| Abstract: | The bedrock-framed seafloor in the northwestern Gulf of Maine is characterized by extreme changes in bathymetric relief and covered with a wide variety of surficial materials. Traditional methods of mapping cannot accurately represent the great heterogeneity of such a glaciated region. A new mapping scheme for complex seafloors, based primarily on the interpretation of side-scan sonar imagery, utilizes four easily recognized units: rock, gravel, sand and mud. In many places, however, the seafloor exhibits a complicated mixture or extremely ‘patchy‘ distribution of the four basic units, which are too small to map individually. Twelve composite units, each a two-component mixture of the basic units, were established to represent this patchiness at a small scale (1:100,000). Using a geographic information system, these and all other available data (seismic profiles, grab samples, submersible dives and cores) were referenced to a common geographic base, superimposed on bathymetric contours and then integrated into surficial geologic maps of the regional inner continental shelf. This digital representation of the seafloor comprises a multidimensional, interactive model complete with explicit attributes (depth, bottom type) that allow for detailed analysis of marine environments. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70020702 |
| Citation Author: | Barnhardt, W. A.; Kelley, J. T.; Dickson, S. M.; Belknap, D. F. |
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| Citation End Page: | 659 |
| Citation Issue: | 2 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Journal of Coastal Research |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 14 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Mapping the Gulf of Maine with side-scan sonar: A new bottom-type classification for complex seafloors; 1998; Article; Journal; Journal of Coastal Research; Barnhardt, W. A.; Kelley, J. T.; Dickson, S. M.; Belknap, D. F. |
| Citation Start Page: | 646 |
| Citation Volume: | 14 |
| Citation Year: | 1998 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Mapping the Gulf of Maine with side-scan sonar: A new bottom-type classification for complex seafloors; 1998; Article; Journal; Journal of Coastal Research; Barnhardt, W. A.; Kelley, J. T.; Dickson, S. M.; Belknap, D. F. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Thu, 1 Jan 1998 00:00 -0600 |
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