DSDP/Grain Size 5/86


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                =  DEEP SEA DRILLING PROJECT  =
                =     GRAIN SIZE DATA BASE    =
                ===============================

I.  INTRODUCTION
                                                                 

A.  BACKGROUND AND METHODS
                                                                 

     Grain size distribution analyses were routinely performed on
     Deep Sea Drilling Project cores at the project's shore-based
     labs through leg 79.  Samples were divided according to the
     Wentworth (1922) scale into the following sediment size
     fractions:

     SAND > 0.062 millimeters
     SILT 0.004 to 0.062 millimeters
     CLAY < 0.004 millimeters

     The sand fraction was separated with a 62.5 micron sieve;
     the fines were processed via standard pipette techniques
     following Stokes settling velocities (Boyce 1972).

     Detailed discussions on lab procedures may be found in the
     references listed below.


B.  LEGS IN DATA SET
     The data base contains data from legs 1-15, 17-63, 66-79.


C.  REFERENCES


     Boyce, R.E., 1972, Leg 11, Grain Size Analysis, In:
     Hollister, C.D., Ewing, J.I. et al., 1972, Initial Reports
     of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Volume XI. Washington
     (U.S. Government Printing Office) p. 1047.

     Appendix III:  Shore-based laboratory procedures.  In Bader,
     R.G. Project.  In:  Hays, J.D. et al., 1972, Initial Reports
     of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, Volume IX. Washington
     (U.S. Government Printing Office) pp. 779-796.

     Wentworth, C.K., 1922, A scale of grade and class terms for
     clastic sediments.  J. Geol. Vol. 30, p. 377.


II.  FORMAT AND FIELD DESCRIPTIONS



 A.  DATA FORMAT


     Record length = 59 characters (13079 records)

     COLUMN    FIELD                                  FORMAT
     ======    ===================================    ======
      1-2      LEG                                    A2
      3-5      SITE                                   A3
      6        HOLE                                   A1
      7-9      CORE                                   A3
     10-11     SECTION                                A2
     12-15     TOP INTERVAL DEPTH (centimeters)       F4.1
     16-19     BOTTOM INTERVAL DEPTH (centimeters)    F4.1
     20-27     TOP OF CORE DEPTH (meters)             F8.2
     28-35     SAMPLE DEPTH (meters)                  F8.2
     36-43     PERCENT SAND                           F8.1
     44-51     PERCENT SILT                           F8.1
     52-59     PERCENT CLAY                           F8.1



B. FIELD DESCRIPTIONS


     The definition of leg, site, hole, core and section may be
     found in the explanatory notes.  In addition, the special
     core designations, as well as the methods of sample labeling
     and calculating absolute sample depths are discussed.



INTERVAL DEPTH:
     The depth, in centimeters, within a section at which the top
     or bottom of a measurement was taken.  Values are encoded
     with an implicit decimal point an encoded value of 805
     represents 80.5 centimeters.


CORE DEPTH:
     The subbottom depth in meters to the top of the core.


SAMPLE DEPTH:
     The subbottom depth in meters to the point of measurement.


PERCENT SAND,SILT OR CLAY:
     The relative percent of each component in the sample.



                                             DSDP/Grain Size 5/86