recorded on disc or ma-
gnetic tape in the SEG-Y format, which allows subsequent seismic processing.
6 Scientific results
6.1 Composite line drawings
(H.-O.Bargeloh, M. Block, V. Damm, J. Fritsch, H.A. Roeser & B. Schreckenberger)
Fig. 4 on p. 30 shows the geophysical lines surveyed during cruise SO-122, Table I on p. 31 is
a list of the lines. Fig. 16
-
Fig.44 document systematically the observations on these lines.
Line SO122-l9A is omitted because due to the fishery problems it is very short and com-
pletely included in line 50122-198. For all lines with reflection seismics, line drawings of the
one-channel monitor records, the hydrosweep swaths, the magnetic anomalies observed by the
master sensor and the gravimetric anomalies are shown. For the lines without reflection seis-
mics the line drawings of the monitor records are replaced by the bathymetry (central beam of
Hydrosweep).
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Fig. 19. Line SOI2}-MIMA across Munay Ridge, Dalrymple Trough, Little Munay Ridge,
Oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran accretionary wedge, with reflection seismici.
Uppermost panel: Gravimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep
swath; lowermost panel: Line drawing of one channel of the reflection seismic record
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vimetric and magnetic anomalies; central panel: Hydrosweep swath; lowermost
panel: Line drawing of one channel of the reflection seismic record
-75 -
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6.2 Reflection seismics
(M. Block & V. Damm)
6.2.L lntroduction
Five main structural units can be identified in the area of our investigations (Fig. 45): The
Makran accretionary complex, the Oman Abyssal Plain, the Munay Ridge, the Indus Shelf,
and the Indus Fan. Our main observations concerning these units are presented and discussed
in the following sections.
6.2.2 l$'{akran accretionary complex
During Sonne cruise SO-122 five lines were measured over the frontal area of the accretionary
wedge. Line SO122-0/'A is located in the west of the area of our investigations near the
boundary to kan and crosses the accretionary complex perpendicular to the strike of the
structures along 62"20'8. Four lines, SOL22-09, SOl22-10, SOl22-12, and SO122-13 cover
the eastern area of the accretionary complex. Between these lines and line SO122-04A a big
gap of about 250 km without any new seismic measurements exists because fishering pre-
vented seismic investigations.
The base of the Makran accretionary complex is clearly recognizable on the reflection seismic
monitor records of our easternmost lines SOI22-09 and SO122-10. Line SOl22-12 shows
only some questionable reflection elements from this boundary. On line SOI22-13 and on our
westernmost line SO122-04A such a base or decollementzone cannot be identified as well as
on a multichannel reflection seismic profile (Minshull and White, 1989) running at a distance
of about 40 km parallel to line SO122-04A. This suggests that east of about 65'E the base of
the Makran accretionary complex is imaged'on the reflection seismic lines and west of this
longitude this base is not recognizable. But the published line N1804 (Lehner et al., 1983)
Gig.
a5) shows very clearly this base. Therefore the reflector from this boundary could be
masked by multiples. Possibly it becomes visible after processing of the data.
The frontal area of the Makran accretionary complex consists of intensively folded and over-
thrusted sedimentary thrust slices scraped off the subducting Arabian Plate. The thickness of
the accreted sediments varies between 5 s (twt) to 6 s (twt) in the dast and probably more than
7 s (twt) in the west. Between individual thrust slices small sedimentary basins with a land-
ward dipping divergent reflection pattern are existing, which have been filled probably during
the latest phase of deformations. These sediments mainly do not originate from the subducting
oceanic crust.
Well developed BSRs (Bottom Simulating Reflectors) occur on our lines SO122-04A (Fig. 4,
Fig. aO and SO122-13 between 0.5 s (twt) and 0.7 s (twt) below the seafloor. Such reflectors
image the base of gas hydrate layers. In the area between these two seismic lines some pub-
lished profiles show BSRs, too (Lehner et al., 1982; White and Louden,1982; Minshull et al.,
1992). But on our profiles SOI22-I2,SOI22-09, and SO122-10 BSRs could not be identi-
fied. Therefore we summarize that west, but probably not east, of about 65'E gas hydrates
may exist in the frontal 50 km of the Makran accretionary complex.
We see seismic bright spots on line N1804 (Lehner et al, 1982) below the summits of the two
most seaward anticlinal ridges of the Makran accretionary complex (Fig. a). They are direct
indications for accumulations of hydrocarbons.
BGR 116643
t 6 -
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outcrop of the Munay Ridge basement
continental basernent imaged on the
reflection seismic lines
@
mud di api r
O well
Oo" o Li t t l eMunayRi dge
subductionl Front of Makran
collision
J
accretionary complex
BSR
seismic bright spot
axis of the northem Munay Ridge
foot of the magmatic Munay Ridge
axis of the central Munay Ridge graben
axis of the southern Munay Ridge
r
normalfault (large offset)
Fig 45. Structural map of the survey area based mainly on data of the SONNE cruise SO-I22
BGR 116643
- 7 8 -
^
l l
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subductionl Front of Makran
collision
J
accretionary complex
BSR
seismic bright spot
axis of the northem Munay Ridge
foot of the magmatic Munay Ridge
axis of the central Munay Ridge graben
axis of the southern Munay Ridge
Structural map of the survey area based
normal fault (large ofiset)
outcrop of the Munay Ridge basement
continental basement imaged on the
reflection seismic lines
-+-
----f-----
Fig 45.
