Abstract

The CIROS 2 drill hole in Ferrar Fjord cored units of well sorted sand and laminated sand-mud "couplets", unusual lithologies within a glacial marine sequence. This season sea floor samples were taken near the outfall of two meltwater channels on the Ferrar Glacier snout to compare with the sediments cored in CIROS 2. The channels contain sorted and bedded sand "bars" and larger rock debris. Several debris covered bergy bits broken from the channel mouth were also present stuck in the sea ice at the glacier edge.

The seafloor samples collected were imbedded, poorly sorted sandy mud with dropped pebbles and sand lenses deposited by ice rafting processes. Apparently, sand from the channels becomes widely dispersed as it settles through the water column. Thus we have eliminated one possible source of well sorted sand, but have yet to explain the sorting in the CIROS 2 core.

Attempts to recover sediment traps left in New Harbour and Granite Harbour by Rice University were also unsuccessful as they had been carried away by sea ice break-out.