Boomer shotpoint navigation from USGS cruise 2002-013-FA along the inner continental shelf of northern North Carolina (isb2002013_shots.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））已纳入一项合作研究项目范畴，该项目完成了河口、障壁岛与内陆陆架的第四纪地质框架（Quaternary geologic framework）测绘工作。本研究获取的相关数据，为解析地质框架、物理过程与海岸演化之间的关联提供了支撑，研究时间尺度覆盖从风暴事件到千年尺度的多个区间。该研究区域内的公园与海滩拥有大量游客，分布着多处沿海社区，并支撑起本地渔业，上述所有产业均受到海岸变迁的影响。本研究项目产出的相关成果，可用于减缓海岸灾害风险，并为该动态海岸带系统的精细化管理提供支持。

本次区域测绘项目产出了多套空间数据集，涵盖高分辨率地球物理（geophysical）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）以及沉积学（sedimentary）数据（包括岩芯（core）与抓取采样（grab-sample）数据）。高分辨率地球物理数据采集自障后河口系统、障壁岛群、近岸区域以及内陆陆架的多轮野外调查。沉积岩芯采集自陆地区域与障壁岛沿线，内陆陆架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）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轮独立调查：其中4轮为美国地质调查局在哈特拉斯角（Cape Hatteras）以北开展的调查（编号分别为1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA与2002-013-FA），另外2轮为该局在哈特拉斯角以南开展的调查（编号分别为2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），覆盖面积超过2600平方千米的内陆陆架区域。1999年，研究团队使用古野（Furuno）测深仪完成了哈特拉斯角以北的单波束水深数据采集。其余内陆陆架调查均采用SEA有限公司SwathPLUS 234千赫兹测深声呐完成条带水深数据采集。在哈特拉斯角以北的4轮调查（编号1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA与2002-013-FA）中，研究团队使用泰莱达因本特斯（Teledyne Benthos，原Datasonics）SIS-1000系统采集了啁啾地震（chirp seismic）数据与侧扫声呐（sidescan-sonar）数据，并同步获取了电火花地震反射数据。哈特拉斯角以南的2轮调查（编号2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA）则采用Edgetech 512i系统采集啁啾地震数据，并搭配Klein 3000侧扫声呐系统开展数据采集。美国地质调查局的4轮调查（编号1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-013-FA与2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用范维恩（Van Veen）抓取采样器完成了沉积物样本采集。内陆陆架的补充沉积岩芯数据源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）合作开展了一项研究，在北卡罗来纳州纳格斯黑德、基尔迪维尔希尔斯与基蒂霍克近海的内陆陆架区域采集了振动岩芯（vibracore）样本。美国陆军工程兵团分别于1995年8月（NDC岩芯）与1995年7-8月（SNL岩芯），在戴尔县近海的内陆陆架区域采集了振动岩芯样本。上述岩芯均由北卡罗来纳州地质调查局馆藏，并作为本研究地面验证工作的一部分得到应用。

弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所完成了近岸区域的地球物理与岩芯数据采集工作。本次研究中，近岸区域被定义为10米等深线与海岸线之间的海域。2002年6月至2004年5月期间，研究团队完成了高分辨率水深、反向散射强度与啁啾地震数据采集。振动岩芯样本采集工作则于2005年5月与7月开展。

研究团队采用探地雷达（ground-penetrating radar, GPR）系统，在外岸障壁岛沿线完成了浅部地下地球物理数据采集。数据采集工作由东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间完成。作为与美国地质调查局合作研究的一部分，北卡罗来纳州地质调查局于2002年至2006年间通过5次钻探作业获取了旋转声波岩芯（rotasonic cores，OBX岩芯）样本。上述岩芯分布于外岸区域与陆地区域各处。

美国地质调查局于2001年至2004年间开展6轮调查（编号分别为2001-013-FA、2002-015-FA、2003-005-FA、2003-042-FA、2004-005-FA与2004-006-FA），完成了阿尔伯马尔-帕姆利科河口系统（Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system）内第四纪地层的地震数据采集。除2003-042-FA轮次采用Edgetech 424啁啾系统与电火花系统外，其余调查均采用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）及其支流河口（包括南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯科坦克河）、帕姆利科湾（Pamlico Sound）及其主干河口（包括纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及障后海湾（包括库里蒂克湾、克罗阿坦湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾）。