Browse Maps

Overview

The images and maps in this Open-File Report serve as examples of products that may be generated using the usSEABED data provided in the Data Catalog section. A wide array of additional gridded maps and plots of sea floor sediment texture, character, and related geologic attributes from the Louisiana offshore region can be constructed from the usSEABED data using various Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications (e.g. ArcView™, ArcExplorer™, MapInfo™). Several examples are shown below, but the data are in no way limited to these few displays.

For this section of the publication, we have chosen to focus on Extracted and Parsed data within the usSEABED collection. Extracted data: those data from strictly performed, lab-based, numeric analyses. The _EXT file is based on rigorous lab-determined values and forms the most reliable data sets. Numeric data obtained from verbal logs from core descriptions, shipboard notes, and (or) photographic descriptions are held in the parsed data set (_PRS). The input data are maintained using the terms employed by the original researchers and are coded using phonetically sensible terms for easier processing by dbSEABED. For expanded definition of these data sets, please consult the Data Dictionary section of this publication.

Map of the primary sedimentary provinces offshore Louisiana based on the sea floor morphology, underlying framework geology and sedimentary features comprising the sea floor. The shelf is mostly featureless except for the four major marine sand bodies shown. The Mississippi Valley transects the outer shelf and slope and likely serves as a conduit for moving sediments to deeper parts of the Basin.