Location of SNL vibracores collected on Debris Barge (D/B) Snell from offshore northern Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina (snl_cores.shp, geographic, 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.

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））已由一项合作研究项目完成系统性调研，该项目完成了河口湾、障壁岛及大陆架内缘的第四纪地质框架（Quaternary geologic framework）填绘工作。本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依据，其时间尺度覆盖风暴事件至千年跨度。本研究区域的公园与海滩拥有显著的旅游吸引力，沿岸分布诸多滨海社区，并支撑着当地渔业，上述业态均受到海岸变迁的影响。本项目的研究成果可用于减缓海岸灾害风险，并为该动态海岸带的高效管理提供支撑。
本区域填绘项目生成了多套空间数据集，涵盖高分辨率地球物理数据（包括水深测量（bathymetry）、反向散射强度（backscatter intensity）与地震反射（seismic reflection）数据）及沉积学数据（包括岩芯与抓取采样（grab-sample）数据）。高分辨率地球物理数据通过多次勘测完成采集，覆盖范围包括障壁后河口湾系统、障壁岛群、近岸海域及大陆架内缘。沉积岩芯采集工作覆盖陆域与障壁岛沿线，而大陆架内缘则同步开展了岩芯与抓取采样工作。本次数据采集工作由美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey, USGS）联合东卡罗来纳大学（East Carolina University, ECU）、北卡罗来纳州地质调查局及弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所（Virginia Institute of Marine Science, VIMS）等多家机构共同完成。
大陆架内缘的高分辨率地球物理数据通过1999年至2004年间开展的6次独立勘测完成采集：其中4次为USGS在哈特拉斯角（Cape Hatteras）以北的勘测航次（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航次（2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），整体覆盖范围超过2600平方千米的大陆架内缘区域。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；其余所有大陆架内缘勘测均使用SEA有限公司的SwathPLUS 234千赫兹测深声呐采集条带式水深测量数据。在哈特拉斯角以北的4次勘测航次（1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA）中，研究团队使用泰莱达因本托斯（Datasonics）SIS-1000设备采集了啁啾地震（chirp seismic）数据与侧扫声呐（sidescan-sonar）数据，并同步采集了boom型地震反射数据。在哈特拉斯角以南的2次勘测航次（2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用Edgetech 512i设备采集啁啾地震数据，并搭配Klein 3000侧扫声呐系统开展数据采集。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。大陆架内缘的补充沉积岩芯数据来源于已发表的前期研究成果。
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）开展合作研究，在北卡罗来纳州纳格斯黑德、基尔迪夫尔斯希尔斯与基蒂霍克近岸的大陆架内缘采集了振动岩芯（vibracore）样品。美国陆军工程兵团于1995年8月（NDC航次岩芯）及1995年7-8月（SNL航次岩芯）在戴尔县近岸的大陆架内缘采集了振动岩芯样品。上述岩芯由北卡罗来纳州地质调查局保存，并作为本研究地面验证工作的一部分得以应用。
弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所完成了近岸海域的地球物理与岩芯数据采集工作。本研究中近岸海域定义为10米等深线与海岸线之间的区域。研究团队于2002年6月至2004年5月间采集了高分辨率水深测量、反向散射强度及啁啾地震数据，并于2005年5月与7月采集了振动岩芯样品。
外岸障壁岛沿线的浅部地下地球物理数据通过探地雷达（ground-penetrating radar, GPR）系统完成采集，该数据由东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间采集。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芯（OBX航次岩芯），其分布范围覆盖外岸区域与陆域。
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）完成了阿尔伯马尔-帕姆利科河口湾系统内第四纪地层的地震数据采集工作。除航次2003-042-FA使用Edgetech 424啁啾系统与boom型设备外，其余航次均采用Geopulse Boom型设备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及其支流河口湾（如南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯夸坦克河）、帕姆利科湾及其主干河口湾（如纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及障壁后潟湖（如库里塔克湾、克罗坦湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾）。