Sedimentology Commons^™

Southern Maine, New Hampshire, And Northern Massachusetts Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2022 Field Campaign – Grain Size Data, Station Summaries, And Seafloor Photographs, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Michael Bogonko

Data Catalog

Presented in this data report are the geophysical data collected during a major field campaign in 2022, with the purpose of obtaining ground truth for the expansion and improvement of high-resolution surficial geology maps of the western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) and for the description of reference sites developed for future evaluations of acoustic systems (Ward et al., 2021a; 2021b). Data from the UNH Ocean Engineering 972 Hydrographic Field Course classes in 2021 and 2022 are also included. This expansion of the geophysical database is being used to verify seafloor classifications in previously mapped areas that lack sufficient data, and …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geospatial Database: Surficial Geology Maps And Sediment Grain Size Data, Larry G. Ward, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Rachel C. Morrison

Data Catalog

The “New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geospatial Database: Surficial Geology Maps and Sediment Grain Size Data” consists of high-resolution surficial geology maps of the continental shelf off New Hampshire to Jeffreys Ledge in the Western Guff of Maine (WGOM) and supporting sediment grain size information. The surficial geology maps cover ~3,250 km² (Figure 1). The maps depict three different classifications based on the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standards (CMECS; FGDC, 2012): Geoforms (major morphologic or physiographic features; Figure 2; Table 1), Geologic Substrate Subclass (Figure 3; Table 2), and Geologic Substrate Group (Figure 4; Table 2). The maps are …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2002-2005 Jeffreys Ledge Field Campaign – Seafloor Photographs And Sediment Data, Larry G. Ward, Raymond E. Grizzle, Rachel C. Morrison

Data Catalog

Jeffreys Ledge is a major physiographic feature in the western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) located ~50 km off the coast of New Hampshire, although coming within ~10 km of shore by Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Jeffreys Ledge rises up as much as ~150 m from the seafloor of the adjacent basins (i.e., Scantum Basin or Wilkinson Basin) to depths less than 50 m on the ridge surface. The ridge extends over 100 km along its north-northeast to south-southwest axes while generally only being 5 to 10 km in width (~20 km maximum). Jeffreys Ledge and the surrounding region, like many features …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2016-2017 Field Campaign - Stations And Sediment Data, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy

Data Catalog

The "New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2016-2017 Field Campaign - Stations and Sediment Data" contains sediment grain size data from a major field campaign conducted in 2016-2017 and from the UNH Ocean Engineering 972 Hydrographic Field Course classes in 2012, 2014, and 2018. In total, sixteen one-day cruises provided 150 samples for grain size analysis. The database provides complete descriptions for each sample including identification, station and sample characteristics, sediment classifications, grain size statistics, and grain size distribution. Samples were analyzed with standard sieve and pipette analyses after Folk (1980). The sediment grain size classifications include: CMECS (Coastal and …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2016-2017 Field Campaign – Seafloor Photographs, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy

Data Catalog

The "New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2016-2017 Field Campaign – Seafloor Photographs” was developed by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM/JHC). The field campaign was conducted to provide ground truth for surficial geology maps for the continental shelf off New Hampshire (NH) and focused on the inner shelf between the coast and the Isles of Shoals. Station locations were chosen where high-resolution bathymetry was available, including multibeam echosounder (MBES) surveys conducted by the UNH CCOM/JHC Hydrographic Field Course (Ocean Engineering 972), MBES surveys by the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS), …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2012-2013 Newbex Field Campaign – Seafloor Photographs And Sediment Data, Larry G. Ward, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Rachel C. Morrison

Data Catalog

An approximately 4.5 km transect running from lower Portsmouth Harbor seaward onto the inner continental shelf was established to serve as the field site for the Newcastle Backscatter Experiment (NEWBEX). Acoustic backscatter measurements were made along the transect to examine relationships between backscatter and seafloor properties. This transect takes advantage of the diversity and heterogeneity of bottom types in lower Portsmouth Harbor and approach. In support of NEWBEX, a field campaign was undertaken to describe the sedimentologic characteristics of the seafloor along the transect. A total of five cruises were carried out approximately seasonally on November 26, 2012 and June …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: Vibracore Logs And Sediment Data, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Data Catalog

The "New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: Vibracore Logs and Sediment Data" contains complete core logs and sediment grain size data from twenty‐three vibracores taken on the New Hampshire shelf in 1984 and 1988. During the present program, the original core descriptions, data, and photographs were verified and significantly expanded, synthesized, and presented in uniform core logs.The vibracore logs, sediment data, and the depositional environments are discussed in detail in Ward et al., 2021 (https://dx.doi.org/10.34051/p/2021.26).

