Oak Island Geotechnical and Geophysical Investigations
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n4N224CCW:
Forum members,
I think many of you might like to view and discuss the various geotechnical and geophysical investigations conducted on Oak Island. Being that Oak Island is one of the longest treasure hunts on record, you will read in this thread of the difficulties the natural geology posses, and of scientific methods so far used. This treasure hunt has been for some a lifelong quest, for others it cost their lives. While there are no doubts for man to have worked underground during the late 1500s (I think 1583), there are doubts if the treasure is still there. We have a total of nine different accounts which speak to a treasure being secretly removed.
Provenances for much of the raw data were furnished by David Tobias, President of Oak Island Tours Inc., the parent company of Triton Alliance and several others who worked Oak Island from the late 1960s to present day. This information was directly passed as a personal gift to Les MacPhie, a geotechnical engineer and vice-president of SNC Lavalin subsidiary Geocon, of Montreal. Les compiled much of the raw data and sought expert analysis from industry professionals.
As for my part, I have been studying all aspects of the treasure hunt and the island's history for a good number of years. I?ve enjoyed full and unassisted access to all property owned by Oak Island Tours Inc; I have explored and photographed nearly every square inch of the surface, including time laps photography of the inter-tidal zone; I have conducted a GPS survey and produced geo rectified aerial photos with an error of less than 1? over 1000ft when calculated against theoretical values; I enjoyed access to all files, documents, correspondence and items gained through the hunt. Most of all I towed around my Garrett Master Hunter CX Plus w/depth multiplier and had some fun. I will not be sharing any confidential information, so please do not ask.
The following information has been presented at various industry lectures and to a crowd of enthusiasts at Explore Oak Island Days. I have Les' full permission to host and share this information.
This thread will (eventually) present about 62 images of data which detail the following:
1. Geological Conditions
Becker Drilling 1967 (Archaeological)Warnock Hersey 1969 (Geotechnical/Archaeological)Golder Associates 1970 (Geotechnical/Archaeological)Detection Program Drilling 1993 (Geophysical)
2. Peter Beamish -1965/66 - Magnetic survey and other geophysical methods.
3. Barringer-1988-Magnetic and Very Low Frequency (VLF) surface surveys. [clapp]
4. Oak Island Detection Program -1992/93-Review of geophysical methods, 1994 Down hole and cross hole surveys in five deep holes at Money Pit, 1994 Magnetic survey west of Money Pit.
5. Radarscan-2001-Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey north of Hole 10X.
After this thread, I will start another that will strictly detail all geotechnical drilling. I think immediate area surrounding the money pit, in about a 500ft radius, must be the single most drilled into patch of ground on earth.
Posted on: February 23, 2009, 04:38:15 PMThe geological conditions of Oak Island (and Mahone Bay) are complex.
The area of treasure interest has always been the eastern side of Oak Island. Mahone Bay was subject to the influence of glacial action which deposited a 160ft deep layer of glacial till intermixed with other sands, clays, rocks and boulders ranging in sizes from a few inches to well over 20 feet in diameter One treasure told me that if he could rename the island, he would call it Rock Island.
Glacial action also introduced rocks from far away as the high arctic. It is through this glacial action of deposit, erosion, and natural wear which provides the differentiation to suggest some rocks show anthropological influence. Below this layer of glacial till is a layer of inconsistent anhydrate rock between 20ft and 40ft thick. It is through this layer which sea water might flow below the island. Further down is a layer of consistent anhydrate rock about 200ft thick. It is in this layer where evidence suggests man was at work. I will post more of this in my geotechnical drilling thread. Below the consistent anhydrate is Meguma slate bedrock. As any geologist will tell you, the second one detects anhydrate rock, natural sinkholes now become a consideration and concern.
Posted on: February 23, 2009, 05:06:12 PMThe next series of images are from geotechnical investigations (drilling).
The first image (11) is a topographical plan. Lines A-A and B-B are the reference lines for the next two images 12 and 13. This will be greatly expanded upon in a subsequent thread.
Image 13 has a photo which shows the operation of Robert Dunfield?s 70 ton crane and dragline bucket. This is how one does on an industrial scale.
I think everyone can start getting a better understanding of the stratigraphy below the test area.
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n4N224CCW
n4N224CCW:
Peter Beamish organized a two-week summer geophysical program on Oak Island in 1965 for his students at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts with some students from Phillips Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire.
Geophysical equipment borrowed from MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, included a coin detector and electromagnetic (EM) unit for shallow depth exploration. Equipment from Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO), Bedford, Nova Scotia, included a two-coil EM unit for deeper penetration.
The 1965 survey was done over a two-week period in August by 19 students and two instructors (Peter Beamish and Richard Barber) who camped on the island. Donald Barrett from BIO also attended and provided some geophysical survey equipment.
His field notes were most interesting with many reports of finding loadstones. It was suggested for glacial action to have carried the stones from the high arctic. Checking with geologists suggests stones of these size (anything bigger microscopic) did not come from the high arctic. More on this later.
Image 19 shows the equipment in use (lucky guys).
Image 20 is more equipment, but also shows the anchor that was found below Oak Island. Imagine this setting off your detector! Ah the mother of all loads for sure!
Image 22 shows many of the items found at shallow depths. Information is not available on any item, or if any testing was even done, too bad. Notice the coin! There was another coin supposedly found which I will post later.
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outback:
Pirates treasure?
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outback
n4N224CCW:
All we can be for certain is the coin was deposited after 1598.
Was the coin dropped during the deposit or during a recovery?
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n4N224CCW:
Barringer Geophysical Magnetic Survey 1988
OBJECTIVES
1. Detect concentrations of non-ferrous metals
2. Detect concentrations of ferrous metals
PROCEDURES
1. Survey grid at 20 feet spacing at east end of Oak Island
2. Magnetic Survey for ferrous metals
Barringer also conducted a VLF survey....next post.
At the one location in the southwest sector of the grid, the source of the magnetic anomaly was not known or ever defined. Identified on image 31.
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