Acoustic and sediment data in the southern New England Bight

Abstract

This study provides a review of the acoustic and ocean bottom sediment data collected during the Shelf Break Primer experiment conducted in 1996. The location of the experiment was in the southern New England Continental Shelf called the “New England Mud Patch.” The mud patch is a 13,000 square kilometer area covered by fine-grained sediment. Previous surveys in this area have estimated the thickness of this fine grained sediment deposit to be as much as 13 m. This layer of sediment rests on a reflector that is geomorphically similar to and continuous with the Holocene transgressive sand sheet, which is exposed on the shelf to the west of this area. This fine-grained sediment layer, which is oriented in an east-west direction seaward of the 55–65 m isobath, contains more than 30% silt and clay. During the Primer experiment, broadband acoustic sources were deployed in the western side of the “mud patch” along and across the continental shelf. The acoustic data collected on a vertical line array will be analyzed. Sediment data from gravity cores from the area will also be presented. [Work sponsored by Office of Naval Research, code 322 OA.]