Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor Active
High-resolution geophysical and geological data collected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts
Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones
Inner Continental Shelf From Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will serve the needs of research, management and the public. This project page provides a description of the mapping program and links to data and publications produced for this project and other Massachusetts mapping efforts. Link to interactive map.
Geologic mapping of the Massachusetts inner continental shelf is a cooperative effort that was initiated in 2003 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – National Ocean Service (NOAA-NOS) is also an important partner and contributes hydrographic data that are integrated into the maps. The overall goal of this cooperative is to determine the geologic framework of the sea floor within the Massachusetts coastal zone, using high-resolution geophysical techniques, sediment sampling, and sea floor photography. Water depths in the study area range from about 2 m (6 ft) along the coast to 90 m(295 ft) in offshore areas.
The products and knowledge developed by this project have broad application to regional science and resource-management issues. The geologic and bathymetric maps help us understand the processes that have shaped the coast and how it has evolved over time, and thereby help evaluate the vulnerability of coastal environments to storms, sea-level rise, and long-term climate change. Accurate maps that depict the distribution of bottom types on the inner continental shelf provide scientific guidance for appropriately siting offshore development such as sand mining, pipelines, and renewable energy projects. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) uses the maps to monitor habitat recovery following pipeline construction in Massachusetts Bay and to conduct fisheries research. Ultimately, these maps will support the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, an integrated, multi-use, proposal for the management of Massachusetts waters.
Bathymetry of the waters surrounding the Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Shallow geology, sea-floor texture, and physiographic zones of the inner continental shelf from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts
High-resolution geologic mapping of the inner continental shelf: Boston Harbor and approaches, Massachusetts
Geological Interpretation of Bathymetric and Backscatter Imagery of the Sea Floor off Eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Sea floor maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topographic imagery, and backscatter intensity of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region off Boston, Massachusetts
Photographs of the sea floor in western Massachusetts Bay, offshore of Boston, Massachusetts, July, 1999
Sun-illuminated sea floor topographic maps and perspective-view imagery of quadrangles 1-18, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts
A marine GIS library for Massachusetts Bay: Focusing on disposal sites, contaminated sediments, and sea floor mapping
Sea floor topographic map and perspective-view imagery of quadrangles 1-18, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts
Sea floor topography of Quadrangle 2 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts
Maps showing topography, backscatter, and interpretation of seafloor features in the Massachusetts Bay disposal site region off Boston, Massachusetts
Seafloor topography of Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
- Overview
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will serve the needs of research, management and the public. This project page provides a description of the mapping program and links to data and publications produced for this project and other Massachusetts mapping efforts. Link to interactive map.
Geologic mapping of the Massachusetts inner continental shelf is a cooperative effort that was initiated in 2003 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – National Ocean Service (NOAA-NOS) is also an important partner and contributes hydrographic data that are integrated into the maps. The overall goal of this cooperative is to determine the geologic framework of the sea floor within the Massachusetts coastal zone, using high-resolution geophysical techniques, sediment sampling, and sea floor photography. Water depths in the study area range from about 2 m (6 ft) along the coast to 90 m(295 ft) in offshore areas.
The products and knowledge developed by this project have broad application to regional science and resource-management issues. The geologic and bathymetric maps help us understand the processes that have shaped the coast and how it has evolved over time, and thereby help evaluate the vulnerability of coastal environments to storms, sea-level rise, and long-term climate change. Accurate maps that depict the distribution of bottom types on the inner continental shelf provide scientific guidance for appropriately siting offshore development such as sand mining, pipelines, and renewable energy projects. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) uses the maps to monitor habitat recovery following pipeline construction in Massachusetts Bay and to conduct fisheries research. Ultimately, these maps will support the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, an integrated, multi-use, proposal for the management of Massachusetts waters.