B
-fr-
j@-
@
mud di api r
O well
Oooo Li t t l eMunayRi dge
mainly on data of the SONNE cruise SO-122
BGR I t6&3
- 79 -
Fig. 46. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the seismic reflection profile SOI2Z-
04A showing the BSR at the front of the Makran accretionary complex
BGR 116643 80-
6.2.3 Oman Abyssal Plain
Like the Makran accretionary complex the Oman Abyssal Plain is covered by the reflection
seismic grid of SONNE cruise SO-122 only in the west along line SOI22-04A and in the east
along lines SO122-l7,SOL22-l3lt3A, and SO122-12
@g.
at.
The water depth exceeds 3000 m nearly in the whole Oman Abyssal Plain. Towards the east,
the Oman Abyssal Plain narrows due to convergence of the Murray Ridge and the Makran
accretionary complex leading to its disappfiIrance near line 5o-122-09.
The Oman Abyssal Plain is part of the Arabian Plate and consists of oceanic crust. The basal-
tic top of the crust is clearly recognizable along our westemmost line 5O122-O4A, but in the
eastern area we are not able to identify the basement everywhere. Along lines SOl22-l3lI3A
and SO122-12 it seems to be formed by lava flow series.
The trench of the Makran subduction zone is located in the area of the Oman Abyssal Plain.
There the basement descends in direction to the accretionary complex. Near the front of the
Makran accretionary complex the basement is overlain by about 5.6 s (twt) thick sediments in
the west and about 3.6 s (twt) thick deposits in the east (rough estimate: 7 km and 4.5 km).
This sedimentary cover is subdivided by a distinct unconformity, which dips subparallel to the
basement surface in direction to the continent, and which we have named M (Makran).Un-
conformity M outcrops near the southern boundary of the Omarr Abyssal Plain. The sediments
deposited on M are horizontally layered and mask the trench. On line SOL22-O4A a wide drift
structure lies directly beneath unconformity M.
Line SO122-0/,A shows a volcanic structure at shotpint (SP) 1000, which rises from the
basement through the deposits forming a morphological high. The volcanics outcrop at the
flanks of the high. The foot of this structure overlaps the basement, indicating that it is
younger than the oceanic crust beneath. Influenced by the subduction process this volcanic
structure is tilted to the north like the basement.'White (1983) published a seismic line with
such a structure further in the east and a bathymetric map with morphological highs formed by
such structures. He assumed that all these structures belong to a linear ridge which he named
'Little
Murray Ridge'. The Little Murray Ridge runs through the Oman Abyssal Plain from
south-west to north-east and probably is incorporated into the accretionary complex at line
SOl22-I3l13A and east of it.
Indications for several seismic bright spots are observed on line SOl22-04{between shot-
points 1500 and 2200 above unconformity M and in the drift structure. These indications re-
quire verification by processing of our seismic data. Seismic bright spots were discovered in
this area also by White (1979) and by Minshull et aL. (1992).
6.2.4 Murray Ridge
The Murray Ridge is a well defined bathymetric structure that extends south of the Oman
Abyssal Plain from south-west to north-east. In the south-west it borders at the Owen Fracture
Zone and in the north-east at the collision zone between the Indo-Pakistanian Plate and the
Eurasian Plate.
During SONNE cruise SO-122 the Murray Ridge has been surveyed by several reflection
seismic lines (Fig. 4). The observations indicate that the Murray Ridge may be a volcanic
structure or an anticlinal structure covered by volcanics. The volcanic cover may overlie con-
BGR 116&3
- 8 1 -
tinental crust or intact oceanic crust. Indications for overthrusting were not observed on our
single-channel reflection seismic records.
On our structural map (Fig. 45) the boundaries of the Murray Ridge are defined by the north-
western foot and the south-eastern foot of the volcanic structure. A deep graben running paral-
lel to the strike from south-west to north-east divides the Munay Ridge into a shallower north-
western ridge and an upstanding south-eastern ridge.
The Dalrymple Trough is part of the graben. Line SO122-04 shows that the Dalrymple Trough
is an asymmetric graben with a steep north-west facing main normal fault at its south-eastern
margin forming the footwall and several minor antithetic faults descending in steps south-
eastward forming the hanging wall. The seafloor is influenced by this normal faulting indicat-
ing active extension. Around 2.5 s (twt) thick sediments are deposited in this rift graben. Lo-
cally, we observe at the flanks of the graben a chaotic reflection pattern above the basement.
The layering of the sediments could be destroyed there by wrenching along the strike of the
graben.
Another asymmetric graben north-east of the Dalrymple Trough is crossed by our lines
SOL22-I4, SOl22-17, and SO122-18. Also here the foonvall of the rift graben is located at its
south-eastern flank. Normal faults at the seafloor indicate recent extension, locations with a
chaotic reflection pattern and strongly folded sedimentary layers indicate wrenching. The de-
posits in this graben are up to 4.0 s (twt) thick.
V/e propose that this graben is the north-eastward prolongation of the Dalrymple Trough.
Between 64'E and &"40'E the
iraben
is displaced;'We assume that the graben along the
Murray Ridge is formed by rifting related to the subduction of the Arabian Plate below the
Eurasian Plate and by wrenching due to relative motions between the Arabian and Indo-
Pakistanian Plates.
