Sea Floor Mapping Group
Science Center Objects
The Sea Floor Mapping Group (SFMG) is a core capability at the Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) that provides support for coastal, lacustrine and marine geologic research. The staff has a wide-range of expertise and is responsible for geophysical and sampling data acquisition, processing, interpretation and publication, logistics, design, and research and development. SFMG has successfully supported Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program research for more than 25 years.
Graphic showing geophysical and sampling systems used to define the seafloor topography, surface sediments, and underlying geology. Sidescan-sonar systems acquire information about the surface of the seafloor, swath bathymetric systems measure the depth, or seafloor topography, seismic sources map the underlying geologic structure, single-beam echosounders map the depth at a point beneath the vessel, and sampling systems collect samples of the seafloor and can be equipped with digital camers and video systems to collect optical images of the seafloor.
Wayne Baldwin, USGS, deploys a sound velocity profiler off the stern of the R/V Stephens in Lake Powell, UT-AZ as part of a collaborative program with the Utah Water Science Center to map the depth and sediments within Lake Powell, UT-AZ.
Science Applications
SFMG uses acoustic and optical techniques to acquire detailed geologic information about the sea floor, such as seabed topography, sediment composition and distribution, and underlying geologic structure. This information defines the geologic framework and provides a base for a wide-range of USGS research.
Each year the SFMG supports dozens of research efforts, most recently including: gas hydrate and methane/carbon dioxide flux along the Atlantic margin; landslide and tsunami hazards along the mid-Atlantic and New England passive margin and the southeast Alaska active margin; characterization of mudflow hazards along the Mississippi River Delta Front; dive support for biological invasive species studies and benthic habitat studies; sediment characterization within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; field observations in support of sea-level rise storm response studies along the east coast; and mapping lake floor topography and underlying stratigraphy in support of natural resource management within western reservoirs and Great Lakes.
Sea Floor Mapping Capabilities
SFMG maintains a suite of instruments used to map the seafloor surface and underlying structure in shallow to deep-water environments. These instruments include: multibeam, single-beam, and split beam echo sounders, sidescan-sonar, phase differencing bathymetric sonar, single- and multichannel seismic-reflection systems, and sample equipment designed to collect sediment samples, still photographs, and/or video images of the sea floor.
SFMG is a diverse team of marine electronics technicians, engineers, geologists, physical scientists, geographers, and visual and imaging specialists. This group has expertise in collecting, processing and interpreting geophysical and sample data in lacustrine, coastal and marine environments.
USGS staff are preparing to deploy the Edgetech 512i sub-bottom profiling system from the stern of a research vessel. The sub-bottom profiling system was used to map the geologic structure and sediments beneath the seafloor.
SFMG staff regularly collaborates with scientists at Universities, federal and state agencies, and the private sector to support collaborative research, and to help develop new software and hardware remote sensing techniques.
This animation takes the viewer down the Glen Canyon from Bullfrog Bay to the Rincon, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. New high resolution multibeam bathymetry collected by the USGS in 2018 shows the submerged portions of Glen Canyon.
Brian Andrews, USGS Woods Hole Coast and Marine Science Center
(Public domain.)
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
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Date published: December 28, 2018Status: Active
Hurricane Sandy Response- Linking the Delmarva Peninsula's Geologic Framework to Coastal Vulnerability
The Delmarva Peninsula is a 220-kilometer-long headland, spit, and barrier island complex that was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy. In order to better constrain controls on coastal vulnerability and evolution, the region’s sediment sources, transport pathways and sediment sinks must be identified. This project defines the geologic framework of the Delmarva coastal system through...
Contacts: Laura Brothers, Ph.D., Elizabeth Pendleton
Below are publications associated with this project.
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Year Published: 2017
Change in morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York between 2011 and 2014: Analysis of hurricane impact
Seafloor mapping investigations conducted on the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2011 and 2014, the period encompassing the impacts of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, provide an unprecedented perspective regarding regional inner continental shelf sediment dynamics during large storm events. Analyses...
Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Warner, John C.; List, Jeffrey H.; Denny, Jane F.; Liste Munoz, Maria; Safak, IlgarAttribution: Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science CenterView CitationSchwab, W.C., Baldwin, W.E., and Denny, J.F., 2014, Maps showing the change in modern sediment thickness on the Inner Continental Shelf Offshore of Fire Island, New York, between 1996–97 and 2011: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1238,
Assessing the impact of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy on the morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York
This report documents the changes in seabed morphology and modern sediment thickness detected on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, before and after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy made landfall. Comparison of acoustic backscatter imagery, seismic-reflection profiles, and bathymetry collected in 2011 and in 2014 show that...
Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Denny, Jane F.High-resolution geophysical data collected offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2011, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2011-005-FA.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner-continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system...
Denny, Jane F.; Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Moore, Eric; Bergeron, Emile M.The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the shoreface and inner shelf of Fire Island, New York: large bedform migration but limited erosion
We investigate the impact of superstorm Sandy on the lower shoreface and inner shelf offshore the barrier island system of Fire Island, NY using before-and-after surveys involving swath bathymetry, backscatter and CHIRP acoustic reflection data. As sea level rises over the long term, the shoreface and inner shelf are eroded as barrier islands...
Goff, John A.; Flood, Roger D.; Austin, James A.; Schwab, William C.; Christensen, Beth A.; Browne, Cassandra M.; Denny, Jane F.; Baldwin, Wayne E.Maps showing the change in modern sediment thickness on the Inner Continental Shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, between 1996-97 and 2011
The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 1996 and 1997, using high-resolution sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection systems, and again in 2011, using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This...
Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Denny, Jane F.Maps showing bathymetry and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, pre-Hurricane Sandy
The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 2011 by using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents maps of bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, the coastal plain unconformity, the...
Schwab, William C.; Denny, Jane F.; Baldwin, Wayne E.Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York
The inner-continental shelf off Fire Island, New York was mapped in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. The area mapped is approximately 50 km long by 8 km wide, extending from Moriches Inlet to Fire Island Inlet in water depths ranging from 8 to 32 m. The morphology of this inner-...
Schwab, William C.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Denny, Jane F.; Hapke, Cheryl J.; Gayes, Paul T.; List, Jeffrey H.; Warner, John C.High-resolution swath interferometric data collected within Muskeget Channel, Massachusetts
Swath interferometric bathymetery data were collected within and around Muskeget Channel and along select nearshore areas south and east of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Data were collected aboard the U.S. Geological Survey research vessel Rafael in October and November 2010 in a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the...
Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Denny, Jane F.; Danforth, William W.; Baldwin, Wayne E.; Irwin, Barry J.High-resolution geophysical and sample data collected in Moultonborough Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire in 2005, USGS Field Activity 2005-004-FA
Denny, Jane F.; Danforth, William W.; Worley, Charles R.; Irwin, Barry J.Below are data associated with this project.
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Date published: March 29, 2018
Swath bathymetry collected offshore of Fire Island and western Long Island, New York in 2014, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2014-072-FA
Hurricane Sandy, the largest storm of historical record in the Atlantic basin, severely impacted southern Long Island, New York in October 2012. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), conducted a high-resolution multibeam echosounder survey with Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey, Inc., offshore of Fire Island and western Long Island...
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Date published: May 8, 2018
Seismic reflection and sample data collected offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2014, U.S. Geological Field Activity 2014-009-FA
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a geophysical and sampling survey in October 2014 that focused on a series of shoreface-attached ridges offshore of western Fire Island, NY. Seismic-reflection data, surficial grab samples and bottom photographs and video were collected along the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf to assess the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the coastal region...
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Date published: April 4, 2018
Sampling data collected in Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay, and Vineyard Sound; south of Martha's Vineyard; and south and east of Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 2011, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2011-015-FA
These survey data are used to explore the nature of the sea floor and, in conjunction with high-resolution geophysical data, to make interpretive maps of sedimentary environments and validate acoustic remote sensing data.
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Date published: March 29, 2018
High-resolution geophysical data collected along the Delmarva Peninsula in 2015, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2015-001-FA
The Delmarva Peninsula is a 220-kilometer-long headland, spit, and barrier island complex that was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2012. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted cruises during the summers of 2014 and 2015 to map the inner continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula using geophysical and sampling techniques.
