Structure grid of the depth to the Pleistocene surface (Q50), inner shelf and back-barrier from Virginia border to Cape Lookout, North Carolina (q50depth, ESRI binary grid, 200 m cell size, UTM Zone 18N, WGS 84)

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带（范围涵盖弗吉尼亚州假角（False Cape）至北卡罗来纳州卢考特角（Cape Lookout））已被一项合作研究项目开展系统研究，该项目完成了河口湾、障壁岛及内陆架的第四纪（Quaternary）地质格架填图工作。本项目所获数据可为理解不同时间尺度（从风暴事件至千年尺度）下地质格架、物理过程与海岸演化之间的内在联系提供理论基础。该研究区域的公园与海滩拥有大量游客，沿岸分布多个滨海社区，同时支撑着当地渔业，而所有这些都受到海岸变化的影响。本研究项目所获得的认知可用于减缓海岸灾害风险，并为该动态海岸带的有效管理提供支撑。
本区域填图项目生成了多套空间数据集，涵盖高分辨率地球物理（测深、反向散射强度与地震反射）数据与沉积（岩心与抓取采样）数据。高分辨率地球物理数据采集工作覆盖障壁后河口湾系统、障壁岛群、近岸海域及内陆架区域，通过多次野外调查完成。沉积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底质抓取样。本次数据采集工作由美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey, USGS）与多所合作机构共同完成，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通过1999年至2004年间开展的6次独立调查采集完成（其中4次为哈特拉斯角（Cape Hatteras）以北的USGS调查：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调查：2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），覆盖内陆架区域超过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测深数据。其余所有内陆架调查均使用SEA有限公司的SwathPLUS 234kHz测深声呐采集多波束测深数据。在哈特拉斯角以北的4次调查（航次1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA）中，研究团队使用Teledyne Benthos（Datasonics）SIS-1000系统采集了啁啾（Chirp）地震数据与侧扫声呐数据，并同步采集了boom地震反射数据。在哈特拉斯角以南的2次调查（航次2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用Edgetech 512i采集啁啾地震数据，并搭配Klein 3000侧扫声呐系统开展数据采集工作。在4次USGS调查（航次1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-013-FA及2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用Van Veen抓取采样器采集了底质样品。内陆架区域的额外沉积岩心数据则来源于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服务局（Minerals Management Service, MMS cores）合作开展了一项研究，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）及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。上述岩心均由北卡罗来纳州地质调查局保存，并作为本次研究地面验证工作的一部分得到应用。
近岸地球物理数据与岩心数据由弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所采集。本次研究中，近岸区域被定义为水深10米等深线至岸线之间的海域。研究团队于2002年6月至2004年5月间采集了高分辨率测深、反向散射强度与啁啾地震数据。振动岩心样品则于2005年5月与7月完成采集。
研究团队使用探地雷达（ground-penetrating radar, GPR）系统在外班克斯（Outer Banks）障壁岛沿岸采集了浅地表地球物理数据。该数据采集工作由东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间完成。北卡罗来纳州地质调查局作为与USGS合作研究的一部分，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）样品。上述岩心分布于外班克斯岛及大陆沿岸区域。
USGS于2001年至2004年间通过6次调查（航次2001-013-FA、2002-015-FA、2003-005-FA、2003-042-FA、2004-005-FA及2004-006-FA）在阿尔伯马尔-帕姆利科（Albemarle-Pamlico）河口湾系统内采集了第四纪地层的地震数据。除航次2003-042-FA采用Edgetech 424啁啾系统与boom地震系统外，其余调查均使用Geopulse Boom系统与Knudsen工程有限公司（Knudsen Engineering Limited, KEL）320BR啁啾系统。本次研究区域涵盖阿尔伯马尔湾（Albemarle Sound）及南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河（Alligator River）与帕斯科坦克河（Pasquotank River）等支流河口湾；帕姆利科湾（Pamlico Sound）及纽斯河（Neuse River）、帕姆利科河（Pamlico River）等主干河口湾；以及科里塔克湾（Currituck Sound）、克罗阿汤湾（Croatan Sound）、罗阿诺克湾（Roanoke Sound）、科雷湾（Core Sound）与博格湾（Bogue Sound）等障壁后海湾。