sand resources

GM25 Geologic Map of Offshore Delaware

Delineation of map units is based on sediment-core descriptions (e.g., texture, color, and composition) from 469 locations and seafloor morphology, which was assessed from a seamless NOAA/USGS topo-bathymetric model (Pendleton et al., 2014).

Kelvin Ramsey co-authored two recent presentations

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Thompson, C.M., Lockwood, R., and Ramsey, K.W., 2017 Molluscan Paleoecology and Substrate Affinities on the mid-Atlantic Continental Shelf: Geological Society of America, Seattle, Washington.

Sand search - Delaware Geological Survey assessing sand availability for beach restoration planning

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The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) is identifying areas where sand is available to restore the state’s dunes and beaches following coastal storms through a new agreement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

Housed at the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, DGS will evaluate the state’s existing geologic and geophysical data to pinpoint sand resources for future needs.

From where should beach replenishment sand come?

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Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have each partnered with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to find new sand sources using existing mapping data. As part of the federal Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, which allocated $13.6 million to the bureau, all three states will each receive $200,000 for the two-year project.

BOEM and Delaware Sign Agreement to Identify Sand Resources for Coastal Resilience and Restoration Planning

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As a part of President Obama’s continuing commitment to help coastal communities recover from Hurricane Sandy and promote resilient coastal systems, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the State of Delaware signed a two-year cooperative agreement totaling $200,000 to identify sand resources for coastal resilience and restoration planning. The agreement will help BOEM and Delaware conduct research that will assist coastal communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy, restore habitat, increase our knowledge of sand resources offshore, and contribute to long-term coastal resilience planning efforts.

Under this agreement, the Delaware Geological Survey (DGS), located at the University of Delaware, will evaluate and consolidate Delaware’s existing geologic and geophysical data. The data will be used to identify new sand resources to meet future needs.

DGS releases new geologic map of Rehoboth Beach area

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The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) has published a new geologic map of the Rehoboth Beach area in eastern Sussex County entitled Geologic Map of the Fairmount and Rehoboth Beach Quadrangles, Delaware. Geologic Map 16 presents the results of research by Kelvin W. Ramsey of the DGS.

GM16 Geologic Map of the Fairmount and Rehoboth Beach Quadrangles, Delaware

The geologic history of the surficial units of the Fairmount and Rehoboth Beach quadrangles is that of deposition of the Beaverdam Formation and its subsequent modification by erosion and deposition related to sea-level fluctuations during the Pleistocene. The geology reflects this complex history both onshore, in Rehoboth Bay, and offshore. Erosion during the late Pleistocene sea-level low stand and ongoing deposition offshore and in Rehoboth Bay during the Holocene rise in sea level represent the last of several cycles of erosion and deposition.