Shaded relief image of Woods Hole, MA
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.
Shaded relief image of Woods Hole, MA
Shaded relief backscatter image of a shipwreck near Cuttyhunk, MA
Shaded relief backscatter image of a shipwreck near Cuttyhunk, MA
Bathymetry of of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey.
Bathymetry of of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey.
Image showing the bathymetry of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey. The images on the right display how the geophysical and sample data are combined to create an interpretation of seafloor geology
Image showing the bathymetry of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey. The images on the right display how the geophysical and sample data are combined to create an interpretation of seafloor geology
Sediment texture and distribution data were mapped qualitatively in Esri ArcGIS using a hierarchical methodology. Backscatter data were the first input, followed by bathymetry, surficial geologic and shallow stratigraphic interpretations, and photograph and sample databases. DEM, digital elevation model.
Sediment texture and distribution data were mapped qualitatively in Esri ArcGIS using a hierarchical methodology. Backscatter data were the first input, followed by bathymetry, surficial geologic and shallow stratigraphic interpretations, and photograph and sample databases. DEM, digital elevation model.
Inner continental shelf sediment textures within western Massachusetts Bay classified using Barnhardt and others (1998). Bottom photographs A-D show sediment texture in select locations (photograph locations are shown as white dots on the sediment texture map).
Inner continental shelf sediment textures within western Massachusetts Bay classified using Barnhardt and others (1998). Bottom photographs A-D show sediment texture in select locations (photograph locations are shown as white dots on the sediment texture map).
Swath bathymetry and derivative products such as slope, hillshaded relief, and rugosity maps provide information not only on water depth, but also the roughness and smoothness of the sea floor, which correlates with sea floor texture and depositional environment.
Swath bathymetry and derivative products such as slope, hillshaded relief, and rugosity maps provide information not only on water depth, but also the roughness and smoothness of the sea floor, which correlates with sea floor texture and depositional environment.
Oblique hillshaded-relief view of the bathymetry surrounding Martha’s Vineyard and the Upper Cape looking south across Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound
Oblique hillshaded-relief view of the bathymetry surrounding Martha’s Vineyard and the Upper Cape looking south across Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound
Shaded relief image of Red Brook, Massachusetts Harbor
Shaded relief image of Red Brook, Massachusetts Harbor
Shaded relief image of Quicks Hole, Massachusetts
Shaded relief image of Quicks Hole, Massachusetts
Shaded relief image of the Outer Cape Cod, MA
Shaded relief image of the Outer Cape Cod, MA
Shaded relief image of Nahant to Gloucester, MA
Shaded relief image of Nahant to Gloucester, MA
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 geophysical data from the inner continental shelf—Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Geophysical and sampling data from the inner continental shelf: Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts
Geophysical and sampling data from the inner continental shelf: Duxbury to Hull, Massachusetts
Geological Interpretation of the Sea Floor Offshore of Edgartown, Massachusetts
Geophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
High-Resolution Geologic Mapping of the Inner Continental Shelf: Cape Ann to Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts
Enhanced Sidescan-Sonar Imagery Offshore of Southeastern Massachusetts
Sea-Floor Character and Sedimentary Processes in the Vicinity of Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Sea-floor character and sedimentary processes of Great Round Shoal Channel, offshore Massachusetts
Processes influencing the transport and fate of contaminated sediments in the coastal ocean– Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay
Sea-floor character and surface processes in the vicinity of Quicks Hole, Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts
A GIS Library of Multibeam Data for Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Offshore of Boston, Massachusetts
- 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: 33Shaded relief image of Woods Hole, MAShaded relief image of Woods Hole, MA
Shaded relief image of Woods Hole, MA
Shipwreck near Cuttyhunk, MAShaded relief backscatter image of a shipwreck near Cuttyhunk, MA
Shaded relief backscatter image of a shipwreck near Cuttyhunk, MA
Bathymetry of southern Gulf of Maine and Massachusetts coastal zoneBathymetry of southern Gulf of Maine and Massachusetts coastal zoneBathymetry of of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey.
Bathymetry of of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey.
