Chirp trackline navigation from USGS cruise 2004-005-FA from Pamlico Sound, North Carolina (bbc2004005_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.

美国北卡罗来纳州东北部海岸系统（范围从弗吉尼亚州假角至北卡罗来纳州卢基特角）已通过一项合作研究计划开展研究，该计划完成了河口湾（estuaries）、障壁岛（barrier islands）及大陆架内缘（inner continental shelf）的第四纪（Quaternary）地质框架测绘工作。该研究成果为理解地质框架、物理过程与海岸演化之间的关联提供了基础，研究覆盖的时间尺度涵盖风暴事件至千年级别的周期。该研究区域的公园与海滩拥有大量游客，分布着诸多沿海社区，并支撑着当地渔业，以上各类经济社会活动均受海岸变化影响。本研究计划产出的成果可用于减缓海岸灾害风险，并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（含测深（bathymetry）、后向散射强度（backscatter intensity）与反射地震（seismic reflection））与沉积学（岩心（core）及抓斗采样（grab-sample））空间数据集。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、近岸区域及大陆架内缘的多轮勘测。沉积岩心采样工作在大陆及障壁岛沿线开展，大陆架内缘则同时采集了岩心与抓斗样品。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、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年间的6次独立勘测采集完成（其中哈特拉斯角以北的USGS勘测共4次：1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA、2002-013-FA；哈特拉斯角以南的USGS勘测共2次：2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），覆盖面积超过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）在哈特拉斯角以北区域采集了单波束测深数据。其余所有大陆架内缘勘测均使用SEA有限公司的SwathPLUS 234千赫兹多波束测深声呐采集多波束测深数据。在哈特拉斯角以北区域，研究团队使用泰莱迪尼本托斯（数据声学）SIS-1000系统采集了啁啾反射地震数据与侧扫声呐数据，并在1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA及2002-013-FA四次勘测中采集了电火花反射地震数据。在哈特拉斯角以南区域（2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA两次勘测），研究团队使用Edgetech 512i采集啁啾反射地震数据，并搭配克莱因3000侧扫声呐系统开展数据采集。在四次USGS勘测（1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-013-FA及2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用范维恩抓斗采样器采集了沉积物样品。大陆架内缘的补充沉积岩心数据来自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、基尔迪维尔希尔斯与基蒂霍克近岸的大陆架内缘采集了振动岩心样品（MMS岩心）。1995年8月及1995年7-8月，美国陆军工程兵团在戴尔县近岸的大陆架内缘采集了振动岩心样品，分别命名为NDC岩心与SNL岩心。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工作的一部分得到应用。
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心数据。本研究中近岸区域被定义为水深10米等深线（isobath）与海岸线之间的范围。2002年6月至2004年5月期间，研究团队采集了高分辨率测深、后向散射强度与啁啾反射地震数据。2005年5月与7月采集了振动岩心样品。
东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间，在外滩群岛（Outer Banks）障壁岛沿线使用探地雷达（ground-penetrating radar, GPR）系统采集了浅地表地球物理数据。北卡罗来纳州地质调查局于2002年至2006年间，作为与USGS合作研究的一部分，通过五次钻探作业采集了旋转声波岩心样品（OBX岩心），样品分布于外滩群岛及大陆区域。
USGS于2001年至2004年间通过6次勘测（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-帕姆利科河口系统（Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system）内第四纪地层的地震数据。除2003-042-FA勘测使用Edgetech 424啁啾系统与电火花系统外，其余勘测均使用Geopulse电火花系统与克努森工程有限公司320BR啁啾系统。本研究区域包括阿尔伯马尔湾及指定支流河口（如南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯夸坦克河）、帕姆利科湾及主干河口（如纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及障壁后海湾（如柯里塔克湾、克罗阿坦湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾）。