The ridge running in the north-west of the graben is covered by sediments intersected by nu-
merous normal faults which also influence the seafloor. This indicates presently active exten-
sion. The sedimentary layers rise from the flanks of the ridge in direction to its summit which
could be caused by uplift during the formation of the magmatic ridge or by tilting of the layers
as a consequence of the subduction of the Arabian Plate.
A huge volcanic structure occurs on line SO122-18 and some indications for sills were rec-
ognized on line SOI22-17.
On line SOl22-10 where the Makran accretionary complex is thrusted on the northern Munay
Ridge, a huge sheet has slumped down from the Indus Shelf into the trench (Fig. 47). This
sheet is 9 km long and about 600 m thick and is not destroyed. But chaotic masses are existing
at the upper slope above the sheet and around its base and front.
The ridge running along the south-eastern side of the Munay Ridge graben has a higher topo-
graphic level than the ridge extending at the north-western side of the graben. The southern
Murray Ridge bounds the Indus Fan to the north-west. Most of our reflection seismic lines
show at the south-eastern flank of the Munay Ridge a southward inclined unconformity with
southward dipping layering of the lower sequences and onlapping of the upper layers. This
unconformity marks the uplift of the Murray Ridge.
BGR 116643
- 82-
s u! outll uollco[aH
Fig. 47 . Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line SO 122- 10
showing a 9 km long and 600 m thick sheet which has slumped down from the Indus
Shelf
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=
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tt
-
o t
o o
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o E
5
o
BGR 116&3
- 8 3 -
Several outcrops of the basement are located along the top of the southern Murray Ridge (Fig.
45). The southern flank of the Munay Ridge shows some indications for sills and for mud
diapirs which need confirmation by processing of our reflection seismic data.
6.2.5 Indus Shelf
The Indus Shelf is covered by our grid of reflection seismic profiles only near its edge and
only in the north-western prolongation of the Murray Ridge and in the area of the Indus Can-
yon (Fig. 4,Fi9.45).
On lines SO122-10, SO122-11, and SOl22-08 an anticlinal structure is identified below the
shelf sediments by updomed sedimentary layering at its flanks (Fig. a5). These lines show
very little reflectivity from the surface of the structure. Therefore the structure may be a me-
lange which continues onshore into the collisional belt between the Indo-Pakistanian Plate and
Eurasia. The melange could consist of Eocene, Paleocene, and probably Cretaceous highly
deformed sediments. At the eastern flank of the assumed melange the well INDUS MARINE
Cl had been drilled by V/intershall in 1975. This site was abandoned due to high pressure in
the Lower Eocene (Raza et al., 1990;
Quadri,
1984).
The Indus Canyon is crossed by our lines SO122-14 and SOl22-15 (Frg. 45). In the area of
these profiles the canyon is about 10 km wide and up to 900 m deep (Frg.48). The active cur-
rents have cut a I km wide and 300 m deep channel into the canyon's bottom. Another chan-
nel which was active in former times and which is now filled by sediments is recognizable at
the bottom of the Indus Canyon. Current controlled sediments and slumped sediment masses
occur in the canyon.
The continental basement of the outer Indus Shelf and of the slope is imaged on our lines
SAl22-14, SO122-15, 501,22-16, and SOl22-27 by a reflector with high amplitudes and low
frequencies. This reflector is not masked by the strong multiples and can be observed between
4.9 s (twt) below the shelf and 8.5 s (twt) under the slope and under the south-eastern flank of
the Murray Ridge (Fig. a5).
Near the shelf edge a strong reflector onlaps on the basement. This reflector merges along line
SOL22-14 into the volcanic top of the Murray Ridge. So this reflector can be interpreted to
image the top of the magmatic unit which covers the Murray Ridge.
The thickness of the sediments varies between 4.5 s (twt) on the shelf and 6.7 s (twt)
at the
slope. In the area of the shelf and the upper slope strong multiples largely mask the reflection
pattern of the deposits. Some channels exist at the upper slope which often are characterized
by channel-levees (Fig. a9). Remnants of such channel-levees now buried by younger sedi-
ments are recognizable. Some indications for mud diapirs were observed along line SOl22-14
at the upper slope (Fig. 50).
6.2.6 Indus Fan
The Indus Fan extends from the southern flank of the Murray Ridge southward to about 10'N.
Our grid of reflection seismic lines covers only the northernmost part of this huge sedimentary
structure.
The magmatic basement of the Indus Fan shows a smooth to moderate relief. At several loca-
tions it is overlain by a magmatic unit consisting of a mixture of sills or lava-flows and sedi-
BGR 1166/'3
u t l
( / )
-,
u! ourll uo[cauo'
Fig. 48. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line SO122-14
showing the Indus Canyon near the slope of the Indus Shelf
BGR 116643
]U
O
s ul oLull uollcollou
Fig. 49. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line SOl22-14
showing channel-levees
- 8 5 -
=
=
BGR I 16&3
- 8 6 -
=
=
S u! oLu!l uollcollou
Fig. 50. Part of the single-channel monitor record of the reflection seismic line SO122-14
showing some structures which we interpret as mud diapirs
BGR 11,6643
- 87 -
ments. Along line SO122-25 an area with a divergent reflection pattern and an area with a
subparallel reflection pattern occurs beneath the basement and extends up to 1.3 s (twt) into
the crust.