Southern Gulf of Maine and Massachusetts coastal zone bathymetrySouthern Gulf of Maine and Massachusetts coastal zone bathymetryImage showing the bathymetry of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey. The images on the right display how the geophysical and sample data are combined to create an interpretation of seafloor geology
Image showing the bathymetry of the southern Gulf of Maine with the Massachusetts coastal zone boundary outlined in grey. The images on the right display how the geophysical and sample data are combined to create an interpretation of seafloor geology
Data input heirarchySediment texture and distribution data were mapped qualitatively in Esri ArcGIS using a hierarchical methodology. Backscatter data were the first input, followed by bathymetry, surficial geologic and shallow stratigraphic interpretations, and photograph and sample databases. DEM, digital elevation model.
Sediment texture and distribution data were mapped qualitatively in Esri ArcGIS using a hierarchical methodology. Backscatter data were the first input, followed by bathymetry, surficial geologic and shallow stratigraphic interpretations, and photograph and sample databases. DEM, digital elevation model.
Sediment TexturesInner continental shelf sediment textures within western Massachusetts Bay classified using Barnhardt and others (1998). Bottom photographs A-D show sediment texture in select locations (photograph locations are shown as white dots on the sediment texture map).
Inner continental shelf sediment textures within western Massachusetts Bay classified using Barnhardt and others (1998). Bottom photographs A-D show sediment texture in select locations (photograph locations are shown as white dots on the sediment texture map).
Swath BathymetrySwath bathymetry and derivative products such as slope, hillshaded relief, and rugosity maps provide information not only on water depth, but also the roughness and smoothness of the sea floor, which correlates with sea floor texture and depositional environment.
Swath bathymetry and derivative products such as slope, hillshaded relief, and rugosity maps provide information not only on water depth, but also the roughness and smoothness of the sea floor, which correlates with sea floor texture and depositional environment.
Bathymetry surrounding Martha's Vineyard, MAOblique hillshaded-relief view of the bathymetry surrounding Martha’s Vineyard and the Upper Cape looking south across Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound
Oblique hillshaded-relief view of the bathymetry surrounding Martha’s Vineyard and the Upper Cape looking south across Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound
Shaded relief image of Red Brook HarborShaded relief image of Red Brook, Massachusetts Harbor
Shaded relief image of Red Brook, Massachusetts Harbor
Shaded relief image of Quicks Hole, MassachusettsShaded relief image of Quicks Hole, Massachusetts
Shaded relief image of Quicks Hole, Massachusetts
Shaded relief image of the Outer Cape Cod, MAShaded relief image of the Outer Cape Cod, MA
Shaded relief image of the Outer Cape Cod, MA
Shaded relief image of Nahant to Gloucester, MAShaded relief image of Nahant to Gloucester, MA
Shaded relief image of Nahant to Gloucester, MA
- 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 geophysical data from the inner continental shelf—Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) have cooperated to map approximately 410 square kilometers (km²) of the inner continental shelf in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. This report contains geophysical data collected by the USGS on three cruises conducted in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and additional bathymetry data collected by the National OceanicAuthorsSeth D. Ackerman, Brian D. Andrews, David S. Foster, Wayne E. Baldwin, William C. SchwabGeophysical and sampling data from the inner continental shelf: Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) have cooperated to map approximately 480 km2 of the inner continental shelf in northern Cape Cod Bay, MA. This report contains geophysical and sampling data collected by the USGS during five research cruises between 2006 and 2008. The geophysical data include (1) swath bathymetry from interferometric soAuthorsBrian D. Andrews, Seth D. Ackerman, Wayne E. Baldwin, Walter A. BarnhardtGeophysical and sampling data from the inner continental shelf: Duxbury to Hull, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) have cooperated to map approximately 200 km² of the Massachusetts inner continental shelf between Duxbury and Hull. This report contains geophysical and geological data collected by the USGS on three cruises between 2006 and 2007. These USGS data are supplemented with a National Oceanic and AtmosphericAuthorsWalter A. Barnhardt, Seth D. Ackerman, Brian D. Andrews, Wayne E. BaldwinGeological Interpretation of the Sea Floor Offshore of Edgartown, Massachusetts
