JPEG images of chirp seismic data from inner shelf U.S. Geological Survey research cruise 2002-012-FA collected by the U.S. Geological Survey

The northeastern North Carolina coastal system, from False Cape, Virginia, to Cape Lookout, North Carolina, has been studied by a cooperative research program that mapped the Quaternary geologic framework of the estuaries, barrier islands, and inner continental shelf. This information provides a basis to understand the linkage between geologic framework, physical processes, and coastal evolution at time scales from storm events to millennia. The study area attracts significant tourism to its parks and beaches, contains a number of coastal communities, and supports a local fishing industry, all of which are impacted by coastal change. Knowledge derived from this research program can be used to mitigate hazards and facilitate effective management of this dynamic coastal system.
This regional mapping project produced spatial datasets of high-resolution geophysical (bathymetry, backscatter intensity, and seismic reflection) and sedimentary (core and grab-sample) data. The high-resolution geophysical data were collected during numerous surveys within the back-barrier estuarine system, along the barrier island complex, in the nearshore, and along the inner continental shelf. Sediment cores were taken on the mainland and along the barrier islands, and both cores and grab samples were taken on the inner shelf. Data collection was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and several other institutions including East Carolina University (ECU), the North Carolina Geological Survey, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
The high-resolution geophysical data of the inner continental shelf were collected during six separate surveys conducted between 1999 and 2004 (four USGS surveys north of Cape Hatteras: 1999-045-FA, 2001-005-FA, 2002-012-FA, 2002-013-FA, and two USGS surveys south of Cape Hatteras: 2003-003-FA and 2004-003-FA) and cover more than 2600 square kilometers of the inner shelf. Single-beam bathymetry data were collected north of Cape Hatteras in 1999 using a Furuno fathometer. Swath bathymetry data were collected on all other inner shelf surveys using a SEA, Ltd. SwathPLUS 234-kHz bathymetric sonar. Chirp seismic data as well as sidescan-sonar data were collected with a Teledyne Benthos (Datasonics) SIS-1000 north of Cape Hatteras along with boomer seismic reflection data (cruises 1999-045-FA, 2001-005-FA, 2002-012-FA and 2002-013-FA). An Edgetech 512i was used to collect chirp seismic data south of Cape Hatteras (cruises 2003-003-FA and 2004-003-FA) along with a Klein 3000 sidescan-sonar system. Sediment samples were collected with a Van Veen grab sampler during four of the USGS surveys (1999-045-FA, 2001-005-FA, 2002-013-FA, and 2004-003-FA). Additional sediment core data along the inner shelf are provided from previously published studies.
A cooperative study, between the North Carolina Geological Survey and the Minerals Management Service (MMS cores), collected vibracores along the inner continental shelf offshore of Nags Head, Kill Devils Hills and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1996. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collected vibracores along the inner shelf offshore of Dare County in August 1995 (NDC cores) and July-August 1995 (SNL cores). These cores are curated by the North Carolina Geological Survey and were used as part of the ground validation process in this study.
Nearshore geophysical and core data were collected by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The nearshore is defined here as the region between the 10-m isobath and the shoreline. High-resolution bathymetry, backscatter intensity, and chirp seismic data were collected between June 2002 and May 2004. Vibracore samples were collected in May and July 2005.
Shallow subsurface geophysical data were acquired along the Outer Banks barrier islands using a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system. Data were collected by East Carolina University from 2002 to 2005. Rotasonic cores (OBX cores) from five drilling operations were collected from 2002 to 2006 by the North Carolina Geological Survey as part of the cooperative study with the USGS. These cores are distributed throughout the Outer Banks as well as the mainland.
The USGS collected seismic data for the Quaternary section within the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system between 2001 and 2004 during six surveys (2001-013-FA, 2002-015-FA, 2003-005-FA, 2003-042-FA, 2004-005-FA, and 2004-006-FA). These surveys used Geopulse Boomer and Knudsen Engineering Limited (KEL) 320BR Chirp systems, except cruise 2003-042-FA, which used an Edgetech 424 Chirp and a boomer system. The study area includes Albemarle Sound and selected tributary estuaries such as the South, Pungo, Alligator, and Pasquotank Rivers; Pamlico Sound and trunk estuaries including the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers; and back-barrier sounds including Currituck, Croatan, Roanoke, Core, and Bogue.