The thickness of the sediments varies between 0.8 s (twt) and 3.8 s (twt). In the upper half of
the sedimentary unit numerous channel-levees or buried remnants of such structures are ob-
served indicating that the upper Indus Fan.consists mainly of such channellevee complexes.
According to Coumes & Kolla (1984) the sediments of the Indus Fan are deposited since the
late Oligocene or early Miocene uplift of the Himalayas.
Series of sills occur along our lines at many locations mainly in the upper half of the Indus
Fan sediments indicating a relatively young magmatic event.
6.3 Gravity and magnetics
(8. Schreckenberger & J. Fritsch)
Fig. 16
-Fig.44
show the gravimetric free-air anomalies and the magnetic total intensity
anomalies together with the other geophysical data obtained along our lineS. Fig. 51 shows the
magnetic anomalies of the entire survey plotted perpendicular to the ship's track.
The discussion of the gravimetric and magnetie data concentrates on four topics.
6.3.1 Age and nature of the crustof the Indus Fan
The nature of the crust of the Indus Fan area north of 19oN is not yet understood. Naini &
Talwani (1983) state that the direction of the SE-NW trending Laxmi Ridge (Fig. 1) changes
to E-V/ at about 19'N/66"E. They suppose that this ridge marks the northern edge of oceanic
crust in the Arabian Sea. This ridge lies more than 100 km south of our lines SOl22-24 and
SOL22-25 which would thus lie on thinned continental crust.
Magnetic seafloor spreading lineations in the northern Arabian Sea have been investigated in
several studies (Norton & Sclater, 1979, Schlich,1979, Nauka, 1993, Miles & Roest (1993).
The northernmost data set is by Miles & Roest (1993) who investigated regularly spaced
profiles perpendicular to the lineations in the area between 15'N and 21oN and between 63"E
and 66'E (Fig. 52). Their northernmost correlatable lineation is anomaly 28 at l8'30'N
indicating a paleocene crustal age (64 My). If this anomaly represents the continental margin
then break-up would have been contemporaneous to the emplacement of the Deccan Trap
basalts (Vandamme et al., 1991) and the oldest lination north of the Seychelles Bank/IV1asca-
rene Plateau.
Magnetic anomalies over the inferred continuation of the Laxmi Ridge to the East at l9'N
(Naini & Talwani, 1983) are strong and can be conelated to form E-IV lineations but they can
not be correlated with magnetic time scales. Two lines north of the Laxmi Ridge and east of
lines SO122-24 and3o-122-26
(Miles & Roest, 1993) show strong anomalies at
21'N/65'40'E that are not correlatable with time scales either and that decrease in amplitude
to the north-east (Fig. 52).
BGR 116643
- 8 8 -
Fig. 51. Magnetic anomalies (master sensor) observed on cruise S}-Izzplotted along the
ship's tracks. Positive anomalies are red, negative green.
BGR 116643
- 8 9 -
Fig.52. Magnetic anomalies plotted along the ship tracks. Positive anomalies in dark gray,
negative anomalies in light gray. Lines in the north-western part of the map are from
this cruise (Fig. 51),lines in the south-eastern part are from CHARLES DARWIN
cruise 20 (Miles & Roest, 1993). The hatched area indicates the location of the con-
tinuation of the Laxmi Ridge to the east inferred from gravity anomalies (Miles &
Roest, 1993).
BGR 116&3
- 9 0 -
The magnetic anomalies observed on our lines SO122-23 to 50122-26 are much weaker than
the ones shown by Miles & Roest (1993). Also the large and partly linear anomalies observed
by Miles & Roest (1993) north of 19oN cannot be identified as seafloor spreading lineations
with any reasonable spreading rates.
The seismic records show sills within the sedimentary layers on lines SOl22-23 (Fig. 39) and
50122-26 (Fig.
D
and an overprinting of the basement by volcanics that may rest on oceanic
as well as on continental crust (cf. 6.2.6). Although obviously the crust is thin, recent ODP
results off Iberia have shown that small thickness of the crust alone is not sufficient as proof
of oceanic nature (Whitmarsh et al., in press).
6.3.2 The Murray Ridge area
Magnetic anomalies over the Murray Ridge between 63'E and 64'E (Fig. 51) have sur-
prisingly low amplitudes
(lines SOl22-02,
-03
and
-04
and Barker, 1966) and do not support a
volcanic origin of the ridge (cf. 6.2.4). Short-wavelength anomalies over the top of the ridge
on line SOIzz-M
(Fig. 19) partly correlate with bathymetric features, suggesting that they
contain igneous rocks. However, the ridge as a whole does obviously not cause an anomaly.
One possible explanation might be that the ridge represents oceanic crust of normal sea-floor
spreading origin with uniform magnetic polarity and therefore causes virtually no magnetic
anomaly. Another explanation would be that continental crust extends from the Laxmi Ridge
to the Murray Ridge as it may be concluded from Naini & Talwani (1983) and Miles & Roest
(1993). Local occurences of volcanic rocks would be responsible for the short-wavelength
magnetic anomalies. A seamount at 23'N/63o50'E is without any doubt volcanic because it
has a strong magnetic anomaly (line SOl22-23 andBarker, 1966). Further, our reflection
seismic sections show volcanic structures on all lines across the boundary between Murray
Ridge and Indus Fan. Magnetic anomalies seem associated with that boundary on lines
SOl22-14, SOI22-17 and SO122- 1 8.
