A.A. Boggess
B.J. Buczkowski
J.D. Chaytor
20210819
Undrained shear strength of sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch collected on USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA
1.0
spreadsheet
data release
DOI:10.5066/P9ZYK3PX
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZYK3PX
https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/60551a34d34e1894882d0a4e
A.A. Boggess
B.J. Buczkowski
J.D. Chaytor
2021
Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch
1.0
Reston, VA
U.S. Geological Survey
Suggested citation: Boggess, A.A., Buczkowski, B.J., and Chaytor, J.D., 2021, Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZYK3PX.
https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZYK3PX
https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/604b8bc4d34eb120311b3800
Variability in sediment properties with depth and the thickness of individual sedimentary layers are critical determinants of seabed acoustic response. The New England Mud Patch (NEMP), located south of Cape Cod, is an unusual feature on the U.S. Continental Shelf in that it is composed of fine-grained sediment layers containing a relatively-homogeneous mix of sand, silt, and clay-sized particles bounded by more typical sandy shelf sediments. The unique characteristics and nature of this deposit is due to a derivation of sediments that have been transported to, and deposited in, a basal bowl-shaped depression since the last glacial maximum. Ninety-two piston, vibra-, and gravity cores with a maximum length of 8.2 meters were collected from across the New England Mud Patch during a 2-leg, 10-day cruise aboard the R/V Endeavor in the spring of 2016. Geologic characterization and analysis of a subset of the cores including grain size, CaCO3, mineral composition, and bulk index properties (undrained shear strength, water content, density, and porosity) of discrete samples was carried out at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center's (WHCMSC) Sediment Analysis Laboratory. This data release contains the results of these analyses, along with visual core descriptions and summary sheets for each core analyzed for this study.
The data gained through the analyses of cores collected from the New England Mud Patch help provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature and properties of the sediments found in this geographic location. Undrained shear strength provides a relative measure of the sediments' ‘stiffness’ within the cores.
Cores were collected on the 2016 R/V Endeavor cruise EN577 from April 19, 2016 to May 2, 2016. Information about this expedition, also known as USGS Field Activity 2016-001-FA, is available at https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/fan_info.php?fan=2016-001-FA
20160419
20160502
ground condition
None planned
-70.7979
-70.4370
40.5952
40.3058
ISO 19115 Topic Category
oceans
None
U.S. Geological Survey
USGS
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
WHCMSC
sediment samples
cores
piston cores
trigger cores
acoustic cores
Cruise ID EN577
WHCMSC Field Activity 2016-001-FA
R/V Endeavor
lithology
sediment stiffness
torque meter
Su
USGS Thesaurus
geology
sedimentology
piston coring
vibracoring
gravity coring
core analysis
unconsolidated deposits
clay deposits
sand deposits
earth material properties
Holocene
USGS Metadata Identifier
USGS:60551a34d34e1894882d0a4e
None
New England Mud Patch
NEMP
Atlantic
U.S. Continental Shelf
Massachusetts
Martha's Vineyard
Seabed Experiment Area
None.
Not to be used for navigation. The public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the U.S. Geological Survey as the originator of the dataset.
Jason Chaytor
U.S. Geological Survey, Northeast Region
Research Geologist
mailing and physical
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole
MA
02543
US
508-548-8700 x2351
jchaytor@usgs.gov
https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/60551a34d34e1894882d0a4e/?name=MudPatchCores_BrowseGraphic.png
Browse image of the core collection locations and spatial extent of the study area
PNG
Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise Version 10.0.18363 (Build 18363)
Jason D. Chaytor
Megan S. Ballard
Brian J. Buczkowski
John A. Goff
Kevin M. Lee
Allen H. Reed
Allyson A. Boggess
2021
Measurements of Geologic Characteristics and Geophysical Properties of Sediments from the New England Mud Patch
1.0
Piscataway, NJ
IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society
This journal article is the publication supported by this data release.
https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2021.3101013
Torque measurement depths were checked to make sure that they matched the depths recorded in the data.
Shear strength measurements are generally within the expected ranges. At some depths, the sediment was waterlogged and was sheared with a torque less than expected. These instances were noted on the visual core description sheets.
Of the 98 cores collected on the EN577 cruise, 66 cores were measured for shear strength. Cores chosen for analysis were those that were thought to represent the full range of sediments expected to be encountered. Any cores omitted from analysis were not included because the coring locations were in close proximity to previously analyzed cores.