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Historical Geophysical Database: 1971 To 2015 - Sediment Data, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Data Catalog

The UNH CCOM/JHC "New Hampshire Continental Shelf Historical Geophysical Database: 1971 to 2015 - Sediment Data" contains sediment grain size data and classifications from studies conducted between 1971 and 2015. In total, grain size data was available for 725 bottom sediment samples. Included are sample identification information, station and sample characteristics, sediment classifications, grain size statistics, and grain size distribution. Not all of these parameters were available for every study. Samples were analyzed with standard sieve and pipette analyses after Folk (1980). The sediment grain size classifications include: CMECS (Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard; FGDC, 2012); Gradistat (Blot and …

New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2016-2017 Field Campaign – Seafloor And Sample Photographs And Sediment Data, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy

Data Catalog

The "New Hampshire Continental Shelf Geophysical Database: 2016-2017 Field Campaign - Seafloor and Sample Photographs and Sediment Data " contains photographs of the seafloor from sampling locations, photographs of the sediment samples, and grain size data from a major field campaign conducted in 2016- 2017 and from the UNH Ocean Engineering 972 Hydrographic Field Course classes in 2012, 2014, and 2018. In total, sixteen one-day cruises provided 150 samples for grain size analysis. The database provides complete descriptions for each sample including identification, station and sample characteristics, sediment classifications, grain size statistics, and grain size distribution. Presented here are tables …

Analysis Of Vibracores From The New Hampshire Continental Shelf From 1984 And 1988, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

During this study, the twenty-three vibracores taken in 1984 and 1988 were reexamined, original descriptions verified and significantly expanded, and the cores sampled to provide complete grain size data (i.e. the original sediment grain size analyses were limited). The vibracores were grouped by location with respect to major physiographic features (geoforms) or surficial sediment type including Offshore Marine-Modified Glacial Features (Drumlins and Lodgement Till Deposits), Northern Sand Body, Isles of Shoals, Nearshore Marine-Modified Glacial Features (Eskers and Drumlins), Nearshore Sheet Sand, and Offshore Seafloor Plain.

The Northern Sand Body (NSB), located near the Isles of Shoals ~10 km from shore, …

New Hampshire Atlantic Beaches: 2017 Field Campaign Database - Field And Sample Photographs And Sediment Data, Larry Ward, Nathan W. Corcoran, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Rachel C. Morrison

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Sediment data, sediment photographs, and field photographs from a major field campaign conducted on the New Hampshire Atlantic beaches in 2017 are presented here. Research was carried out with the purpose of better understanding how sediment grain size of NH beaches varies under accretional and erosional conditions. Seven major beaches along the NH coast (Wallis Sands, Foss Beach, Jenness Beach, North Hampton Beach, North Beach, Hampton Beach, and Seabrook Beach) representing the range of morphologic and sedimentologic types found on the NH coast were sampled along multiple transects and multiple locations on each transect. This work provides baseline data to …

New Hampshire And Vicinity Continental Shelf: Sand And Gravel Resources, Larry G. Ward, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The continental shelf off New Hampshire (NH) has extensive marine-modified glacial deposits and associated shoals. These features are potential targets for sand and gravel resources for beach nourishment and other efforts to build coastal resiliency. The distribution of sand and gravel deposits was evaluated based on the synthesis of relatively recent high-resolution bathymetry, new surficial sediment and geoform maps, and an extensive data archive that includes over ~1280 km of seismic profiles, ~750 grain size analyses, and 23 vibracores. This work heavily utilizes the results of previous research on mineral resources on the NH shelf by Birch (1984) …

Surficial Geology Of The Continental Shelf Off New Hampshire: Morphologic Features And Surficial Sediment, Larry G. Ward, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani, Rachel C. Morrison

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The continental shelf off New Hampshire (NH) in the Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) is extremely complex and includes extensive bedrock outcrops, marine-modified glacial deposits, marine-formed shoals, seafloor plains, and associated features that are composed of a range of sediment types from mud to gravel. Furthermore, the physiography and composition of the seafloor frequently changes dramatically over relatively short distances (tens of meters). The complexity of the WGOM seafloor results from the interplay of glaciations, sea-level fluctuations, and marine processes (waves and currents). High-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) bathymetry and backscatter surveys, along with ground truth consisting of archived seismic reflection …

Seasonal Changes In Sediment Grain Size Of New Hampshire Atlantic Beaches, Larry G. Ward, Nathan W. Corcoran, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Rachel C. Morrison