美国北卡罗来纳州东北部海岸系统（范围从弗吉尼亚州的假角（False Cape）至北卡罗来纳州的卢考特角（Cape Lookout））已被一项合作研究项目开展研究，该项目对河口湾（estuaries）、障壁岛（barrier islands）及内陆架（inner continental shelf）的第四纪（Quaternary）地质框架进行了填绘。该研究成果可为理解地质框架、物理过程与海岸演化之间的关联提供基础，其时间尺度涵盖从风暴事件到千年量级的多个维度。研究区域内的公园与海滩拥有可观的旅游客源，分布有多个沿海社区，同时支撑着当地渔业，而上述所有产业均受海岸变化影响。本研究项目所得的相关知识可用于减缓海岸灾害风险，并助力该动态海岸系统的高效管理。

本区域填绘项目生成了高分辨率地球物理（high-resolution geophysical）数据（包含水深测量（bathymetry）、背散射强度（backscatter intensity）与地震反射（seismic reflection））以及沉积学数据（包含岩心（core）与抓取采样（grab-sample））的空间数据集。高分辨率地球物理数据采集自障后河口湾系统、障壁岛群、近岸区域及内陆架的多次勘测工作。岩心采样工作在大陆及障壁岛沿岸开展，内陆架区域则同时采集了岩心与抓取采样样品。数据采集工作由美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey, USGS）与多家合作机构共同完成，包括东卡罗来纳大学（East Carolina University, ECU）、北卡罗来纳州地质调查局以及弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所（Virginia Institute of Marine Science, VIMS）。

内陆架的高分辨率地球物理数据采集自1999年至2004年间开展的6次独立勘测（其中4次为哈特拉斯角以北的USGS勘测：1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA、2002-013-FA，另外2次为哈特拉斯角以南的USGS勘测：2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），覆盖内陆架面积超过2600平方千米。1999年，研究团队在哈特拉斯角以北区域使用古野（Furuno）测深仪采集了单波束水深测量数据。其余所有内陆架勘测均使用SEA有限公司的SwathPLUS 234kHz测深声呐采集条带测深数据。在哈特拉斯角以北区域，研究团队使用Teledyne Benthos（Datasonics）SIS-1000采集了啁啾地震数据与侧扫声呐数据，并在1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA航次中采集了电火花地震反射数据。在哈特拉斯角以南的2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA航次中，研究团队使用Edgetech 512i采集啁啾地震数据，并搭配Klein 3000侧扫声呐系统开展采集工作。在4次USGS勘测航次（1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-013-FA及2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用Van Veen抓取采样器采集了沉积样品。内陆架区域的额外岩心数据来自已发表的相关研究成果。

1996年，北卡罗来纳州地质调查局与矿产管理局（Minerals Management Service, MMS cores）开展合作研究，在北卡罗来纳州纳格斯黑德、基尔迪夫尔斯山与基蒂霍克近岸的内陆架区域采集了振动岩心（vibracore）样品。美国陆军工程兵团于1995年8月（NDC航次岩心）与1995年7-8月（SNL航次岩心）在戴尔县近岸的内陆架区域采集了振动岩心样品。上述岩心由北卡罗来纳州地质调查局负责保存，并作为本研究地面验证工作的一部分得以使用。

弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所采集了近岸区域的地球物理与岩心数据。本研究中近岸区域的定义为水深10米等深线与海岸线之间的范围。2002年6月至2004年5月期间，研究团队采集了高分辨率水深测量、背散射强度与啁啾地震数据。振动岩心样品采集工作于2005年5月与7月开展。

研究团队使用探地雷达（ground-penetrating radar, GPR）系统在外班克斯障壁岛沿岸采集了浅部地下地球物理数据。东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间完成了该部分数据的采集工作。作为与USGS合作研究的一部分，北卡罗来纳州地质调查局于2002年至2006年间通过5次钻探作业采集了旋转声波岩心（Rotasonic cores, OBX cores）。该批岩心分布于外班克斯区域及大陆沿岸。

USGS于2001年至2004年间通过6次勘测航次（2001-013-FA、2002-015-FA、2003-005-FA、2003-042-FA、2004-005-FA及2004-006-FA）采集了阿尔伯马尔-帕姆利科河口湾系统内第四纪地层的地震数据。除2003-042-FA航次使用Edgetech 424啁啾系统与电火花系统外，其余航次均采用Geopulse电火花系统与克努森工程有限公司（Knudsen Engineering Limited, KEL）320BR啁啾系统。本研究区域涵盖阿尔伯马尔湾（Albemarle Sound）及其选定的支流河口（如南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯阔坦克河）、帕姆利科湾（Pamlico Sound）及其主干河口（如纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及包括库里蒂克湾、克罗阿汤湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾在内的障后海湾。