Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) trackline navigation collected by East Carolina University along the North Carolina barrier islands in 2001 (ilgpr2001_tracklines.shp)

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.

美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey, USGS）牵头的一项合作研究计划，对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））展开了研究，系统测绘了该区域河口湾、障壁岛及内陆架（inner continental shelf）的第四纪(Quaternary)地质格架。该研究成果为理解地质格架、物理过程与海岸演化之间的关联提供了基础，其时间尺度涵盖风暴事件至千年尺度。本研究区的公园与海滩吸引了大量游客，分布有多个沿海社区，同时支撑着当地渔业，上述所有活动均受海岸变化的影响。本研究计划所获得的认知可用于减轻灾害风险，助力该动态海岸系统的高效管理。
本区域测绘项目生成了高分辨率地球物理数据（含水深测量(bathymetry)、背散射强度与地震反射(seismic reflection)）与沉积学数据（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壁后河口湾系统内部、障壁岛群沿线、近岸区域以及内陆架沿线的多次勘测。沉积岩心采集于大陆及障壁岛沿线，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（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于1999年至2004年间开展的6次独立勘测（其中4次为USGS在哈特拉斯角（Cape Hatteras）以北的勘测：1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA；另外2次为USGS在哈特拉斯角以南的勘测：2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），覆盖面积超过2600平方千米的内陆架区域。1999年，研究团队使用古野测深仪（Furuno fathometer）在哈特拉斯角以北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（bathymetric sonar）采集多波束水深测量数据。在哈特拉斯角以北的勘测（1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA航次）中，研究团队使用Teledyne Benthos（Datasonics）SIS-1000采集了chirp地震数据(Chirp seismic data)与侧扫声呐(sidescan-sonar)数据，并同步采集了电火花地震反射数据。在哈特拉斯角以南的勘测（2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA航次）中，研究团队使用Edgetech 512i采集chirp地震数据，并搭配Klein 3000侧扫声呐系统。研究团队在4次USGS勘测航次（1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-013-FA及2004-003-FA）中使用范恩采泥器（Van Veen grab sampler）采集了沉积样品。内陆架区域的补充沉积岩心数据来自已发表的既往研究。
1996年，北卡罗来纳州地质调查局与矿产管理服务局（Minerals Management Service, MMS cores）开展的一项合作研究，在北卡罗来纳州纳格斯黑德（Nags Head）、基尔迪维尔希尔斯（Kill Devils Hills）与基蒂霍克（Kitty Hawk）近海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岩心）及1995年7-8月（SNL岩心）在戴尔县（Dare County）近海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保存，并作为本研究地面验证过程的一部分被使用。
近岸区域的地球物理与岩心数据由弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所（VIMS）采集。本研究中近岸区域定义为10米等深线(isobath)与海岸线之间的区域。2002年6月至2004年5月间，研究团队采集了高分辨率水深测量、背散射强度与chirp地震数据。2005年5月与7月，采集了振动岩心样品。
研究团队使用探地雷达(ground-penetrating radar, GPR)系统在外滩群岛（Outer Banks）的障壁岛沿线采集了浅地表地球物理数据。该数据由东卡罗来纳大学（ECU）于2002年至2005年间采集。北卡罗来纳州地质调查局于2002年至2006年间开展了5次钻探作业，采集了旋转声波岩心(Rotasonic cores, OBX岩心)，作为与USGS合作研究的一部分。这些岩心分布于外滩群岛及大陆区域。
USGS于2001年至2004年间开展的6次勘测（2001-013-FA、2002-015-FA、2003-005-FA、2003-042-FA、2004-005-FA及2004-006-FA）中，采集了阿尔伯马尔-帕姆利科河口湾系统（Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system）内第四纪地层的地震数据。除2003-042-FA航次使用Edgetech 424 Chirp与电火花系统外，其余航次均使用Geopulse电火花系统与Knudsen工程有限公司（Knudsen Engineering Limited, KEL）320BR Chirp系统。本研究区包括阿尔伯马尔湾（Albemarle Sound）及选定的支流河口湾（如南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯科坦克河）、帕姆利科湾（Pamlico Sound）及干流河口湾（如纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及障壁后海湾（包括库里塔克湾、克罗阿坦湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾）。