standardization of environmental data and information - International ...

?? Geological studies:
?? Bathymetry: narrow-beam echosounding at 12 kHz, a subbottom
profiler at 3.5-5 kHz, deep-tow sonar up to a few
hundred metres, seafloor photographs.
?? Mineralogy of bottom sediment: wet sieving followed by pipette
analysis of texture.
?? Geotechnical analysis of sediment: water content by the weightloss
method, with samples dried for 24 hours at 105° C.; shearstrength
apparatus using vane shear testers; wet bulk density,
specific gravity, porosity.
?? Geochemistry.
?? Pore-water chemistry: nitrite, silica.
?? Soil analysis.
?? Particle fluxes: time-series sediment traps, with samples sieved
to separate finer and coarser particles; major component
analysis by CaCO3 weight-loss method or calcium extraction,
organic matter by CHN analysis.
?? Biological studies:
?? Phytoplankton, zooplankton, primary productivity: by C-14
measurement.
?? Benthos: fauna dyed with rose bengal after wet-sieving samples
through 1-mm, 300- and 45-micron sieves to measure
abundance and identify mega-, macro-, meio-, and microfaunal
components; total bacterial counts for microbial analysis;
biochemical analysis.
?? Physical studies:
?? Meteorological observations: weather station on board.
?? Water column: standard CTD, expendable bathythermographs
(XBTs) and expendable CTD probes (XCTDs).
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