6.3.3 The Oman Abyssal Plain and the Makran shelf
Magnetic anomalies over the Oman Abyssal Plain north of the Murray Ridge/Dalrymple
Trough have longer wavelengths and higher amplitudes than those in the Indus Fan area. Most
of the anomalies belong to an anomaly chain trending south-west to north-east with a high in
the south-east and a low in the north-west (lines SO122-04104A,
-05, -06, -07
,
-09
and
-12).
The chain is intemrpted on line SOt22-l3l13A where no positive anomaly can be observed
(Fi e. s1).
This anomaly chain may be associated with the Little Murray Ridge, a basement ridge that is
mostly concealed by sediments but pierces through the seafloor on line SO122-044 (SP 1000,
Fig. 19) where its sub-seafloor structure can be seen in the reflection seismic section. On line
50122-06 we also observe a tiny expression on the seafloor (at kilometer 50 in Fig.22)
whereas on line SO122-05
(without reflection seismic measurements) we do not find any
bathymetric expression of the basement high. A local high in the gravity data that can be seen
on all three lines strongly suggests that also on line SO122-05 the basement high is present
(kilometer 70 in Fig. 20) and that it may represent the continuation of the Little Munay Ridge.
The crest of the ridge coincides mostly with the minimum or the flank to the positive part of
the magnetic anomaly. It is not yet clear what causes the anomaly. It is very wide (Fig. 51) and
the topography of the basement on line SO122-MA cannot explain the shape of the anomaly.
The seismic section (Fig. 19) suggests that a 100 km wide volcanic structure partly overlies
BGR 116&3
- 9 1 -
oceanic crust of the same or older age. If the strong magnetic anomaly trending south-west to
north-east could be explained by the volcanic structure then there remains hardly any indica-
tion of magnetic seafloor-spreading lineations in the Oman Abyssal Plain.
6.3.4 The relation of the Murray Ridge to structures onshore Pakistan
Off Karachi, on the more than 100 km wide shelf with water depths of less than 200 m, lines
SOL22-O7
-
SOl22-13 were surveyed. The most important ne\ry rsult concerns the extension
of prominent tectonic elements from Pakistan into the Arabian Sea
@ig.
53):
In the cenal part of Pakistan, along distinct strike-slip faults (Chaman Fault, Ghazaband
Fault, Ornach-Nal Fault) the Bela-Waziristan ophiolite zone separates the Makran Flysch
complex in the west from the Khuzdar block in the east. It consists of marine limestone and
claystone, basaltic and andesitic lavas, gabbros, serpentinites and their conglomerates and is
considered as the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the subducted Arabian Plate in the
west and the Indo-Pakistanian Plate in the east. This mainly N-S strikingzoe is bent eastward
in the Karachi Arch north of Karachi. Near Karachi, the layers of this zone are covered by
alluvial sediments.
On our lines, we found zones of positive gravity anomalies related to areas with elevated
seismic reflectors which show characteristics of melange zones. It seems reasonable to parallel
these high-density subbottom structures to the Bela-Waziristan ophiolite zone. This implies
that south of the Karachi Arch the ophiolite zone is deflected WSW in direction to the Murray
Ridge. The Murray Ridge may even be a direct prolongation of the Bela-Waziristan ophiolite
zone. This finding throws new light onto the development of the triple
junction
between the
Eurasian, the Arabian and the Indo-Pakistanian Plates which is also documented in the re-
gional distribution of the ophiolite belts.
6.4 Hydroacoustics
(M. Tahb, T. Schillhoffi, A. Cheema, M. Block, V. Damm & A. Inam)
For high-resolution bathymetry and sediment echography, three acoustic systems were used
simultaneously and continuously along all profiles: a) PARASOUND subbottom profiling
system, b) HYDROSWEEP multibeam swath bathymetry system, and c) ELAC single-beam
echosounder. The main objective was to obtain detailed information on the seafloor topogra-
phy and the structure of the uppermost sediments. This information will be helpful also for the
cruises SO-123, SO-124 and SO-130 in this area. This report briefly describes preliminary
results obtained along the selected profiles during the cruise.
6,4.! Data recording and quality
The PARASOUND data is recorded in analog form on paper charts and beginning with profile
SO122-10 on computer tapes as well. HYDROSWEEP bathymetric data was completely re-
corded digitally. Later maps of the data were produced, while the Elac soundings were re-
corded only on paper chart.
The analog subbottom profiling data of PARASOTIND was analysed onboard. Over flat or
gently sloping seafloor good data were obtained with penetrations of up to 60 meters or more
BGR 1t6&3
Fig. 53. Structural map of a part of the Bela-Whaziristan ophiolite zone (Bannert et al., 1992)
with the free-air gravity anomalies observed in the north-eastern part of our survey. A
gravity high indicates that on the shelf the ophiolite zone bends south-westwards and
possibly extends into the Murray Ridge.
BGR I 16&3
- 93 -
and good resolution of about 50 cm. As the slopes increase the data quality decreases ac-
cordingly. On seabed slopes greater than 3o only a very poor, noisy or no record is available.
During the first part of the cruise, rugh sea affected the HYDROSWEEP data quality. Later,
the quality improved. The water sound velocity profile measured on cruise SO-90 with a CTD
log was used for sound beam calibration.
6.4.2 Preliminary results
In the following, we will describe some of the observed features and present preliminary re-
sults inferred from the PARASOUND records along selected reflection seismic lines.
