Geology Reports⌕ Search

Geology topics

Jane F. Denny

Publications and source records attributed to Jane F. Denny.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2017

Change in morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York between 2011 and 2014: Analysis of hurricane impact

Seafloor mapping investigations conducted on the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York in 2011 and 2014, the period encompassing the impacts of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, provide an unprecedented perspective regarding regional inner continental shelf sediment dynamics during large storm events. Analyses of these studies demonstrate that storm-induced erosion and sediment transport occurred throughout the study area in water depths up to 30 m. Acoustic backscatter patterns were observed to move from ~1 m to 450 m with a mean of 20 m and movement tended to decrease with increasing water depth. These patterns indicate that both of the primary inner continental shelf sedimentary features in the study area, linear sorted bedforms offshore of eastern Fire Island and shoreface-attached sand ridges offshore of central and western Fire island, migrated alongshore to the southwest. The migration of the sorted bedforms represents the modification of an active ravinement surface and is thought to have liberated a significant volume of sediment. Comparison of isopach maps of sediment thickness show that the volume of modern sediment composing the lower shoreface and shoreface-attached sand ridges decreased by ~2.8 × 106 m3 across the ~73 km2 of common seafloor mapped in both surveys. However, a similar analysis for the relatively calmer 15-yr period prior to 2011 revealed significant accretion. This allows speculation that the shoreface-attached sand ridges are maintained over decadal timescales via sediment supplied through erosion of Pleistocene outwash and lower Holocene transgressive channel-fill deposits exposed on the inner continental shelf, but that the sand ridges also periodically erode and move to the southwest during large storm events. Analyses show that significant storminduced erosion and sediment transport occurs far seaward of the 5 to 9 m depth of closure assumed for Fire Island, where it is thought that an onshore-directed sediment flux from the inner continental shelf to the littoral system is required to balance the coastal sediment budget. It is also thought that the morphology of the shoreface-attached sand ridges controls the persistent shape of the adjacent shoreline through modification of incident waves. Thus, we suggest that the sediment dynamics of the inner continental shelf and both storminduced and anthropogenic modification of the field of shoreface-attached sand ridges be considered in future coastal resiliency planning.

New York↗
USGS2016

Assessing the impact of Hurricanes Irene and Sandy on the morphology and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York

This report documents the changes in seabed morphology and modern sediment thickness detected on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, before and after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy made landfall. Comparison of acoustic backscatter imagery, seismic-reflection profiles, and bathymetry collected in 2011 and in 2014 show that sedimentary structures and depositional patterns moved alongshore to the southwest in water depths up to 30 meters during the 3-year period. The measured lateral offset distances range between about 1 and 450 meters with a mean of 20 meters. The mean distances computed indicate that change tended to decrease with increasing water depth. Comparison of isopach maps of modern sediment thickness show that a series of shoreface-attached sand ridges, which are the dominant sedimentary structures offshore of Fire Island, migrated toward the southwest because of erosion of the ridge crests and northeast-facing flanks as well as deposition on the southwest-facing flanks and in troughs between individual ridges. Statistics computed suggest that the modern sediment volume across the about 81 square kilometers of common sea floor mapped in both surveys decreased by 2.8 million cubic meters, which is a mean change of –0.03 meters, which is smaller than the resolution limit of the mapping systems used.

New York↗
USGS2015

The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the shoreface and inner shelf of Fire Island, New York: large bedform migration but limited erosion