Jason D. Chaytor
Megan S. Ballard
Brian J. Buczkowski
John A. Goff
Kevin M. Lee
Allen H. Reed
Allyson A. Boggess
2021
Measurements of Geologic Characteristics and Geophysical Properties of Sediments from the New England Mud Patch
1.0
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA
U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2021.3101013
Digital and/or Hardcopy
2021
publication date
Chaytor (2021)
Section B3 contains equations for unit conversion of undrained shear strength measurements.
Each core was cut into sections on the ship during collection. The cores were then split into halves in the core lab. Shear strength was measured at the same time as the core visual description was completed.
2016
Jason Chaytor
U.S. Geological Survey, Northeast Region
Research Geologist
mailing and physical
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole
MA
02543
US
508-548-8700 x2351
jchaytor@usgs.gov
A 0.5-in (12.7-mm) diameter by 0.5-in (12.7-mm) high four-blade vane attached to a torque gauge was inserted into the sediment to a depth of 2 cm and rotated at a fixed rate until the sediment sheared. The torque gauge reading, measured in oz-in (ounce-inch) and later converted to kPa, was recorded on the core description sheet, then later entered into a spreadsheet at its corresponding core depth.
2020
Allyson A Boggess
U.S. Geological Survey, NORTHEAST REGION
Geologist
mailing address
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole
MA
02543
US
508-548-8700 x2341
508-457-2310
aboggess@usgs.gov
Torque gauge measurements were converted to undrained shear strength in kPa using a series of equations described by Chaytor (2021), the listed associated publication. Shear strength measurements in kPa were compiled into three spreadsheets, grouped together by core type. See "Overview Description" in the "Entity and Attributes" section for more information about the presentation of the data.
Chaytor (2021)
2020
Jason Chaytor
U.S. Geological Survey, Northeast Region
Research Geologist
mailing and physical
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole
MA
02543
US
508-548-8700 x2351
jchaytor@usgs.gov
Tweaked a thesaurus name (20211117).
20211117
U.S. Geological Survey
VeeAnn A. Cross
Marine Geologist
Mailing and Physical
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole
MA
02543-1598
508-548-8700 x2251
508-457-2310
vatnipp@usgs.gov
EN577_UndrainedShearStrength_PistonCores.csv
Comma Separated Value (CSV) file containing shear strength data for 37 NEMP piston cores. Point dataset. 1429 data records.
Producer Defined
Depth (cm)
Down-core depth at which torque gauge measured undrained shear strength
Producer Defined
5
810
centimeters
EN577-1PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-1PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
22.3
kilopascals
EN577-3PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-3PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
0.0
13.0
kilopascals
EN577-6PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-6PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.9
23.8
kilopascals
EN577-7PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-7PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.1
23.7
kilopascals
EN577-8PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-8PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.6
12.5
kilopascals
EN577-9PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-9PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.8
26.2
kilopascals
EN577-12PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-12PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.9
20.8
kilopascals
EN577-13PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-13PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
31.0
kilopascals
EN577-14PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-14PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.6
19.1
kilopascals
EN577-15PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-15PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.1
11.9
kilopascals
EN577-17PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-17PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.4
14.5
kilopascals
EN577-19PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-19PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.3
21.1
kilopascals
EN577-20PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-20PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.1
28.0
kilopascals
EN577-21PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-21PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.6
24.7
kilopascals
EN577-24PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-24PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
27.3
kilopascals
EN577-26PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-26PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.9
15.5
kilopascals
EN577-27PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-27PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
46.4
kilopascals
EN577-28PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-28PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.9
28.9
kilopascals
EN577-29PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-29PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.6
27.7
kilopascals
EN577-30PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-30PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.8
15.0
kilopascals
EN577-31PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-31PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
7.4
15.5
kilopascals
EN577-33PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-33PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
15.0
kilopascals
EN577-36PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-36PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.1
27.0
kilopascals
EN577-38PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-38PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.0
23.9
kilopascals
EN577-40PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-40PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
31.5
kilopascals
EN577-43PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-43PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
7.1
12.8
kilopascals
EN577-45PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-45PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.1
21.6
kilopascals
EN577-46PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-46PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
11.4
kilopascals
EN577-47PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-47PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.6
10.9
kilopascals
EN577-48PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-48PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.6
9.7
kilopascals
EN577-49PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-49PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.0
21.3
kilopascals
EN577-51PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-51PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.1
22.6
kilopascals
EN577-52PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-52PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.8
13.3
kilopascals
EN577-53PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-53PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
10.7
kilopascals
EN577-54PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-54PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.1
24.6
kilopascals
EN577-55PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-55PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.5
22.3
kilopascals
EN577-56PC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-56PC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.8
14.8
kilopascals
EN577_UndrainedShearStrength_TriggerCores.csv
Comma Separated Value (CSV) file containing shear strength data for 19 NEMP trigger cores. Point dataset. 72 data records.
