| Title | Preliminary results from multibeam bathymetry and LiDAR surveys in 2007 of the Bay of Fundy, Canada |
| |
| Author | Parrott, D R; Todd, B J ; Hughes Clarke, J E; Griffin, J; Webster, T |
| Source | Atlantic Geoscience Society Abstracts: 2008 Colloquium & Annual General Meeting; Atlantic Geology vol. 44, 2008 p. 32 |
| Year | 2008 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20080534 |
| Meeting | Atlantic Geoscience Society 34th Colloquium and Annual General Meeting; Dartmouth, NS; CA; February 1-2, 2008 |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| Province | Eastern offshore region |
| Area | Bay of Fundy |
| Subjects | geophysics; marine geology; surficial geology/geomorphology; geophysical surveys; bathymetry; seabottom topography; seafloor topography; coastal environment; coastal studies; coastal erosion;
LiDAR |
| Program | Geoscience for Oceans Management |
| Released | 2008 01 01 |
| Abstract | In 2006, the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), in conjunction with Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) and several universities, commenced a three year program to map the Bay of Fundy on the east coast
of Canada. The Bay of Fundy has the largest recorded tides in the world, with a maximum range of about 17 metres at the head of the bay. Tidal current velocities that exceed 4.5 m/s in restricted narrow passages at various points in the bay could be
harnessed for electrical power generation. To date about 10,000 km2 of multibeam bathymetry have been collected in the bay. Sub-bottom profiler data were collected simultaneously to provide information on the character and thickness of the sediments
on the seafloor. Additional bathymetry and sub-bottom profiler data will be collected in 2008. CHS will use the data for improved navigation charts and GSC will integrate information from geophysical surveys, seafloor samples, photographs, and video
transects to produce surficial geology and benthic habitat maps. The resulting 1: 50,000-scale maps will be released as part of a new Canadian national marine map series. Current meter and suspended sediment sensor data and time lapse photographs
will be used to provide information on seafloor properties, nearbed hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes. These data, in conjunction with the improved bathymetry data, will be used to assess the accuracy of tide and current prediction
models. The broad intertidal zone in the Bay of Fundy presents a challenge to collection of marine geophysical and bathymetry data. Traditionally, this area has not been surveyed due to the significant time requirements and inherent danger involved
in operating vessels in coastal areas that dry between tides. However, these large drying areas were surveyed using airborne terrestrial laser (LiDAR), providing an opportunity to generate a continuous map of the marine, intertidal and terrestrial
areas. The data were collected during an extreme low tide to provide detailed elevation measurements of the inter-tidal areas. Multibeam bathymetry data will be collected during high tides to provide a seamless digital elevation model across the
intertidal zone. The presentation will focus on the status of the project after the first two years of data collection, challenges and future plans of the project as well as a summary of the most recent data collection and interpretation from the
project. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 226178 |
|
|