We investigate the impact of superstorm Sandy on the lower shoreface and inner shelf offshore the barrier island system of Fire Island, NY using before-and-after surveys involving swath bathymetry, backscatter and CHIRP acoustic reflection data. As sea level rises over the long term, the shoreface and inner shelf are eroded as barrier islands migrate landward; large storms like Sandy are thought to be a primary driver of this largely evolutionary process. The “before” data were collected in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of a long-term investigation of the Fire Island barrier system. The “after” data were collected in January, 2013, ~two months after the storm. Surprisingly, no widespread erosional event was observed. Rather, the primary impact of Sandy on the shoreface and inner shelf was to force migration of major bedforms (sand ridges and sorted bedforms) 10’s of meters WSW alongshore, decreasing in migration distance with increasing water depth. Although greater in rate, this migratory behavior is no different than observations made over the 15-year span prior to the 2011 survey. Stratigraphic observations of buried, offshore-thinning fluvial channels indicate that long-term erosion of older sediments is focused in water depths ranging from the base of the shoreface (~13–16 m) to ~21 m on the inner shelf, which is coincident with the range of depth over which sand ridges and sorted bedforms migrated in response to Sandy. We hypothesize that bedform migration regulates erosion over these water depths and controls the formation of a widely observed transgressive ravinement; focusing erosion of older material occurs at the base of the stoss (upcurrent) flank of the bedforms. Secondary storm impacts include the formation of ephemeral hummocky bedforms and the deposition of a mud event layer.

New York↗
USGS2015

Maps showing the change in modern sediment thickness on the Inner Continental Shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, between 1996-97 and 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 1996 and 1997, using high-resolution sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection systems, and again in 2011, using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents a comparison of sediment thickness and distribution as mapped during these two investigations. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system and provide baseline information for research on coastal processes along southern Long Island.

New York↗
USGS2014

Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York

The inner-continental shelf off Fire Island, New York was mapped in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. The area mapped is approximately 50 km long by 8 km wide, extending from Moriches Inlet to Fire Island Inlet in water depths ranging from 8 to 32 m. The morphology of this inner-continental shelf region and modern sediment distribution patterns are determined by erosion of Pleistocene glaciofluvial sediments during the ongoing Holocene marine transgression; much of the shelf is thus an actively forming ravinement surface. Remnants of a Pleistocene outwash lobe define a submerged headland offshore of central Fire Island. East of the submerged headland, relatively older Pleistocene outwash is exposed over much of the inner-continental shelf and covered by asymmetric, sorted bedforms interpreted to indicate erosion and westward transport of reworked sediment. Erosion of the eastern flank of the submerged Pleistocene headland over the last ~ 8000 years yielded an abundance of modern sand that was transported westward and reworked into a field of shoreface-attached ridges offshore of western Fire Island. West of the submerged headland, erosion of Pleistocene outwash continues in troughs between the sand ridges, resulting in modification of the lower shoreface. Comparison of the modern sand ridge morphology with the morphology of the underlying ravinement surface suggests that the sand ridges have moved a minimum of ~ 1000 m westward since formation. Comparison of modern sediment thickness mapped in 1996–1997 and 2011 allows speculation that the nearshore/shoreface sedimentary deposit has gained sediment at the expense of deflation of the sand ridges.

New York↗
USGS2014

High-resolution swath interferometric data collected within Muskeget Channel, Massachusetts

Swath interferometric bathymetery data were collected within and around Muskeget Channel and along select nearshore areas south and east of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Data were collected aboard the U.S. Geological Survey research vessel Rafael in October and November 2010 in a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This report describes the data-collection methods and -processing steps and releases the data in geospatial format. These data were collected to support an assessment of the effect on sediment transport that a tidal instream energy conversion facility would have within Muskeget Channel. Baseline bathymetry data were obtained for the Muskeget Channel area, and surveys in select areas were repeated after one month to monitor sediment transport and bedform migration.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2014

Maps showing bathymetry and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, pre-Hurricane Sandy

The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 2011 by using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents maps of bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, the coastal plain unconformity, the Holocene marine transgressive surface, and modern sediment thickness. These spatial data support research on the Quaternary evolution of the Fire Island coastal system and provide baseline information for research on coastal processes along southern Long Island.

