Station logs of R/V Velero IV, 1948-1985

This spreadsheet includes approximately 30,000 station log entries from the R/V Velero IV that was launched April 11, 1948. The research vessel was actively involved in scientific research from July 31, 1948 through June 21, 1985. The primary research focus of the Velero IV was on the Southern California bight, with more than half the stations collecting in this geographic area. Her total range was from just north of Bodega Bay, California, south to Costa Rica. Data recorded for an individual station log entry may include any or all of the following: station number, cruise number or name of cruise, date and time, latitude and longitude, location description, depth, wind speed and direction, and general remarks. Remarks vary greatly, but most frequently include information on Principal Investigator (P.I.), Cruise Leader (C.L.), Captain, bottom surface, and information about use of equipment or problems during collection. Capt. G. Allan Hancock gave the ship to the University of Southern California as a continuing part of his gift of the Allan Hancock Foundation, which was established in 1940. He was Master of the Velero IV from her first voyage and was the first of her six Captains. The other Captains were Fred C. Ziesenhenne, John J. Harris, George W. Colyer, R. Andre Valois, and Jonathan Williams. Not all of the nearly 30,000 stations include all types of information, but all data that were recorded in the written station logs are included in the digital file. The original station log sheets are at Hancock collections & Archives, Special collections, Doheny Memorial Library, University of Southern California