Preliminary geological results of sea-bed sampling in the Hebrides-Rockall area from the RRS James Clark Ross in 2001

In 2001 the British Geological Survey (BGS) was awarded survey time on the NERC vessel RRS James Clark Ross, normally operated by the British Antarctic Survey. Originally a cruise length of up to four weeks duration had been anticipated. However, owing to problems encountered during a refit on the Tyne, the ship was eventually only available for two weeks. The RRS James Clark Ross sailed from Leith on 6th August 2001 and reached the first site the following day. A report on the operational procedures, and performance of the equipment, was given by Skinner (2001). The cruise was funded through the BGS Science Budget.