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Transcript for Oceanfloor Legacy, segment 13 of 14
The sea floor images combined with the seismic profiles, the thirty cores, and the four sonar mosaics make up a package of basic scientific research that begins to answer questions about the processes shaping the sea floor west of San Francisco. The policy makers who must deal with the dredged material disposal question can now focus in on specific areas of the sea floor. They will place current meters at candidate sites, eliminating those where the sediment will wash away. The managers of the Gulf of the Farralonnes National Marine Sanctuary can more confidently define the threat posed by the radioactive waste drums. The basic research will also contribute to a clearer understanding of this dynamic environment.
In programs like this that really need a multiple - you know, you need a whole bunch of people that do all different types of things - sedimentologists, geophysicists, electronic technicians - that's what we're set up to do. We do things rapidly. You know, we can go in a blitzkrieg mode and get a lot of talented people and draw from the community to do it.
It may not be that we'll have all the answers, but we'll certainly provide a lot more insight into what's going on on the sea floor in this particular region where the disposal site may be located.
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The U. S. G. S. Marine Geologists will continue to map and explore shallow water regions of the U. S. exclusive economic zone. Within the framework of their basic research program they will focus on the needs of other population centers and address problems similar to those faced in the San Francisco bay area.