The seismic refraction/wide angle reflection profiles and track lines that form this catalogue were collected between 1983 and 1992 at the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic). These profiles measure the speed of sound through the sedimentary and crustal layers down to the Moho, the velocity discontinuity between the crust and the upper mantle. Comparison of these velocities with measurements of rock in laboratories constrain the sedimentary strata and crustal rock types. In addition, the velocity/depth functions interpreted from the data sections can link the geological information directly with seismic reflection profiles. The weak link between seismic reflection and geology is velocity and this parameter is provided by this method.

The purpose of the catalogue is to show the location of the profiles and provide an opportunity to view the data. The seismic sections are available in SEG-Y format. They can be obtained by contacting Ruth Jackson.

Area of coverage

The survey area map shows the configuration of the refraction experiments. During an experiment, a number of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) were launched in a pattern, generally a line to record the signal. A sound source, an array of six 1000 cu in (16.4 L) airguns, was fired along this line. An experiment may consist of a number of lines in a region. The numbers on the opening page map indicate the year (and cruise number where necessary for clarity) the data were collected. The refraction experiments are listed by year (and cruise number) in the data set list.

From the index a more detailed map of each experiment is available. The position of the OBS on each line is shown. The seismic sections can be viewed by pointing to the plotted position of the OBS or viewed sequentially along lines by indicating the line number at the bottom of the index map.

The hydrophone channel is displayed on all the plots. Vertical and horizontal geophone sections are available for the period from 1983 - 1988 on the CD-ROM and vertical geophone sections for 1990-1992. The analogue tapes recovered from the OBS were digitized in the laboratory. Processing operations on all sections included mixing and filtering only.

For more information : Ruth Jackson

Published Data Interpretations

CHIAN, D., LOUDEN, K.E., and REID, I., 1995 Crustal structure of the Labrador Sea conjugate margins and implications for the formation of nonvolcanic continental margins. Journal of Geophysical Research, 100, 24239-24254.

CHIAN, D., KEEN, C.E., REID, I., and LOUDEN, K., 1995 Evolution of nonvolcanic rifted margins: new results from the conjugate margins of the Labrador Sea. Geology, 23, 589-592.

CHIAN, D., HALL, J. AND MARILLIER, F. 1996 Lithospheric wide-angle seismic profiles using stacked airgun shots. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 23, 16, 2077-2080.

JACKSON, H.R., and REID, I., 1994 Crustal thickness variations between the Greenland and Ellesmere Island margins determined from seismic refraction. Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 31, 1407-1418.

JACKSON, H.R., GRANTZ, A., REID, I., MAY, S., and HART, P. 1995 Observations of anomalous oceanic crust in the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 134, 99-106.

KIM, H.J .and MARILLIER, F. 1996 Analytic minimum information deconvolution and its application to ocean bottom seismometer data. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 23, 5, 1973-1976.

MARILLIER, F., and REID, I. 1990 Crustal underplating beneath the Carboniferous Magdalen Basin (Eastern Canada): evidence from seismic reflection and refraction. In The Potential of Deep Seismic Profiling for Hydrocarbon Exploration. Edited by B. Pinet and C. Bois, Editions Technip, 209-218.

MARILLIER, F., DENTITH, M., MICHEL, REID, I., K., ROBERTS, B., HALL, J., WRIGHT, J., LOUDEN, K., MOREL-A-L'HUISSIER, P., and SPENCER, C., 1991 Coincident seismic-wav velocity and reflectivity properties of the lower crust beneath the Appalachian front, west of Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 28, 94-101.

MARILLIER, F., HALL, J., HUGHES, S., LOUDEN, K., REID, I., ROBERTS, B., CLOWES, R., COTE, T., FOWLER, J., GUEST, S., LU, H., LUETGERT, J., QUINLAN, G., SPENCER, C., and WRIGHT, J. 1994 Lithoprobe East onshore-offshore seismic refraction survey - Constraints on interpretation of Reflection data in the Newfoundland Appalachians. Tectonophysics, 232, 43-58.

MICHEL, H.K., LOUDEN, K.E., MARILLIER, F.and REID, I. 1991 The seismic velocity structure of northern Appalachian crust around western Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 29, 462-478.

REID, I., 1987 Crustal structure of the Nova Scotian margin in the Laurentian Channel region. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 24, 1859-1868.

REID, I., 1988 Crustal structure beneath the southern Grand Banks: seismic refraction results and their implications. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 25, 760-772.

REID, I., 1993 Velocity structure of reflective lower crust beneath the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Journal of Geophysical Research, 98, 9845-9859.

REID, I.D., 1994 Crustal structure of a nonvolcanic rifted margin east of Newfoundland. Journal of Geophysical Research, 99, 15161-15180.

REID, I.D., 1996 Crustal structure across the Nain-Makkovik boundary on the continental shelf of Labrador from seismic refraction data. Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 33, 460-471.

REID, I.D. and JACKSON, H.R. 1997 Crustal structure of northern Baffin Bay: seismic refraction results and tectonic implications. Journal of Geophysical Research, 102 ,523-542.

REID, I., and KEEN, C.E., 1988 Upper crustal structure from seismic refraction experiments: Grand Banks of eastern Canada. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, 36, 388-396.

REID, I.D., and KEEN, C.E., 1990 Deep crustal structure beneath a rifted basin: results from seismic refraction measurements across the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, offshore eastern Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 27, 1462-1471.

TODD, B.J., and REID, I., 1989 The continent-ocean boundary south of Flemish Cap: constraints from seismic refraction and gravity. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 26, 1392-1407.

TODD, B.J., REID, I. and KEEN, C.E., 1988 Crustal structure across the southwest Newfoundland transform margin. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 25, 744-759.