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Date published: March 20, 2018
High-resolution geophysical data collected along the Mississippi River Delta front offshore of southeastern Louisiana, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2017-003-FA
High resolution bathymetric, sea-floor backscatter, and seismic-reflection data were collected offshore of southeastern Louisiana aboard the research vessel Point Sur on May 19-26, 2017, in an effort to characterize mudflow hazards on the Mississippi River Delta front. The primary objective of this cruise was to assess the suitability of sea-floor mapping and shallow subsurface imaging tools...
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Date published: February 12, 2018
Sea floor sediment samples, seabed imagery, and CTD data collected in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, MA in 2015, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2015-062-FA
This field activity is part of the effort to map geologic substrates of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region off Boston, Massachusetts. The overall goal is to develop high-resolution (1:25,000) interpretive maps, based on multibeam sonar data and seabed sampling, showing surficial geology and seabed sediment dynamics.
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Date published: November 16, 2017
Assessing Techniques to Enhance Barrier Characteristics of High-head Navigation Dams on the Upper Illinois River: Data
The dataset is comprised of river conditions at La Grange, Peoria, Starved Rock, Marseilles, and Dresden Island Locks and Dams, along the Illinois River. Data were recorded bihourly from 1985 – 2016. For each location, pool elevation (ft), tailwater elevation (ft), head height (ft), discharge (cfs), and total gate openess.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Virtual tour of Glen Canyon between Bullfrog Bay and the Rincon
This animation takes the viewer down the Glen Canyon from Bullfrog Bay to the Rincon, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. New high resolution multibeam bathymetry collected by the USGS in 2018 shows the submerged portions of Glen Canyon.
USGS Team Work!
Sediment transport team members attach a quick-release to the top of a bottom lander prior to deployment
R/V Muddy Waters
The R/V Muddy Waters lends itself to be a versatile survey launch and assistance vessel for the deployment and retrieval of inshore moorings and scientific sensor platforms. The boat can easily be towed to location by a full sized pickup truck and is easily launched and retrieved for fast mobilization after storm events or other rapid response surveys. The R/V Muddy Waters
...Lake Powell
The USGS Utah Water Science Center and the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted a collaborative geophysical research effort within Lake Powell, UT-AZ to map the bathymetry of the lake and characterize shallow sediment deposition near the mouths of the San Juan and Colorado Rivers.
Bathymetry and Elevation Models of the Massachusetts Coastal Zone
Overview of the 4 Continuous Bathymetry and Elevation Models of the Massachusetts Coastal Zone and Continental Shelf
Browse collage for 2017-003-FA data release
Browse collage for 2017-003-FA data release
Lake Powell Geophysical Survey
USGS R/V Stephens operating within Lake Powell, UT-AZ. A multibeam echosounder is deployed off the starboard side of the vessel and is used to collect depth information within the reservoir.
SeaBOSS on the fantail of the R/V Connecticut on Long Island Sound
SeaBOSS on the fantail of the R/V Connecticut on Long Island Sound at sunrise
SeaBOSS Survey on Long Island Sound
Image of the SeaBOSS and USGS personnel on the fantail of the R/V Connecticut in Long Island Sound
Feeling crabby
Seafloor photograph of a spider crab, sediment, rocks, taken by the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center SeaBOSS during a deployment off the R/V Connecticut in Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound Survey Team
Long Island Sound Survey mapping team. This project is a collaboration of several agencies and institutions including Univ of Connecticut, Univ of New Haven, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, NOAA, LDEO, USGS
Lake Powell Geophysical Mapping
USGS Utah Water Science Center and the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted a collaborative geophysical research effort within Lake Powell, UT-AZ to map the bathymetry of the lake and characterize shallow sediment deposition near the mouths of the San Juan and Colorado Rivers.
Below are news stories associated with this project.
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Date published: December 12, 2017
Geophyiscal survey of Lake Powell, UT-AZ
Develop a new bathymetry map of Lake Powell, UT-AZ, and characterize shallow sediment deposition near the mouths of the San Juan and Colorado Rivers. Bathymetric data, acoustic backscatter imagery, and limited CHIRP sub-bottom data were collected by the USGS Utah Water Science Center (UTWSC) and Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) within Lake Powell, October - November, 2017...
Below are partners associated with this project.