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The Nahant-Gloucester study area lies along the North Shore of Massachusetts, where the coast and inner continental shelf are bedrock framed with numerous islands, rugged headlands and rocky shoals. Multiple glaciations and relative sea-level changes have strongly influenced the geologic evolution of this region. Approximately 134 km² (52 mi²) of the inner shelf were mapped focusing on nearshore areas from the coast out to depths of about 40 m (131 ft).
The seafloor maps in this area were prepared as part of a cooperative mapping program between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM). They are based on marine geophysical data, sediment sampling, and bottom photography obtained on three research cruises in 2003 and 2004. The main objective of this program is to support marine resource managers charged with making decisions on the use and protection of ocean resources. Accurate depictions of surficial geology and associated biota on the seafloor are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine reserves, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. A companion report contains descriptions of the data collection, processing, and analysis procedures used to create the maps, and GIS databases with all the geophysical and ground-validation data collected as part of this study.
Cooperators: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM)
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| Overview of the Nahant-Gloucester survey area showing shaded relief bathymetry colored by water depth. Click on figure for larger image. |
Project Status: Complete
Maps & Report published as:
Barnhardt, W.A., Andrews, B.D. and Butman, B., 2006, High-resolution geological mapping of the inner continental shelf; Salem to Gloucester, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1293, DVD-ROM. Also available online at
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1293/.
News & Other related links:
For more information:
Brian Andrews
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole Science Center
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
bandrews@usgs.gov
Walter Barnhardt
U.S. Geological Survey
Woods Hole Science Center
384 Woods Hole Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
wbarnhardt@usgs.gov
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