Multibeam Bathymetric and Backscatter Maps of the Upper Hudson Shelf Valley and Adjacent Shelf, Offshore of New York

Summary

The multibeam survey data present here, along with the companion sidescan and high-resolution geophysical surveys of the surrounding area reported by Schwab and others (1997a, 1997b), provide a detailed view of the sedimentary features of the area offshore of the New York - New Jersey metropolitan region. The high-resolution maps of bathymetry and backscatter intensity show that the sea floor is impacted by extensive disposal of material, modern sedimentary processes, and the underlying geologic framework. The observations suggest that dumping of material has affected a large area of the sea floor outside designated disposal sites and altered the rates and scales of sedimentary processes and benthic habitats. Bottom photography and video observations are needed to further verify interpretations of the acoustic backscatter intensity and how it relates to the sea floor environments, and to determine the nature of the ubiquitous features interpreted to be dumps of material on the sea floor.