Gridded bathymetry and sidescan-sonar imagery together cover approximately 37.3 square kilometers of sea floor in the vicinity of Edgartown Harbor, Massachusetts. Although originally collected for charting purposes during National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hydrographic survey H11346, these acoustic data, and the sea-floor stations and seismic-reflection lines subsequently occupied toAuthorsL. J. Poppe, K. Y. McMullen, D. S. Foster, D.S. Blackwood, S. J. Williams, S.D. Ackerman, M. S. Moser, K.A. GlombGeophysical Data Collected off the South Shore of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Science Center conducted a nearshore geophysical survey offshore of the southern coast of Martha's Vineyard, in the vicinity of the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory in 2007. This mapping program was part of a larger research effort supporting the Office of Naval Research Ripples Directed-Research Initiative studies at Martha's Vineyard Coastal ObservatoryAuthorsJ. F. Denny, W. W. Danforth, D. S. Foster, C. R. SherwoodHigh-Resolution Geologic Mapping of the Inner Continental Shelf: Cape Ann to Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts
The geologic framework of the Massachusetts inner continental shelf between Cape Ann and Salisbury Beach has been shaped by a complicated history of glaciation, deglaciation, and changes in relative sea level. New geophysical data (swath bathymetry, sidescan sonar and seismic-reflection profiling), sediment samples, and seafloor photography provide insight into the geomorphic and stratigraphic reAuthorsWalter A. Barnhardt, Brian D. Andrews, Seth D. Ackerman, Wayne E. Baldwin, Christopher J. HeinEnhanced Sidescan-Sonar Imagery Offshore of Southeastern Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) have been working cooperatively to map and study the coastal sea floor. The sidescan-sonar imagery collected during NOAA hydrographic surveys has been included as part of these studies. However, the original sonar imagery contains tonal artifacts fromAuthorsLawrence J. Poppe, Kate Y. McMullen, S. Jeffress Williams, Seth D. Ackerman, K.A. Glomb, N.A. ForfinskiSea-Floor Character and Sedimentary Processes in the Vicinity of Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Continuous-coverage multibeam bathymetric models and sidescan-sonar imagery have been verified with high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles, sediment sampling, and bottom photography. Together these data layers provide detailed base maps that yield topographic, compositional, and environmental perspectives of the sea floor in the vicinity of Woods Hole, an important harbor and major passage beAuthorsLawrence J. Poppe, Katherine Y. McMullen, David S. Foster, Dann S. Blackwood, S. Jeffress Williams, Seth D. Ackerman, Steven R. Barnum, Rick T. BrennanSea-floor character and sedimentary processes of Great Round Shoal Channel, offshore Massachusetts
The imagery, interpretive data layers, and data presented herein were derived from multibeam echo-sounder and sidescan-sonar data collected in the vicinity of Great Round Shoal Channel, the main passage through shoals located at the eastern entrance to Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, and from the stations occupied to verify these acoustic data (fig. 1). Basic data layers show sea-floor topography,AuthorsLawrence J. Poppe, Seth D. Ackerman, David S. Foster, Dann S. Blackwood, S. Jeffress Williams, M. S. Moser, H.F. Stewart, K.A. GlombProcesses influencing the transport and fate of contaminated sediments in the coastal ocean– Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay
Most of the major urban centers of the United States including Boston, New York, Washington, Chicago, New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle—are on a coast (fig. 1.1). All of these cities discharge treated sewage effluent into adjacent waters. In 2000, 74 percent of the U.S. population lived within 200 kilometers (km) of the coast. Between 1980 and 2002, the population densityAuthorsP. Soupy Alexander, Sandra M. Baldwin, Dann S. Blackwood, Jonathan Borden, Michael A. Casso, John Crusius, Joanne Goudreau, Linda H. Kalnejais, Paul J. Lamothe, William R. Martin, Marinna A. Martini, Richard R. Rendigs, Frederick L. Sayles, Richard P. Signell, Page C. Valentine, John C. WarnerSea-floor character and surface processes in the vicinity of Quicks Hole, Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM), is producing detailed geologic maps of the coastal sea floor. The imagery, interpretive data layers, and data presented herein were derived from multibeam echo-sounder and sidescan sonar surveys conducted in the vicinityAuthorsLawrence J. Poppe, Seth D. Ackerman, David S. Foster, Dann S. Blackwood, Bradford Butman, M. S. Moser, H.F. StewartA GIS Library of Multibeam Data for Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Offshore of Boston, Massachusetts
Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has mapped the sea floor of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and western Massachusetts Bay, offshore of Boston, Massachusetts (figure 1a, figure 1b). The mapping was carried out using a Simrad Subsea EM1000 Multibeam Echo Sounder (95 kHz) on the Frederick G. Creed on four cruises between 1994 and 1998. The mapping was conducted in coopAuthorsBradford Butman, Page C. Valentine, Tammie J. Middleton, William W. Danforth - Partners