Producer Defined
Depth (cm)
Down-core depth at which torque gauge measured undrained shear strength
Producer Defined
5
70
centimeters
EN577-2TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-2TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
9.2
kilopascals
EN577-5TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-5TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
5.9
kilopascals
EN577-9TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-9TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
1.7
8.6
kilopascals
EN577-10TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-10TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.4
8.9
kilopascals
EN577-11TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-11TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.4
6.4
kilopascals
EN577-12TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-12TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.4
8.4
kilopascals
EN577-14TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-14TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.1
8.6
kilopascals
EN577-17TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-17TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.0
4.9
kilopascals
EN577-33TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-33TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.6
9.9
kilopascals
EN577-35TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-35TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.0
7.6
kilopascals
EN577-36TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-36TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.8
9.2
kilopascals
EN577-41TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-41TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.8
5.8
kilopascals
EN577-43TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-43TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.5
10.2
kilopascals
EN577-45TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-45TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.1
8.9
kilopascals
EN577-46TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-46TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.4
8.2
kilopascals
EN577-49TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-49TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
5.3
10.9
kilopascals
EN577-52TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-52TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
4.4
kilopascals
EN577-53TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-53TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.5
5.1
kilopascals
EN577-55TC
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-55TC in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
9.2
kilopascals
EN577_UndrainedShearStrength_AcousticCores.csv
Comma Separated Value (CSV) file containing shear strength data for 10 aNEMP acoustic/gravity cores. Point dataset. 163 data records.
Producer Defined
Depth (cm)
Down-core depth at which torque gauge measured undrained shear strength
Producer Defined
10
220
centimeters
EN577-AC1-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC1-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.6
11.4
kilopascals
EN577-AC2-2
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC2-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.9
10.9
kilopascals
EN577-AC3-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC3-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.9
15.5
kilopascals
EN577-AC4-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC4-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.6
9.9
kilopascals
EN577-AC5-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC5-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.6
11.5
kilopascals
EN577-AC6-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC6-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.3
10.2
kilopascals
EN577-AC7-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC7-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
6.8
11.9
kilopascals
EN577-AC8-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC8-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
3.8
12.4
kilopascals
EN577-AC9-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC9-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.8
10.9
kilopascals
EN577-AC10-1
Shear strength (Su) of core EN577-AC10-1 in kPa
Producer Defined
<< empty cell >>
Shear strength was not measured at this depth.
Producer defined
4.0
13.8
kilopascals
Finalized undrained shear strength data was taken from a master table of calculations and compiled into three CSV (comma-separated value)spreadsheet files pertaining to each core type (piston, trigger, and acoustic cores).
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
mailing and physical
Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Mail Stop 302
Denver
CO
80225
United States
1-888-275-8747
sciencebase@usgs.gov
Comma-separated value spreadsheets (EN577_UndrainedShearStrength_PistonCores.csv, EN577_UndrainedShearStrength_TriggerCores.csv, EN577_UndrainedShearStrength_AcousticCores.csv), browse graphic, and associated FGDC CSDGM metadata in XML.
Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
CSV
Microsoft Excel 2008
Comma separated value spreadsheet
1.26
https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/file/get/60551a34d34e1894882d0a4e
https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/60551a34d34e1894882d0a4e
https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZYK3PX
The first link is to download the data in a ZIP file. The second link is to the dataset landing page where files can be downloaded individually. The third link is to the main landing page of the data release.
None
20230522
Allyson A Boggess
U.S. Geological Survey, NORTHEAST REGION
Geologist
mailing address
384 Woods Hole Road
Woods Hole
MA
02543
US
508-548-8700 x2341
508-457-2310
whsc_data_contact@usgs.gov
The metadata contact email address is a generic address in the event the metadata contact is no longer with the USGS or the email is otherwise invalid.
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001-1998