New York↗
USGS2013

Holocene sediment distribution on the inner continental shelf of northeastern South Carolina: implications for the regional sediment budget and long-term shoreline response

High-resolution geophysical and sediment sampling surveys were conducted offshore of the Grand Strand, South Carolina to define the shallow geologic framework of the inner shelf. Results are used to identify and map Holocene sediment deposits, infer sediment transport pathways, and discuss implications for the regional coastal sediment budget. The thickest deposits of Holocene sediment observed on the inner shelf form shoal complexes composed of moderately sorted fine sand, which are primarily located offshore of modern tidal inlets. These shoal deposits contain ~67 M m 3 of sediment, approximately 96% of Holocene sediment stored on the inner shelf. Due to the lack of any significant modern fluvial input of sand to the region, the Holocene deposits are likely derived from reworking of relict Pleistocene and older inner-shelf deposits during the Holocene marine transgression. The Holocene sediments are concentrated in the southern part of the study area, due to a combination of ancestral drainage patterns, a regional shift in sediment supply from the northeast to the southwest in the late Pleistocene, and proximity to modern inlet systems. Where sediment is limited, only small, low relief ridges have formed and Pleistocene and older deposits are exposed on the seafloor. The low-relief ridges are likely the result of a thin, mobile veneer of sediment being transported across an irregular, erosional surface formed during the last transgression. Sediment textural trends and seafloor morphology indicate a long-term net transport of sediment to the southwest. This is supported by oceanographic studies that suggest the long-term sediment transport direction is controlled by the frequency and intensity of storms that pass through the region, where low pressure systems yield net along-shore flow to the southwest and a weak onshore component. Current sediment budget estimates for the Grand Strand yield a deficit for the region. Volume calculations of Holocene deposits on the inner shelf suggest that there is sufficient sediment to balance the sediment budget and provide a source of sediment to the shoreline. Although the processes controlling cross-shelf sediment transport are not fully understood, in sediment-limited environments such as the Grand Strand, erosion of the inner shelf likely contributes significant sediment to the beach system.

South Carolina↗
USGS2013

Geologic evidence for onshore sediment transport from the inner continental shelf: Fire Island, New York

Sediment budget analyses along the south shore of Fire Island, New York, have been conducted and debated in the scientific and coastal engineering literature for decades. It is well documented that a primary component of sediment transport in this system is directed alongshore from E to W, but discrepancies in volumetric sediment budget calculations remain. An additional quantity of sand, averaging about 200,000 m 3 /y is required to explain the growth of the western segment of the barrier island, a prograding spit. Littoral sediment derived from updrift erosion of the coast, addition of beach nourishment fill, and onshore transport of inner continental shelf, shoreface sediments, or both have all been proposed as potential sources of the additional sediment needed to balance the sediment budget deficit. Analysis of high-resolution seafloor mapping data collected in 2011, including seismic reflection profiles and inteferometric sonar acoustic backscatter and swath bathymetry; comparison with seafloor mapping data collected in 1996–1997; and shoreline change analysis from 1933 to 2011 support previous suggestions that the inner-shelf Holocene sedimentary deposit is a likely source to resolve this sediment budget discrepancy.

New York↗
USGS2011

Geophysical data collected from the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario, Canada (2008-016-FA)

In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a geophysical and sampling survey of the riverbed of the Upper St. Clair River between Port Huron, Mich., and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. The objectives were to define the Quaternary geologic framework of the riverbed of the St. Clair River to evaluate the relationship between morphologic change of the riverbed and underlying stratigraphy. This report presents the geophysical and sample data collected from the St. Clair River, May 29-June 6, 2008, as part of the International Upper Great Lakes Study, a 5-year project funded by the International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada to examine whether physical changes in the St. Clair River are affecting water levels within upper Great Lakes, to assess regulation plans for outflows from Lake Superior, and to examine the potential effect of climate change on the Great Lakes water levels (http://www.iugls.org). This document makes available the data that were used in a separate report, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1137, which detailed the interpretations of the Quaternary geologic framework of the region. This report includes a description of the high-resolution acoustic and sediment-sampling systems that were used to map the morphology, surficial sediment distribution, and underlying geology of the Upper St. Clair River during USGS field activity 2008-016-FA (http://quashnet.er.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/datasource/public_ds_info.pl?fa=2008-016-FA). Video and photographs of the riverbed were also collected and are included in this data release. Future analyses will be focused on substrate erosion and its effects on river-channel morphology and geometry. Ultimately, the International Upper Great Lakes Study will attempt to determine where physical changes in the St. Clair River affect water flow and, subsequently, water levels in the Upper Great Lakes.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2009

