Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Surficial geology of the sea floor in Long Island Sound offshore of Orient Point, New York

April 6, 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) are working cooperatively to map and interpret features of the sea floor along the northeastern coast of the United States. This report presents multibeam bathymetry and sidescan-sonar data obtained during NOAA survey H11446, which was conducted in a 12-km2 area in Long Island Sound offshore of Orient Point, NY. In addition, sediment and photographic data from 26 stations obtained during a USGS verification cruise are presented. Overall, the sea floor slopes gently seaward, but topography is more complex in sand-wave and boulder areas, which are evident in the multibeam and sidescan-sonar data from the study area. Sand waves generally have north-south-oriented crests with 10- to 20-m wavelengths. Sand-wave asymmetry indicates eastward net sediment transport in the east and westward net sediment transport in the northern and western parts of the study area. Areas with boulders on the sea floor are typically hummocky and are part of a glacial moraine system. Boulders are typically encrusted with seaweed, sponges, and anemones as shown in the bottom photography.

Publication Year 2011
Title Surficial geology of the sea floor in Long Island Sound offshore of Orient Point, New York
DOI 10.3133/ofr20101100
Authors K.Y. McMullen, L. J. Poppe, W. W. Danforth, D.S. Blackwood, J.D. Schaer, M.R. Guberski, D.A. Wood, E. F. Doran
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Open-File Report
Series Number 2010-1100
Index ID ofr20101100
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center