Chesapeake Bay-Bottom Geophysical Data Collection

GENERAL OVERVIEW

The Chesapeake Bay-Bottom Geophysical Data Collection includes raw sidescan, bathymetric, and seismic surveys data collected by the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) from 2002 to present. As of 2023, data from ~186 surveys cover approximately 320 square miles throughout the Bay. This data collection will continue to grow as ongoing and future geophysical surveys are completed. Chesapeake Bay-bottom geophysical data is useful in evaluating changes in benthic habitats as well as providing information needed to support the economic development of bay aquaculture and native oyster recovery by identifying productive or potentially viable substrate conditions for growing oyster reefs.

MGS geologists collecting Chesapeake Bay-bottom geophysical data

COLLECTION PRESERVATION

A detailed inventory and the preservation of the existing MGS data are in progress, funded in part by the USGS National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP). In this data preservation project, digital data will be archived and information about each survey will be compiled, to include, but not limited to:

IDs
survey dates
survey area sizes
survey purpose
data types collected
vertical extent
processed mosaics
raw files
geospatial coordinates for survey/project center points

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For additional information about MGS current and past projects involving Chesapeake Bay geophysical surveys, including MGS work related to oyster habitat restoration, please see the MGS Coastal Geology webpage (http://www.mgs.md.gov/coastal_geology/coastal_geology.html)

COLLECTION INQUIRIES

For inquiries regarding the MGS Chesapeake Bay-Bottom Geophysical Data Collection, please contact:
Mr. Stephen Van Ryswick – 410-554-5544, [email protected]
Mr. Anthony Reisinger – 410-554-5541, [email protected]
Mr. Timothy Cooney – 410-554-5545, [email protected]

Examples of the types of data collected and how data may be applied and used subsequently.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The inventory and preservation of the data described above is being funded in part the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) under USGS award numbers G23AP00430. Please visit our “Data Preservation Efforts” webpage for more information about the NGGDPP grants and the ongoing preservation efforts at MGS: Maryland Geological Survey – Data Preservation Efforts