USGS OFR 2012-1004: Sea-floor geology in central Rhode Island Sound south of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island, Bottom Photography

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1004

Sea-Floor Geology in Central Rhode Island Sound South of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island

Bottom Photography

Click on figures for larger images

Thumbnail image of figure 18 and link to larger figure. Photograph of a sandy sea floor in the study area.

Figure 18. Photograph from station 995-2 showing a flat to undulating, sandy sea floor composed of relatively undisturbed modern marine sediments.

Thumbnail image of figure 19 and link to larger figure. Photograph of gravel on the sea floor in the study area.

Figure 19. Photograph from station 995-16 showing a gravelly sea floor typical of areas where winnowed glacial drift is exposed.

Thumbnail image of figure 20 and link to larger figure. Map showing locations of bottom photographs taken in the study area.

Figure 20. Map showing locations of bottom photographs taken during U.S. Geological Survey cruise 2011-006-FA aboard the research vessel Rafael.

Sea-floor photography from the study area includes 3 to 7 still photographs and several minutes of video at each of the 27 stations (fig. 20). A total of 122 photographs were taken of the sea floor and are included in the photo gallery below, which provides descriptions of both the photographs and video collected at each station. The field of view for each photograph is approximately 50 cm.

The photographs and video are used to observe floral and faunal populations and sea-floor environments. Bottom photographs show a flat to undulating to rippled, sandy sea floor at about half the stations and gravel and boulders typically encrusted with hydrozoans and anemone at the other stations (fig. 19). The sea floor generally has burrows and starfish present, and, in sandy areas, worm tubes (fig. 18). Where the sea floor is rippled, shells tend to collect in ripple troughs.

Low-resolution images (150 x 113 pixels) of the photographs may be viewed by browsing the thumbnails in the photo gallery below. These thumbnails are linked to medium-resolution images (600 x 450 pixels) for more detailed viewing. A WinZip file with all the medium-resolution images may be accessed by clicking here. The WinZip file contains metadata about the photographs and their acquisition. Alternatively, the WinZip file containing the full-resolution images (2560 x 1920 pixels) may be accessed by clicking here. The images can be identified by using the .jpg image names in the galleries below. Individuals interested in obtaining video photography collected in this area may do so at the Data Library of the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, Mass.

Photo Gallery

Station / Lithologic Description

995-1 / Sand with low, broad ripples and scattered shells and shell hash in troughs. Burrows, worm tubes, sponges, anemones, fish, shrimp, and starfish present.
995_1a	995_1b	995_1c	995_1d
995_1e	995_1f
995-2 / Undulating sand with burrows and worm tubes, scattered shells and shell hash, starfish, and cancer crabs present.
995_2a	995_2b	995_2c	995_2d
995-3 / Low, broadly rippled sand with shells and shell hash in troughs. Skate and starfish present.
995_3a	995_3b	995_3c	995_3d
995_3e	995_3f
995-4 / Undulating sand with burrows, worm tubes, and some shell debris.
995_4a	995_4b	995_4c
995-5 / Cobbles, pebbles, and scattered boulders encrusted with hydrozoans and anemones. Crabs, starfish, fish, lobster burrows, and scattered shells and shell debris present.
995_5a	995_5b	995_5c	995_5d
995_5e	995_5f	995_5g
995-6 / Cobbles with scattered boulders and intervening pebble gravel. Anemones, hydrozoans, starfish, and scattered shells and shell debris present.
995_6a	995_6b	995_6c	995_6d
995_6e	995_6f
995-7 / Sand with low, broad ripples and shell hash in ripple troughs. Worm and amphipod tubes, small burrows, hydrozoans, and starfish present.
995_7a	995_7b	995_7c
995_7d	995_7e
995-8 / Sand with low, broad ripples and shell hash in ripple troughs. Worm tubes, starfish, and moon snail casings present.
995_8a	995_8b	995_8c	995_8d
995-9 / Sand with low, broad ripples and megaripples. Worm tubes, starfish, scallops, moon snails, and flounder present.
995_9a	995_9b	995_9c
995-10 / Sand with low, broad megaripples. Worm tubes, burrows, tracks, starfish, and shrimp present.
995_10a	995_10b	995_10c
995-11 / Sand with scattered boulders and some muddy patches. Large and small burrows, worm and amphipod tubes, hydrozoans, and starfish present.
995_11a	995_11b	995_11c	995_11d
995-12 / Gravel, scattered boulders, and megaripples, with sand on the crests and shell hash and gravel in ripple troughs; skate also present.
995_12a	995_12b	995_12c
995_12d	995_12e
995-13 / Undulating sand with large and small burrows, worm tubes, and starfish present.
995_13a	995_13b	995_13c
995-14 / Boulders with cobble and pebble gravel and patches of pea gravel. Scattered shells, moon snail case, hydrozoans, anemones, lobster, and starfish present.
995_14a	995_14b	995_14c
995_14d	995_14e
995-15 / Megarippled pea gravel with scattered hydrozoan-encrusted boulders and patches of pebbles and scattered shells in the ripple troughs.
995_15a	995_15b	995_15c	995_15d
995-16 / Encrusted boulders with cobble and pebble gravel covered in a thin veneer of silt. Anemones, hydrozoans, finfish, and starfish present.
995_16a	995_16b	995_16c	995_16d
995_16e	995_16f
995-17 / Rippled sand and a thin veneer of sand over gravel. Patches of hydrozoan-encrusted boulders, cobbles, and pebble gravel. Skates, sponges, and anemones present.
995_17a	995_17b	995_17c	995_17d
995_17e	995_17f
995-18 / Undulating, sandy sea floor with a rust-colored organic film. Amphipods, worm tubes, burrows, and a trace of shell debris present.
995_18a	995_18b	995_18c
995-19 / Encrusted boulders with intervening cobbles and pebbles and a few small patches of sand. Anemones, hydrozoans, and starfish present.
995_19a	995_19b	995_19c	995_19d
995_19e	995_19f
995-20 / Sand and gravel with scattered cobbles covered with a thin veneer of sand. Small and large burrows, scattered shells and shell hash, and anemones present.
995_20a	995_20b	995_20c	995_20d
995-21 / Hydrozoan-encrusted boulders with cobbles, gravel, and sand patches. Anemones, starfish, scattered shell debris, and burrows present.
995_21a	995_21b	995_21c	995_21d
995-22 / Encrusted boulders and cobbles with intervening pebble gravel. Hydrozoans, anemones, starfish, and finfish present.
995_22a	995_22b	995_22c	995_22d
995_22e	995_22f
995-23 / Undulating silty sand with small and large burrows, tracks, worm tubes, amphipods, and finfish present.
995_23a	995_23b	995_23c
995-24 / Sand with broad, low ripples, burrows, and a trace of shell debris.
995_24a	995_24b	995_24c
995-25 / Encrusted boulders and cobbles with pebble gravel and a few patches of sand. Hydrozoans, sponges, small anemones, fish, and scattered shells and shell debris present.
995_25a	995_25b	995_25c	995_25d
995_25e	995_25f
995-26 / Encrusted boulders with intervening cobbles and pebbles. Anemones, starfish, hydrozoans, and a lobster present.
995_26a	995_26b	995_26c	995_26d
995-27 / Sand with low, broad ripples or megaripples, scattered shell hash, worm tubes, skate, finfish, and starfish present.
995_27a	995_27b	995_27c

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