USGS Delmarva Sediment Texture and Geomorphology of the Inner-Continental Shelf

USGS_Delmarva_SedTexture_Geomorph is a polygon shapefile defining surficial sediment type, distribution, and geomorphology for nearly 1,400 square kilometers of sea floor from Maryland to Virginia. The data were created by the U.S. Geological Survey using a combination of geophysical and sample data, including high-resolution bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter intensity, as part of the Hurricane Sandy Recovery program. The interpretive layer classifies sediments according to a modified Barnhardt bottom-type system to highlight changes in secondary sediment-types like mud and gravel.

Use Cases

• Delineating marine resources and fish habitat based on interpreted seafloor sediment type and geomorphology.
• Modeling sediment transport pathways using the classified sediment distribution data.
• Assessing environmental changes from natural or human effects based on the regional geologic framework.
• Supporting coastal resilience planning with science on the inner-continental shelf geology.

Strengths

• Covers nearly 1,400 square kilometers of sea floor.
• Integrates multiple data sources, including USGS project data, state geological surveys, and NOAA hydrographic surveys.
• Uses a modified classification system to highlight secondary sediment-types like mud and gravel.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

United States Geological Survey (Elizabeth A. Pendleton)

Collection Method

Derived from a combination of geophysical data (bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter) and physical samples (sediment samples, bottom photographs).

Time Range

Underlying hydrographic survey data were collected between 2006 and 2014.

Geography

Inner-continental shelf from Fenwick Island, Maryland, to Fisherman's Island, Virginia, USA.