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The beaches along the New Hampshire Atlantic coast are essential to the local and regional economy and are one of the major attractions of the seacoast. Beyond their economic importance, the beaches also have great aesthetic and ecological value that are vital to the character and history of New Hampshire. Unfortunately, climate change and an acceleration in sea-level rise, coupled with a major reduction in sediment supply and extensive development (including engineering structures along the coast), has led to loss of elevation and narrowing of many of the beaches. The forecast is that these trends will continue and likely become …

Erosion And Accretion Trends Of New Hampshire Beaches From December 2016 To March 2020: Results Of The Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program, Larry G. Ward, Rachel C. Morrison, Alyson L. Eberhardt, Wellsley J. Costello, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Caitlin P. Mandeville

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

New Hampshire Atlantic beaches were monitored from December 2016 to March 2020 to determine seasonal changes in morphology and elevation, assess the response of the beaches to storms with respect to erosion and subsequent recovery, and develop a baseline to determine long-term trends in beach size, elevation, and position. A unique aspect of this study was the involvement of community volunteers working together with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, UNH Cooperative Extension, New Hampshire Sea Grant, and the New Hampshire Geological Survey. The monitoring network consisted of thirteen stations located at six of …

New Hampshire Beaches: Sediment Characterization, Larry G. Ward, Kaitlyn A. Mcpherran, Zachary S. Mcavoy, Maxlimer Coromoto Vallee-Anziani

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The grain size of the natural sediment composing the major New Hampshire beaches under summer equilibrium conditions was determined as a first step in assessing the optimal sediment size that would be needed for beach nourishment. In summer, 2015, seven major beaches including Wallis Sands, Foss Beach, Jenness Beach, North Hampton Beach, North Beach, Hampton Beach, and Seabrook Beach were sampled along three to five transects extending from the dunes or engineering structures (e.g., seawalls) to the low water line. In addition, the beach cross-section was profiled using a rover GPS system or the Emery method (profile rods and the …

Phosphate Availability During Sediment Resuspension Events In The Great Bay Estuary, Taylor Langkau

Honors Theses and Capstones

Phosphate is an important nutrient to marine ecosystems such as the Great Bay Estuary. However, its bioavailability is limited due to its tendency to adsorb to marine sediments, especially iron oxides. This paper investigates phosphate dynamics during a simulated storm compared to calm conditions and aims to quantify the mechanisms of phosphate adsorption.

Rates Of Sedimentation In The Central Arctic Ocean, Jan Backman, Martin Jakobsson, Reidar Lovlie, Leonid Polyak

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

The Arctic Ocean is presently undergoing geoscientific investigations of the type that occurred during the late 1940's through 1960's in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Seismic reflection and refraction data are scarce in the Arctic Ocean and large areas are virtually unsampled with respect to piston or gravity coring. The vast majority of available cores are less than10 m in length and largely lack biostratigraphically useful calcareous and siliceous microfossils. No drill cores exist from the ridges or deep basins in the central Arctic Ocean. Considering the limited geophysical and geological data available, it is not surprising that current …

Swath Mapping On The Continental Shelf And Slope: The Eel River Basin, Northern California, John A. Goff, Larry A. Mayer, John E. Hughes Clarke, Lincoln F. Pratson

Affiliate Scholarship

First Paragraph

The STRATAFORM program sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (Nittrouer and Kravitz, 1996, this issue) seeks to understand how sedimentary processes lead to the formation of the stratigraphic sequences on continental margins. A central challenge facing this effort is to understand the transport of sediments in shore-parallel as well as shore-perpendicular directions• Multidimensionality is necessary to describe, for example, the accumulation of sediments from river inputs, the distribution of gullies and canyons on the slope, the meandering of channels, and the structure of slumps and slides.

Acoustic Properties Of Fine‐Grained Sediments From Emerald Basin: Toward An Inversion For Physical Properties Using The Biot–Stoll Model, Robert C. Courtney, Larry A. Mayer

Affiliate Scholarship

Acoustic data from two long cores, comprising marine clays and silts taken from Emerald Basin off Nova Scotia, are presented. High‐resolution measurements of compressional wavevelocity,attenuation, and power law exponent are made using ultrasonic frequencies between 100 to 1000 kHz. The observed values of the frequency dependence of attenuation suggest that a nonconstant Q mechanism is needed to explain these data, and Biot–Stoll theory is used to model the experimental results. An inversion scheme is used to constrain physical parameters in the Biot–Stoll dispersion relation. The inversion shows that there is a restricted range of permeability and grain size. By assigning …

