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Paper No. 6-7
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
INVESTIGATIONS INTO SOUTH CAROLINA’S OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS) SAND RESOURCES: DATA INVENTORY, RESOURCE ASSESSMENT, AND RECENT DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS EFFORTS
Following the widespread impacts of Hurricane Sandy along the Atlantic coastline in 2012, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) provided funding for a series of state-level projects to assist with identifying sand resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that could be mobilized for future renourishment needs. In South Carolina, results of previous multi-year projects by state, local, and federal governments were combined with data provided by universities and private consulting firms to assess the potential value of historical data records to future sand resource assessments. The resulting geospatial inventory compiled data from 2,080 vibracores and grab samples and 5,600 km of geophysical trackline into a comprehensive database. Gaps in coverage, as well as the needs of South Carolina’s beach communities for nourishment-quality sand, were evaluated based on the inventory. Current work for the second phase of this project is focused on processing and detailed analysis of a reconnaissance-level dataset collected by BOEM contractor CB&I in 2015. Sidescan sonar records and chirp subbottom profiler data will be compiled to provide a better understanding of the distribution and potential volume of sand resources situated within shoals in the 3-8 nautical mile OCS. Combining volumetric calculations for these areas with newly-interpreted historical seismic data records will help inform future efforts to locate beach-compatible sand resources in this area of focus offshore of South Carolina’s coastline. Additionally, results from a regional-scale BOEM-funded project to evaluate the vibracores collected for the CB&I 2015 survey will be integrated to provide information on mineralogy, grain size, and age. This information will support resource evaluation efforts and interpretations pertaining to the regional geology and evolution of the South Atlantic OCS.