Quaternary Geologic Framework of the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario, Canada

Concern about the effect of geomorphic changes in the St. Clair River on water levels in the Upper Great Lakes resulted in the need for information on the geologic framework of the river. A geophysical survey of the Upper St. Clair River between Port Huron, MI, and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, was conducted to determine the Quaternary geologic framework of the region. Previously available and new sediment samples and photographic and video data support the interpretation of the seismic stratigraphy and surficial geology. Three seismic stratigraphic units and two unconformities were identified. Glacial drift, consisting of interbedded till and glaciolacustrine deposits, overlies shale. Glaciofluvial and modern fluvial processes have eroded the glacial drift. Glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine, fluvial, and lacustrine deposits overlie this unconformity. Seismic facies were interpreted to identify areas where these geologic facies exist; however, in the absence of distinct boundaries between facies, these deposits were mapped as one undifferentiated unit. This unit is thickest in the northernmost 3 kilometers of the river, where it consists of relatively coarse-grained fluvial, reworked glaciofluvial, and possibly glaciofluvial deposits. To the south, this coarse-grained unit thins or is absent. The undifferentiated unit comprises most of the surficial deposits in the northernmost river area. Some areas of glacial drift, predominantly till, are exposed at the lake and riverbed. The shale is not exposed anywhere in the region. Geophysical surveys at sites downriver, together with the results of previous studies, indicate that the geologic framework is similar to that in the northernmost river area except for the absence or reduced thickness of the coarse-grained fluvial deposits. Instead, glacial drift is exposed at the riverbed or is covered by a veneer of sediment. This information on the substrate is important for ongoing sediment transport studies.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2007

Surficial geology in central Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island: interpretations of sidescan sonar and multibeam bathymetry

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is working cooperatively with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to interpret the surficial geology in estuaries along the coast of the northeastern United States. The purpose of our present study is to determine the distributions of surficial sediments and sedimentary environments in two areas of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, using sidescan sonar imagery, high-resolution bathymetry, and sediment data. This study provides a framework for future studies on topics such as benthic habitats and oceanographic processes that control the transport and distribution of bottom sediments. This study mapped two separate areas totalling about 33 km² One area lies in West Passage between Plum Point, Quonset Point and Conanicut Island; the other area lies in East Passage around Dyer Island and extends south of Prudence Island.

Rhode Island↗
USGS2007

Relation of Lake-Floor Characteristics to the Distribution of Variable Leaf Water-Milfoil in Moultonborough Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, 2005

