JPEG images of boomer seismic data from inner shelf U.S. Geological Survey research cruise 2002-013-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.

本研究针对从弗吉尼亚州假海角至北卡罗来纳州卢考特角的美国北卡罗来纳州东北部海岸系统，开展了合作研究项目，完成了河口湾(estuary)、障壁岛(barrier island)与陆架内缘(inner continental shelf)的第四纪(Quaternary)地质格架制图工作。该研究成果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关联提供了科学基础。本研究区域的公园与海滩拥有大量游客，分布有多个沿海社区，支撑着当地渔业，而上述活动均受海岸变化的影响。本研究项目所得的认知可用于减缓灾害风险，并助力该动态海岸系统的科学管理。

本区域制图项目生成了高分辨率地球物理数据（含水深测量(bathymetry)、反向散射强度(backscatter intensity)与地震反射(seismic reflection)）与沉积数据（含岩芯(core)与抓取采样(grab-sample)）的空间数据集。高分辨率地球物理数据通过多次勘测采集，覆盖范围包括障壁后河口湾系统(back-barrier estuarine system)、障壁岛群、近岸(nearshore)区域及陆架内缘。岩芯样品采集于大陆沿岸及障壁岛，而陆架内缘同时采集了岩芯与抓取采样样品。本次数据采集由美国地质调查局（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）、北卡罗来纳地质调查局以及弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所（Virginia Institute of Marine Science, VIMS）。

陆架内缘的高分辨率地球物理数据通过1999年至2004年间的6次独立勘测采集，其中4次为USGS在哈特拉斯角以北的勘测：1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA、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，整体覆盖陆架内缘超过2600平方千米的区域。1999年，研究团队使用古野（Furuno）测深仪在哈特拉斯角以北采集了单波束水深测量数据(single-beam bathymetry data)。其余所有陆架内缘勘测均使用SEA有限公司的SwathPLUS 234kHz测深声呐采集条带测深数据(swath bathymetry data)。在哈特拉斯角以北，研究团队使用Teledyne Benthos（Datasonics）SIS-1000采集了啁啾地震数据(chirp seismic data)与侧扫声呐(sidescan-sonar)数据，并在1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA航次中采集了boom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，研究团队使用艾德泰克512i（Edgetech 512i）采集啁啾地震数据，并搭配克莱因3000侧扫声呐系统(Klein 3000 sidescan-sonar system)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，研究团队使用范维恩抓取采样器(Van Veen grab sampler)采集了沉积样品。陆架内缘的额外岩芯数据源自已发表的研究成果。

1996年，北卡罗来纳地质调查局与矿产管理服务局（Minerals Management Service, MMS岩芯）合作开展研究，在北卡罗来纳州纳格斯海德、基尔迪维尔希尔斯与基蒂霍克近海的陆架内缘采集了振动岩芯(vibracore)。美国陆军工程兵团(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)于1995年8月（NDC岩芯航次）及1995年7-8月（SNL岩芯航次）在戴尔县近海的陆架内缘采集了振动岩芯。这些岩芯由北卡罗来纳地质调查局保管，并作为本研究地面验证(ground validation)工作的一部分被使用。

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芯数据。本研究中近岸区域被定义为10米等深线(isobath)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、反向散射强度与啁啾地震数据，并于2005年5月与7月采集了振动岩芯样品。

研究团队使用探地雷达（GPR, ground-penetrating radar）系统在外岸(Outer Banks)障壁岛沿线采集了浅地表地球物理数据(shallow subsurface geophysical data)，该数据由东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间采集。北卡罗来纳地质调查局作为与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芯(rotasonic cores, OBX岩芯)。这些岩芯分布于外岸及大陆沿岸区域。

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）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航次使用艾德泰克424啁啾系统与boom系统外，其余航次均使用吉奥脉冲boom系统与克努森工程有限公司（Knudsen Engineering Limited, KEL）320BR啁啾系统。本研究区域包括阿尔伯马尔湾(Albemarle Sound)及其支流河口湾（如南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯科坦克河）、帕姆利科湾及其主干河口湾（如纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及障壁后湾(back-barrier sounds)（如库里蒂克湾、克罗阿坦湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾）。