Sediment Dynamics on the West Florida Inner Continental Shelf
Abstract
Our long-term goals have been to document the broader geological context of the continental shelf in the vicinity of the Winter 2003 mine burial experiments off Indian Rocks Beach Florida. The major tasks have included developing a site survey database prior to the Winter 2003 experiment that was necessary for selecting suitable seafloor locations for the deployments. These data sets included a 13-month record of hourly waves, currents and bottom boundary layer characteristics, side-scan sonar mapping of bottom types, subbottom imaging using high-resolution seismic and chirp methods for mapping sediment thickness and stratigraphic framework, and sedimentological characteristics of the study area using surface samples and vibracores, and multiple bathymetric surveys using multibeam. Additionally, we monitored the seafloor during the Winter 2003 experiments using 3 benthic boundary layer quadpods, side-scan sonar and underwater video were designed to provide some ground truthing observations of scour and burial processes over the duration of the experiment. Overall, these data provide the basic geologic information to associate with the mine scour and burial processes. Also we can better characterize both the long-term response and short-term behavior of this mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sand-ridge depositional environment to high-energy seasonal events (winter frontal passages).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA629710
Entities
People
- Albert C. Hine
- David F. Naar
- Peter A. Howd
- Stanley D. Locker
Organizations
- University of South Florida