- Data
- Maps
Bathymetry of the waters surrounding the Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts
The Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts that separate Vineyard Sound from Buzzards Bay are the remnants of a moraine (unconsolidated glacial sediment deposited at an ice sheet margin; Oldale and O’Hara, 1984). The most recent glacial ice retreat in this region occurred between 25,000 and 20,000 years ago, and the subsequent rise in sea level that followed deglaciation caused differences in the seaf - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 33No results found. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Shallow geology, sea-floor texture, and physiographic zones of the inner continental shelf from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts
A series of interpretive maps that describe the shallow geology, distribution, and texture of sea-floor sediments, and physiographic zones of the sea floor along the south and west shores of Martha’s Vineyard and the north shore of Nantucket, Massachusetts, were produced by using high-resolution geophysical data (interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry, light detection and ranging (lidar) bAuthorsElizabeth A. Pendleton, Wayne E. Baldwin, Seth D. Ackerman, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews, William C. Schwab, Laura L. BrothersFilter Total Items: 34High-resolution geologic mapping of the inner continental shelf: Boston Harbor and approaches, Massachusetts
This report presents the surficial geologic framework data and information for the sea floor of Boston Harbor and Approaches, Massachusetts (fig. 1.1). This mapping was conducted as part of a cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The primary objectiveAuthorsSeth D. Ackerman, Bradford Butman, Walter A. Barnhardt, William W. Danforth, James M. CrockerGeological Interpretation of Bathymetric and Backscatter Imagery of the Sea Floor off Eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts
The imagery, interpretive data layers, and data presented herein were derived from multibeam echo-sounder data collected off Eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and from the stations occupied to verify these acoustic data. The basic data layers show sea-floor topography, sun-illuminated shaded relief, and backscatter intensity; interpretive layers show the distributions of surficial sediment and sediAuthorsLarry J. Poppe, Valerie F. Paskevich, Bradford Butman, Seth D. Ackerman, William W. Danforth, Dave S. Foster, Dann S. BlackwoodSea floor maps showing topography, sun-illuminated topographic imagery, and backscatter intensity of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region off Boston, Massachusetts
This data set contains the sea floor topographic contours, sun-illuminated topographic imagery, and backscatter intensity generated from a multibeam sonar survey of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts, an area of approximately 1100 square nautical miles. The Stellwagen Bank NMS Mapping Project is designed to provide detailed maps of the Stellwagen Bank reAuthorsP. C. Valentine, T. J. Middleton, S. J. FullerPhotographs of the sea floor in western Massachusetts Bay, offshore of Boston, Massachusetts, July, 1999
This CD-ROM contains photographs and sediment sample analyses of the sea floor obtained at 142 sites in western Massachusetts Bay (Figure 1) during a research cruise (USGS cruise ISBL99024) aboard the Fishing Vessel (FV) Isabel S. (Figure 2) conducted July 18-21, 1999. These photographs and samples provide critical ground truth information for the interpretation of shaded relief and backscatter iAuthorsBenjamin T. Gutierrez, Bradford Butman, Dann S. BlackwoodSun-illuminated sea floor topographic maps and perspective-view imagery of quadrangles 1-18, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts
No abstract available.AuthorsPage C. Valentine, Tanya S. Unger, Jessica L. Baker, Christopher F. PolloniA marine GIS library for Massachusetts Bay: Focusing on disposal sites, contaminated sediments, and sea floor mapping
No abstract available.AuthorsBradford Butman, John A. Lindsay, George Graettinger, Laura Hayes, Chris Polloni, Ellen Mecray, Tom SimonSea floor topographic map and perspective-view imagery of quadrangles 1-18, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Mapping Project is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with support from the University of New Brunswick and the Canadian Hydrographic Survey. The survey was conducted on four cruises over a two-year period from the fall of 1994 to the fall of 1996. The project is mapping an area oAuthorsPage C. Valentine, Jessica L. Baker, Tanya S. Unger, Christopher F. PolloniSea floor topography of Quadrangle 2 in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Boston, Massachusetts
No abstract available.AuthorsP. C. Valentine, T. S. Unger, J. L. Baker, E. T. RoworthMaps showing topography, backscatter, and interpretation of seafloor features in the Massachusetts Bay disposal site region off Boston, Massachusetts
No abstract available.AuthorsPage C. Valentine, William W. Danforth, Edwin T. Roworth, Sara T. StillmanSeafloor topography of Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
No abstract available.AuthorsPage C. Valentine, Eric A. Schmuck, Richard P. Signell, Carol A. Ryland - Partners