Marine geological work of the Soviet Antarctic expedition, 1955–1957

Abstract

In accordance with plans for the International Geophysical Year, the Marine Antarctic Expedition of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences began oceanographic work, especially work in submarine geology, in 1955 in the Antarctic and in the Indian Ocean. Echo soundings in South Polar seas were taken over tens of thousands of miles, particularly in little known areas and new submarine elevations were found in an extensive area of recent volcanic activity west of the submarine mountain range extending between Kerguelen and Gaussberg. For the first time in Antarctic waters, cores up to 16 m long were obtained and samples of bottom sediments were collected on the two voyages at more than 200 stations. A systematic study was made of the distribution and composition of particles suspended in sea-water, as well as the seismo-acoustic work on the thickness of the unconsolidated sediments on the ocean bottom. The expedition is at present continuing work in the Indian and Pacific Ocean.