GEOPHYSICAL MAPPING AND DISTRIBUTION OF NEARSHORE SEDIMENTS NEAR FAIRPORT HARBOR IN THE LAKE ERIE CENTRAL BASIN, LAKE COUNTY, OHIO, USA

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey has been mapping segments of Ohio’s portion of the Lake Erie coastline utilizing high-resolution side-scan sonar technology since 2019. During the summer of 2022, the Survey continued collection of side-scan sonar data at Fairport Harbor in Lake County, Ohio to improve the understanding of how sediments are distributed on the lakebed, and how those sediments are transported over time. Previous geophysical mapping efforts at Fairport Harbor relied on antiquated geophysical equipment and utilized interpretations from data collected over 45 years ago (Carter, 1976). This study adds newly acquired tools for geophysical interpretations, including bathymetry, sub-bottom profiles, and side-scan sonar, all of which were motion corrected using real time kinematic corrections. The preliminary results of this study indicate that the sediments described in the model established by Fuller et al. (1999), have changed significantly over the last 40+ years. The data collected during this research has provided highly accurate information on sediments eroded from the Lake Erie coastline, including the distribution and transportation patterns of sediments currently deposited on the lakebed in the nearshore coastal environment.