Summary for Field Activity Number 1977-021-FA

Alternate Leg ID: OC 27

Area of Operations: Baltimore Canyon, Wilmington Canyon, Hudson Canyon, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Continental Shelf, New Jersey, Virginia, United States, North America, North Atlantic

Dates: June 08, 1977 to June 14, 1977

Objectives: Conduct a high-resolution sub-bottom and sidescan sonar survey of sandwaves and bedforms indicative of significant sediment movement at 4 locations on the U.S. mid-Atlantic shelf and 3 surveys at the heads of Baltimore, Wilmington and Hudson Canyons.

Type of Activity: Seismic profiling
Sea floor mapping

Information to be derived: Sea floor map
Morphology

Summary: Results obtained were good. After a brief and incomplete analysis of the records it seems unlikely, with the exception of the Wilmington Canyon area, that any of the survey areas have well developed sand waves in them. Off Delaware Bay a number of patches of different textured sea floor were crossed, and in other areas ripples were apparent on the sidescan records. Ripples were by no means continuous over the entire shelf. A man-made feature seen extensively on the shelf surface was trawl markings. Sub-bottom profiles: 699 km; Sidescan sonar: 711 km; Uniboom: 478 km.

USGS Project Number: EA

Contact: Dave Twichell (dtwichell@usgs.gov)