Profiles SOl22-04 and
-044
These lines represent a typical transect in the Makran offshore survey area, extending from the
southern flank of the Munay ridge and passing over the Dalrymple Trough, the Little Murray
Ridge and the Oman Abyssal Plain. They terminate at about 1800 m water depth after cross-
ing a part of the submarine Makran accretionary complex. At the start of the profile SOI22-04
prolonged and diffracted echoes and no subbottom reflectors are observed because the slopes
are steeper than 3o. No signal is obtained in the upper parts of the slope which are steeper than
8'. At the top of the ridge, indistinct to distinct uneven seafloor with prolonged reflections,
occassionally with few parallel subbottom reflectors at certain places continue till the northern
flank of the ridge. Acoustic penetrations are less than 18 m. The sediments drape the underly-
ing ridge morphology along with overtopping and slumping of sediments at various places.
The acoustic character of the northern flank is more or less similar to the southern flank.
The Dalrymple Trough borders the Murray Ridge on the northem side and is considered to be
produced by extensional tectonic processes. It is characterized by distinct and strong echoes
from a flat seafloor with prominent and parallel packages of subbottom reflectors intervened
by acoustically transparent layers of varying thicknesses from few to 10 meters (Fig. 54).
These acoustic layers represent very homogeneous sediments having strong acoustic imped-
ance contrasts to overlying and underlying sediments. Maximum acoustic penetrations reach
60 m. This sequence is suddenly disturbed and covered by a sediment slump and ultimately
dissappears underneath. This sediment slump has its origin probably from the northern flank
of the trough which marks a big fault.
North of the Dalrymple Trough a well-stratified acoustic sequence consisting of multiple and
closely spaced parallel subbottom reflectors with transparent layers below them extends to the
Little Murray Ridge. This sequence is more or less regularly folded and shows many graben-
like structures (Fig. 55). Most of these folds appear to be the surface expression of deep-
seated faults which have been prominently marked on the seismic section. This reveals that
the area is tectonically active at present. As expected, there is poor record from the flanks of
the Little Munay Ridge. The top of the ridge shows layered sediments with about 30 m
acoustic penetration in the areas where topography is not very steep.
The Oman Abyssal Plain begins north of the Little Munay Ridge, where an unconformity
with underlying dipping sediments is very prominent (Fig. 56). The abyssal plain sediments
show very high-amplitude prolonged reflections with generally indistinct strong subbottom
reflectors up to a considerable distance along the profile after which the strength of the ampli-
tude decreases slightly and acoustic penetration decreases from about 60 m to 30 m. From
BGR 1166/.3
- 94 -
Fig. 54. Line SO12}-04:ParaIlel packages of subbottom reflectors intervened by acoustically
transparent layers of varying thickness in the Dalrymple Trough
BGR 116&3
- 9 5 -
Fig. 55. Line SO122-O4A: Grabenlike structures with multiple and parallel subbottom reflec-
tors between the Dalrymple Trough and the Little Murray Ridge
BGR 116&3
- 96 -
Fig. 56. Line SO122-O4A: Unconformity with underlying dipping sediments at the northern
edge of the Little Murray Ridge
BGR 116643
- 97 -
SP 2710 on appear very small scale folding and faulting in PARASOTIND records, which
progressively increase in size, both in amplitude and throw respectively up to about the top of
the presumed frontal fold (Fig. 57). This probably reveals the initiation of the compressional
regime of the subduction zone about 14 km south of the top of the frontal fold. This small
scale folding and faulting do not seem to extend landward below the peak of the frontal fold.
These features are relatively small and therefore not visible on the seismic monitor record.
'
The maximum height of the frontal fold, relative to the adjacent abyssal plain seafloor at this
place, is about 160 meter.
Northward of the frontal fold due to steep slopes of accretionary ridges poor or no PARA-
SOUND record could be obtained. However, prolonged and strong reflections with indistinct
subbottom reflector(s) of high amplitude appear in the inter-ridge or inter-slope basin areas
where penetrations up to 50 m are observed (Fig. 58).
Profile SO122-10
Relatively less steep accretionary ridge(s) with fault scarps and uneven topography appear in
the first part of the profile. The acoustic penetration varies from almost nil to about 50 m near
the northward base of one of the accretionary ridges, where some strong subsurface reflectors
are visible. A sediment slump is prominent here. Further up, to the upper slope, no respec-
tively poor record is available.
The uppermost part of the continental slope (between SP 1180 to t290 on the seismic profile)
shows a very complex sedimentary structure where an acoustically stratified section at the top
unconformably overlies a highly deformed sedimentary sequence (Fig. 59). Penetrations of up
to 60 m were obtained in this deformed area. These structures disappear abruptly along a scarp
(fault?) where the continental shelf starts. The continental shelf has a strong and distinct
seafloor echo with a closely spaced, strong subbottom reflector which further eastward be-
comes deeper with intervening reflectors of varying acoustic character (Fig. 60). This strong
subbottom reflector at the base marks a prominent erosional unconformity which is probably
widespread along the entire outer shelf region and outcrops at places. Also the seafloor be-
comes uneven and rugged up to a steplike feature, which might be the shelf break. Until the
end of profile the seafloor generally remains flat and relatively smooth.