Calculation Of Acoustic Parameters By A Filter-Correlation Method, Robert C. Courtney, Larry A. Mayer

Affiliate Scholarship

This paper presents the filter correlation method, a technique for extracting consistent and accurate estimates of attenuation parameters from acoustic waveform data. The method minimizes problems associated with short time windows and multipath secondary arrivals. The method comprises two stages: a causal passband filter stage followed by a cross-correlation step. The results of the filter-correlation estimator are compared to those of the spectral difference approach for short time series with and without a secondary multipath arrival. Preliminary analyses of acoustic data collected on cored marine silts and clays show the attenuation properties of these materials cannot be described by a …

Variations Of Porosity In Calcareous Sediments From The Ontong Java Plateau, Frank Bassinot, Janice C. Marsters, Larry A. Mayer, Roy H. Wilkens

Affiliate Scholarship

Based on index properties measurements made on board the JOIDES Resolution, we studied porosity changes with depth in the fairly homogeneous deep-sea calcareous sediments cored during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 130 on the Ontong Java Plateau. Using Leg 130 data, we present evidence that the rate of porosity decrease with burial in calcareous oozes and chalks is related to the depth of deposition and thus probably depends on the "conditioning" of calcareous sediments by winnowing or dissolution processes during the time of deposition. The ooze-to-chalk transition is not clearly reflected in porosity profiles. In the ooze-chalk sections studied (the upper …

Marine Sediment Classification Using The Chirp Sonar, Lester R. Leblanc, Larry A. Mayer, Manuel Rufino, Steven G. Schock, John King

Affiliate Scholarship

The chirpsonar is a calibrated wideband digital FMsonar that provides quantitative, high‐resolution, low‐noise subbottom data. In addition, it generates an acoustic pulse with special frequency domain weighting that provides nearly constant resolution with depth. The chirpsonar was developed with the objective of remote acoustic classification of seafloor sediments. In addition to producing high‐resolution images, the calibrated digitally recorded data are processed to estimate surficial reflection coefficients as well as a complete sediment acoustic impulse profile. In this paper, surficial sediments in Narragansett Bay, RI are used to provide ground truth for an acoustic model. Quantitative acoustic returns from the chirpsonar …

Grape Density Records And Density Cyclicity, Eystein Jansen, Larry A. Mayer, Shipboard Scientific Party

Affiliate Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Calibration Of A General Optical Equation For Remote Sensing Of Suspended Sediments In A Moderately Turbid Estuary, Richard P. Stumpf, Jonathan Pennock

School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering

Abstract

A general algorithm for determining suspended sediment concentrations in the surface waters of estuaries has been developed for use with satellite data. The algorithm uses a three-parameter general optical equation to relate suspended sediment concentrations to water reflectances that have been corrected for sun angle effects, atmospheric path radiance, and tidal excursion. Using data collected by the advanced very high resolution radiometer on five different dates, reflectances were determined using two different methods, one providing maximum correction for haze and the other providing minimum sensitivity to pigments. For both methods, in situ and remotely sensed samples from Delaware Bay …

Pisces Iv Submersible Observations In The Epicentral Region Of The 1929 Grand Banks Earthquake, John E. Hughes Clarke, Larry A. Mayer, David J.W. Piper, Alexander N. Shor

Affiliate Scholarship

The PISCES IVsubmersible was used to investigate the upper continental slope around 44 ON, 56" W, near the epicentre of the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake. Four dives in water depths of 800-2000 m were undertaken to observe speci3c features identijied with the SeaMARC I sidescan system in 1983. Two dives were made in the head of Eastern Valley where pebbly mudstones ofprobable Pleistocene age were recognized outcropping on the seafloor. Constructional features of cobbles and boulders, derived by exhumation and reworking of the pebbly mudstone, were also observed. These include gravel/sand bedforms (transverse waves) on the valley floor. Slope failure …

Distribution Of Carbonate In Surface Sediments Of The Pacific Ocean, W. H. Berger, Charles Adelseck, Larry A. Mayer

Affiliate Scholarship

The distribution of carbonate on the floor of the Pacific has been remapped on the basis of 1313 points from 80 references stored in the World Ocean Sediment Data Bank of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Percent distribution maps and carbonate versus depth diagrams generally agree with previously published information and reflect the major controlling factors of carbonate sedimentation (depth, hydrography, fertility, and sedimentary processes). While carbonate distributions are of limited use in attempting to construct dissolution profiles, major trends are identifiable. In particular, the degree of lowering of the equatorial calcite compensation depth (CCD) together with an estimate of the …