The reconnaissance maps upon which this data set is based show the areal distribution of the major bottom sediment types covering the sea floor off Massachusetts between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. The maps were intended as a guide to the future mapping of gravel, sand, silt, and clay, and, because these sediments reflect the hydraulic conditions, they are also helpful for deducing the important sediment transport mechanisms.

This data set includes the sedimentary environments for the sea floor offshore of northern and eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This interpretation is based on data collected with a multibeam sea floor mapping system during USGS survey 98015, conducted November 9 - 25, 1998 and on data collected with a bottom sampling and photographic system during USGS survey 04011, conducted during May and June, 2004.

The modern sediments of Buzzards Bay are described principally by the use of quantitative data from mechanical analyses. The environment of the sediment and its source and mode of deposition are discussed in the original publication. Although Hough (1940) is available as part of the NGDC Deck41 database, additional data from the original report were manually entered and, therefore, this file is unique.

This data set includes the locations, identifiers, grain-size data and(or) textural descriptions of surficial sediments collected at 89 stations on topographic and backscatter data of the sea floor offshore east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The sediments were collected with a modified Van Veen grab (small SEABOSS) during USGS survey 04011, conducted May 25- June 4, 2004.

These data were collected under a cooperative agreement with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC). Initiated in 2003, the primary objective of this program is to develop regional geologic framework information for the management of coastal and marine resources. Accurate data and maps of sea-floor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. The project is focused on the inshore waters of coastal Massachusetts, primarily in water depths of 3-30 meters deep. Data collected for the mapping cooperative have been released in a series of USGS Open-File Reports (http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/coastal_mass/html/current_map.html). The data collected in the study area located in Northern Cape Cod Bay Massachusetts includes high-resolution geophysics (bathymetry, backscatter intensity, and seismic reflection), and ground validation (sediment samples, video tracklines, and bottom photographs). The data were collected during five separate surveys conducted between 2006 and 2008 and cover 480 square kilometers of the inner continental shelf. More information about the individual USGS surveys conducted as part of the northern Cape Cod Bay project can be found on the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Field Activity webpage: 06012: http://quashnet.er.usgs.gov/data/2006/06012/ 07001: http://quashnet.er.usgs.gov/data/2007/07001/ 07002: http://quashnet.er.usgs.gov/data/2007/07002/ 07003: http://quashnet.er.usgs.gov/data/2007/07003/ 08002: http://quashnet.er.usgs.gov/data/2008/08002/

Accurate data and maps of sea floor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. To address these concerns the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), comprehensively mapped the Cape Cod Bay sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework. Geophysical data collected include swath bathymetry, backscatter, and seismic reflection profile data. Ground-truth data, including sediment samples, underwater video, and bottom photographs were also collected. This effort is part of a long-term collaboration between the USGS and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to map the State's waters, support research on the Quaternary evolution of coastal Massachusetts, the influence of sea-level change and sediment supply on coastal evolution, and efforts to understand the type, distribution, and quality of subtidal marine habitats. This collaboration produces high-resolution geologic maps and Geographic Information System (GIS) data that serve the needs of research, management and the public. Data collected as part of this mapping cooperative continue to be released in a series of USGS Open-File Reports and Data Releases (https://www.usgs.gov/centers/whcmsc/science/geologic-mapping-massachusetts-seafloor). This data release provides the geophysical and geologic sampling data collected in Cape Cod Bay during USGS Field Activities 2019-002-FA and 2019-034-FA in 2019.

The sediment data presented in this data layer were from a geochemical study sited in Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire. The analog data were originally converted into digital form for inclusion in a Gulf of Maine Contaminated Sediments Database.

These data are qualitatively derived interpretive polygon shapefiles and selected source raster data defining surficial geology, sediment type and distribution, and physiographic zones of the sea floor from Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay. Much of the geophysical data used to create the interpretive layers were collected under a cooperative agreement among the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Initiated in 2003, the primary objective of this program is to develop regional geologic framework information for the management of coastal and marine resources. Accurate data and maps of seafloor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes because of natural or human effects. The project is focused on the inshore waters of coastal Massachusetts. Data collected during the mapping cooperative involving the USGS have been released in a series of USGS Open-File Reports (http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/coastal_mass/html/current_map.html). The interpretations released in this study are for an area extending from the southern tip of Nahant to Northern Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts. A combination of geophysical and sample data including high resolution bathymetry and lidar, acoustic-backscatter intensity, seismic-reflection profiles, bottom photographs, and sediment samples are used to create the data interpretations. Most of the nearshore geophysical and sample data (including the bottom photographs) were collected during several cruises between 2000 and 2008. More information about the cruises and the data collected can be found at the Geologic Mapping of the Seafloor Offshore of Massachusetts Web page: http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/coastal_mass/.

This data set shows the distribution of surficial sediments offshore of northern and eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This interpretation is based on data collected with a multibeam sea floor mapping system during USGS survey 98015, conducted November 9 - 25, 1998 and on data collected with a bottom sampling and photographic system during USGS survey 04011, conducted during May and June, 2004.

The sediments and geomorphology of a portion of the northeastern continental shelf between Hudson Canyon and Georges Bank have been investigated. Wave-cut terraces at 13, 45, 65, and 80 fathoms indicate four former low sea levels, while concentrations of beach ridges around 35 fathoms reveal a fifth. The pre-Holocene drainage pattern, still exposed over part of the area, shows that Block Channel was the main stream system which drained most of southern New England. The surface sediments on the western part of the study area are Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits. Overlying these coarse deposits in the central part of the outer shelf is a sandy silt facies that is also relict. The youngest facies and the only area of present deposition, is in the northeastern part where sand eroded from Nantucket Shoals is being deposited on the shelf.