Geophysical, water, and sediment surveys were done to characterize the effects of surficial geology, water and sediment chemistry, and surficial-sediment composition on the distribution of variable leaf water-milfoil in Moultonborough Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Geophysical surveys were conducted in a 180-square-kilometer area, and water-quality and sediment samples were collected from 24 sites in the survey area during July 2005. Swath-bathymetric data revealed that Moultonborough Bay ranged in depth from less than 1 meter (m) to about 15 m and contained three embayments. Seismic-reflection profiles revealed erosion of the underlying bedrock and subsequent deposition of glaciolacustrine and Holocene lacustrine sediments within the survey area. Sediment thickness ranged from 5 m along the shoreward margins to more than 15 m in the embayments. Data from sidescan sonar, surficial-sediment samples, bottom photographs, and video revealed three distinct lake-floor environments: rocky nearshore, mixed nearshore, and muddy basin. Rocky nearshore environments were found in shallow water (less than 5 m deep) and contained sediments ranging from coarse silt to very coarse sand. Mixed nearshore environments also were found in shallow water and contained sediments ranging from silt to coarse sand with different densities of aquatic vegetation. Muddy basin environments contained the finest-grained sediments, ranging from fine to medium silt, and were in the deepest waters of the bay. Acoustic Ground Discrimination Systems (AGDS) survey data revealed that 86 percent of the littoral zone (the area along the margins of the bay and islands that extends from 0 to 4.3 m in water depth) contained submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in varying densities: approximately 36 percent contained SAV bottom cover of 25 percent or less, 43 percent contained SAV bottom cover of more than 25 and less than 75 percent, and approximately 7 percent contained SAV bottom cover of more than 75 percent. SAV included variable leaf water-milfoil, native milfoil, bassweed, pipewort, and other species, which were predominantly found near shoreward margins and at depths ranging from less than 1 to 4 m. AGDS data were used in a Geographic Information System to generate an interpolated map that distinguished variable leaf water-milfoil from other SAV. Furthermore, these data were used to isolate areas susceptible to variable leaf water-milfoil growth. Approximately 21 percent of the littoral zone contained dense beds (more than 59 percent bottom cover) of variable leaf water-milfoil, and an additional 44 percent was determined to be susceptible to variable leaf water-milfoil infestation. Depths differed significantly between sites with variable leaf water-milfoil and sites with other SAV (p = 0.04). Variable leaf water-milfoil was found at depths that ranged from 1 to 4 m, and other SAV had a depth range of 1 to 2 m. Although variable leaf water-milfoil was observed at greater depths than other SAV, it was not observed below the photic zone. Analysis of constituent concentrations from the water column, interstitial pore water, and sediment showed little correlation with the presence of variable leaf water-milfoil, with two exceptions. Iron concentrations were significantly lower at variable leaf water-milfoil sites than at other sampling sites (p = 0.04). Similarly, the percentage of total organic carbon also was significantly lower at the variable leaf water-milfoil sites than at other sampling sites (p = 0.04). Surficial-sediment-grain size had the greatest correlation to the presence of variable leaf water-milfoil. Variable leaf water-milfoil was predominantly growing in areas of coarse sand (median grain-size 0.62 millimeters). Surficial-sediment-grain size was also correlated with total ammonia plus organic nitrogen (Rho = 0.47; p = 0.02) and with total phosphorus (Rho = 0.44; p = 0.05) concentrations in interstitial pore-water samples.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2003

Geophysical surveys of Bear Lake, Utah-Idaho, September, 2002

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with researchers from several universities, has been studying the sediments of Bear Lake since 1996. The general purpose of this effort is to reconstruct past limnological conditions and regional climate on a range of timescales, from hundreds of years to hundreds of thousands of years. The objectives of the September, 2002 operations, preliminarily reported here, were (1) to compile a detailed bathymetric map of the lake using swath-mapping techniques, in order to provide baseline data for a variety of applications and studies, and (2) to complete a sidescan-sonar survey of the lake, providing a nearly complete acoustic image of the lake floor. Limited amounts of subbottom acoustic-reflection data (chirp) were also collected, along with samples of lake-floor sediments representative of different kinds of backscatter patterns.

Idaho, Utah↗
USGS2002

The Sea-Floor Mapping Facility at the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Field Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Researchers of the sea-floor mapping facility at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Field Center in Woods Hole, Mass., use state-of-the-art technology to produce accurate geologic maps of the sea floor. In addition to basic bathymetry and morphology, sea-floor maps may contain information about the distribution of sand resources, patterns of coastal erosion, pathways of pollutant transport, and geologic controls on marine biological habitats. The maps may also show areas of human impacts, such as disturbance by bottom fishing and pollution caused by offshore waste disposal. The maps provide a framework for scientific research and provide critical information to decisionmakers who oversee resources in the coastal ocean.

Fact Sheet↗