Profiles SOl22-12 and
-131134
These lines cross folded and faulted accretionary ridges with steep slopes and rough morphol-
ogy which do not allow meaningful PARASOLJND data recording. Locally, especially near
the base of these ridges and in the interslope basins, slumped sediments are observed.
Profile SOl22-14
This profile starts in the tectonic region of the Murray Ridge NW of a faulted trough and runs
along the continental slope of the Indus passive continental margin up to the eastern bank of
the Indus Canyon. Gently upsloping seafloor with some continuous and parallel subsurface
reflectors of varying echo strength and almost uniform penetration of about 20 m continues
until near the trough. The hummocky features, prolonged reflections with occasional diffrac-
tion patterns, are indicative of the irregular, rough topography and sediment slumps within
this trough. From the SE bank of the faulted trough, the sedimentary sequence is characterized
by multiple subbottom reflectors grouped into few distinct respectively indistinct packages
parallel to seafloor. In the lower part one or two semi-transparent layers, not very distinct,
follow the sequence. The seafloor here is slightly uneven and wavy. The acoustic penetration
is around 30 m. It increases rapidly to about 80 m near the edge of the levee where the
BGR 1r6U3
Fig. 57. Line SO122-O4A: Small-scale folding and faulting
just
south of the frontal fold of the
Makran accretionary complex
- 9 8 -
BGR 1T6&3
- 99 -
Fig. 58. Line SO122-O4A: Basin on the Makran accretionary complex with gently dipping
reflectors
BGR 116&3
-
r00-
Fig. 59. Line SO122-10: Highly deformed sedimentary sequence underneath an acoustically
stratified section at the uppermost continental slope
BGR 116&3
- 1 0 1 -
Fig. 60. Line SO122-10: Continental shelf with a strong subbottom reflector that indicates an
erosional unconformiw
BGR 116&3
- 102-
sequence is disrupted by a deep channel of approximately 100 m depth (SP 1725). Further
along the profile another deep channel of slightly larger dimension cuts the seafloor (Fig. 61).
These channels have lower eastern levees. The sedimentary sequence between them and also
SE of the second channel has less coherent and weaker acoustic expression. Few minor
slumps and debris flows are also visible at some places in this part of the profile.
Further on line SOI22-I4, seafloor and subsurface strata suddenly become very irregular and
ridge-like features appear with varying amplitudes from few tens of meters to about 80 m.
These features most probably correspond to the superficial expression of the deeper subsur-
face mud diapirs as inferred on the respective seismic line drawing (SP 234O to SP 2850).
Further east at the upper slope region an acoustic facies Lfi-ch (Fig. 62), as described by von
Rad &Tatrir (L997),continues up to the Indus Canyon. V/ithin the canyon, only scattered re-
flections are observed. The echofacies LII-c,h, though less prominent, is also observed on the
SE side of the Indus Canyon.
BGR rt66/.3
Fig. 61. Line SO12 2-14: ChanHel in the Indus Fan area (printed by the Paradigma system)
t { i l t
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BGR 116&3
-
104-
Fig.62. Line SO122-14:Upper slope region of the Indus Canyon with acoustic facies L[*h
BGR 1163
- 1 0 5 -
Acknowledgements
Funding for cruise SO-122 by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and
Technology
@undesministerium
fiir Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie) is
gratefu lly acknowledged.
Cruise SO-122 has been carried out in cooperation with the National Institute of Oceanogra-
phy in Karachi
(NIO), the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan in Islamabad
(IDIP) and Geomar in Kiel. V/e acknowledge especially the support by Director General Dr.
Shahid Amjad (NIO), Mr. Gilles Balma (Bureau Gravimetrique International, Toulouse,
France), Captain C.D. Bhatti (Hydrographic Department of the Pakistan Navy), Director Z.M.
Khan (Pakistan Space and Upper Atnosphere Research Comrnission), Director General Hilal
A. Raza (HDIP), Dr. W.E.K. Warsi (Sultan
Qaboos
University, Oman) and Mr. M.'Wegener,
Dt. Botschaft Islamabad).
The results described herein would not have been obtained without the great experience, the
excellent work and the tireless commitment of Captain Andresen and the crew of R/V
SONNE. Further assistance came from the Reedereigemeinschaft Forschungsschiffahrt
(Bremen) and BEO (Warnemiinde) during the cruise and particularly its preparation.
Bundesanstalt fiir Geowissenschaften
und Rohstoffe For the shipboard party:
7;4
Z.ztu
(Dr. H.A. Roeser)
-
Chief Scientist
-
(Dr. K. Hinz)
-
Direktor und Professor
-
BGR 116643
- 1 0 6 -
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-
1 1 0 -
Times of Oman, l2-Oct-1997
Press clippings
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Franldurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 19
-Oct-1997
Methaneis
auch in tiefer See
Vulkane als
Quelle
/ Forschungsfahrt der
,,Sonne"
Whrend der kiirztih zu EndE gegang-
nen 123. Fahrt des: Forschunssschiffes
,iSonne" wurde erstmals ein
tMithaneis-
Vorkommen i_rf"ff1ifsee entdeckr.
Gleichzeitig fanden die an der vier Wo-
chen dauernden Fahrt im nrdlichen Ara-
bis.chen Meer nd im Golf.von Oman'be-
teiligten Wissenschaftler
,in
Gebiet am
Meeresboden, das auf hnliche Weise ent-
standen ist wie der Oberrheintal-Craben.
.An der Fahrt nahmen Forscher des Geo-
mar-Instituts in Kiel nd der Bundesan-
stalt fr Geowissenschaftn und Rohstoffe
iri Hannover sowie aus GroBbritannien
.und
Paki stan tei l . .
Unter dem Meeresgebiet, das von der
StraBe von Hrnius, dem.Mndungsgebiet
des. Indus und dem stlichen Zipfl
.der
arabischen Halbinsel (,,Rad el-Hd") be-
grepzt.wird,
stoBen die indische,.die arabi-
sche und die eurasishe Kontinentalplatt
zusamrhen. Die arabische Platte wandart
in diesem Gebiet mit einer Geschwindig-
keit von etwa 4:Zentimeteln pro Jahr nah
Norden ud schiebt sich dabei unter die
eurasische Platte.
Bei .diesem Vorgang.pielt
sich ein ein-
zigaftiger geologischer'. ProzeB ab. Uber
den Indus und die zahireichen Flsse
Westasiens gelngt' hmlich ein groBe'
Menge an Sedimenten aus dem Himalaia
und aus dem iranischen Zagros-Gebirge in
dieses Meeresgebiet. Di Sedimente wer-
den auf dem Meeresboden des Golfes.von
fuggbgelagert.
Sie landen daiffiter
arabischen Platte und knnen an manchen
Stellen eine Mchtiekeit von bis zu sieben
-
Klgrygpan erreichn. Wegen-flrecht
sffilGn-Orift der arabiscen Platte ver-
weilen die Sedimente nur wenige Millionen
Jahre auf dem Meeresgrund. Diese recht
.kurze
Zeit reicht bei weitem nichf aus, den
Schlamm vollstndig zu hartem Gesteirt zu
verfestigen. Die Sediment enthalten also
noch sehr viel Wasser, wenn sie zwischen
die beiden Kontinentalplatten gelangen. ..
Das Wasser verringert den Reibungswi-
derstand und IBt deshalb die beiden.PIat-
ten leichter aneiirander vorbeigleiten. Das
erklrt, weshalb es in iesrim Gebiet im
Vergleich zu anderen Abtauihzonen auf
der
Erde
wenig Erdbeben gibt; Bei der
Kollision der Platten wird aber auch ein
Teil der Sedimente von der Oberflche der
arabischen Platte
,,abgehobelt" und aufge-
trmt. Auf diese Weise'ist im Laufe der
Zeit der sogenannte Makran-Akkretions-
keil entstanden
-
ein bis zu 300 Kilometer
breites Kiistengebirge im Grenzgebiet zwi-
schen lran und Pakistan. Bei ihrem Zu-,
sammensto8 wirken'die beiden
platten
auf
die Sedimente' wie die. Backen ein
Schraubstocks..Sie pressen das Wasser aus
dem Gestein heraus. Charakteristisch liir
dieses Gebiet sind deshalb zahlreiche
Schlammwlkane, die vn deir urspriine-
lich in den Sedimenten erit[raltenen Wassr
gespeist werden.
Whrend der Forschungsfahrt wrden
nun auch Schlammvulkane injdem unter
der Meeresoberflche liegenen Teil des
Kstengebirges entdectt. Das aus dien
Vulkanen austretende'Wasser nthlt ee-
ringe Mengen Methan, das bich unter dm
groBen Druck und der niedrigen Ternpefa.:
tur am Meeresgrund zu Gashydraten verj
festigt. Dieses Methaneis komirit an vieln
Stellen in den Vy'eltmeerbn.tor.-Allerdings l
wurde es bisher immer nur in Kiistennfie
entdeckt. Im Oma'ri-Becken des rabischcn
Meeres kommen solche Gdshydrat aber
auch in mehr als 3200 Meter ,Wassrtiefe
vor.
Nach Sden wird der Golf
yon
Oman
durch den Murray-Rbken
'begrenzt'
die
Nahtstelle zwischen der arabishen'und
der inilischen Platte. Bisher war n!nom;
meh worden, da8 es sich dabei um ein mit
dem Mittelatlantischen Rckeri vereleich-
bares Spreizungszentrum handelt, ai dem
stndig neue Erdkru'ste entsteht.-Die G9-
schwindigkeit, mit der die Platten im'Mur-
ray-Rcken auseinanderdriften, betrgt
aber nur etwa ein fnftel Zentimeter pro
Jahr. Das ist weniger als,ein Zehntel der
Geschwindigkeit, mit der sich'die Platten
in den anderen Weltmeeren voneinander
entfernen. Au8erdem fehlt atr Murrav-
Rcken der typische untermeeiische Vul-
kanismus. .
,
Vom Forschiingsschiff Sonne aus wur-
de nun eine markante Stelle innerhalb
dieses Rckens, der sogenannte Dalrym.
ple-Gtaben, mjt verschiedenen geophysi-'
kalischen Me8verfahren genauer
untef:
sucht. Die Ergebnisse legen den'SchluB
nahe, da8 dpr Dalrymple:Graben nicht
. mit. anderen .Gebieten
am Meere$grund,
sondern eher mit dem Oberrheintal-Gri-
ben vergleichbar ist. Wie in dem Gebiet
zwischen Basel und Mainz dehnt sich hier
die Erdkruste ausgesprochen langsam,
was zur allmhlichen.Absenkung des Un-
tergrundes fhrt.
'-
.
hra.

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