Knowledge of surface sediment distribution in Galveston Bay is important because it allows us to better understand how the bay works and how human activities impact the bay and its ecosystems. In this project, six areas of bay bottom were surveyed using acoustic techniques to make maps of bay bottom types and to investigate the types and extent of anthropogenic impacts. A total of 31 km2 was surveyed in six areas, one in Bolivar Roads (6.1 km2), one near Redfish Bar (3.1 km2), two in East Bay (12 km2), one southeast of the Clear Lake entrance (5.3 km2), and one in Trinity Bay (4.3 km2). Sidescan sonars (100 kHz and 600 kHz) were used to image the bay bottom, and a chirp sonar (2-12 kHz) was used to image subsurface sediment layers and bottom topography. In the side-scan records, objects as small as a few meters in extent were visible, whereas the chirp sonar records show a vertical resolution of a few tens of centimeters. The sidescan images display strong backscatter in some areas due to coarse sediments in addition to weak backscatter in areas of fine sediment. The bay bottom was classified using three levels of sonar backscatter ranging from high to low. Areas of differing sonar backscatter intensity were sampled with cores and grab-samples. High backscatter corresponded to coarse shell debris and oyster reefs, medium backscatter corresponded to a sand-silt-shell mixture, and low backscatter corresponded to silty loam. Chirp sonar records were classified as one of nine different bottom reflection types based on changes in amplitude and stratigraphy. Parallel, layered sediments are seen filling the bay valley and resting atop a sharp contact at which the acoustic signal fades out. Along the flanks of the valley fill the acoustic response revealed an absent or weakly laminated stratigraphy, whereas areas of high oyster productivity produced mounds, strong surface returns, and strong, shallow subsurface reflectors surrounding current oyster reefs. Anthropogenic features imaged with the sonar included sediment disruptions, such as the ship channels, dredge holes, gouges, and trawl marks, as well as debris, such as submerged boats, pipes, and unidentified objects.

<p>Detailed information on past oceanographic and climatic changes is crucial for our understanding of natural climate variability and for the assessment of future climate variations. Sediments strongly influenced by the North Atlantic Current accumulate at high rates in the northeastern Skagerrak, forming a potential highresolution archive for information on past climatic and oceanographic processes and events. Through a highresolution, multi-proxy study of the 32 meter long core MD99-2286 from the north-eastern Skagerrak, and interpretation of chirp sonar profiles from the coring area, this thesis provides new and detailed insights about the paleoceanographic development of the eastern North Sea region since the deglaciation.</p><p>The chronostratigraphic control of core MD99-2286 relies on 27 radiocarbon dates. Ages are presented in calibrated thousand years before present (abbreviated “kyr”). Core MD99-2286 was correlated to chirp sonar profiles using measured physical properties. This correlation demonstrates that a strong regional acoustic reflector, previously assumed to represent the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, was formed as a result of rapid ice retreat during the latest Pleistocene. Based on the distribution of ice rafted debris in the core, ice berg calving in the Skagerrak ended at 10.7 kyr. Detailed grain-size analyses of the core were interpreted using a novel 3D-visualization technique. Between 11.3 and 10.3 kyr, clay-rich distal glacial marine sediments were deposited in the northeastern Skagerrak, derived from Baltic melt-water outflow across south-central Sweden through the Otteid-Stenselva strait. As a result of differential isostatic uplift, the route of the major outflow and the associated sediment deposition moved southwards along the Swedish west coast. After 10.3 kyr, sediment deposition in the north-eastern Skagerrak gradually adopted to a fully interglacial normal marine sedimentation dominated by Atlantic inflow and the North Jutland Current.</p><p>The establishment of the modern circulation system in the eastern North Sea is marked by abrupt coarsening of the sediments in core MD99-2286 at 8.5 kyr. This was a result of increased Atlantic inflow, opening of the English Channel and the Danish straits, and formation of the South Jutland Current. Mineral magnetic properties of the core show a distinct relationship reflecting general sediment source variability. After 8.5 kyr, sediments in the northeastern Skagerrak were derived predominantly from the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, with varying contributions from the South Jutland Current, the Baltic Current, and the currents along the coasts of western Sweden and southern Norway. Between 6.3 and 3.8 kyr, the eastern North Sea was further developed towards the modern situation by an increase of the South Jutland Current flow. The Skagerrak bottom currents were probably forced by strong Atlantic water inflow between 0.9 and 0.5 kyr, and after that by increased wind stress. The influence of regional climate on the eastern North Sea circulation has increased since the middle of the Holocene.</p>

Detailed information on past oceanographic and climatic changes is crucial for our understanding of natural climate variability and for the assessment of future climate variations. Sediments strongly influenced by the North Atlantic Current accumulate at high rates in the northeastern Skagerrak, forming a potential highresolution archive for information on past climatic and oceanographic processes and events. Through a highresolution, multi-proxy study of the 32 meter long core MD99-2286 from the north-eastern Skagerrak, and interpretation of chirp sonar profiles from the coring area, this thesis provides new and detailed insights about the paleoceanographic development of the eastern North Sea region since the deglaciation. The chronostratigraphic control of core MD99-2286 relies on 27 radiocarbon dates. Ages are presented in calibrated thousand years before present (abbreviated “kyr”). Core MD99-2286 was correlated to chirp sonar profiles using measured physical properties. This correlation demonstrates that a strong regional acoustic reflector, previously assumed to represent the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, was formed as a result of rapid ice retreat during the latest Pleistocene. Based on the distribution of ice rafted debris in the core, ice berg calving in the Skagerrak ended at 10.7 kyr. Detailed grain-size analyses of the core were interpreted using a novel 3D-visualization technique. Between 11.3 and 10.3 kyr, clay-rich distal glacial marine sediments were deposited in the northeastern Skagerrak, derived from Baltic melt-water outflow across south-central Sweden through the Otteid-Stenselva strait. As a result of differential isostatic uplift, the route of the major outflow and the associated sediment deposition moved southwards along the Swedish west coast. After 10.3 kyr, sediment deposition in the north-eastern Skagerrak gradually adopted to a fully interglacial normal marine sedimentation dominated by Atlantic inflow and the North Jutland Current. The establishment of the modern circulation system in the eastern North Sea is marked by abrupt coarsening of the sediments in core MD99-2286 at 8.5 kyr. This was a result of increased Atlantic inflow, opening of the English Channel and the Danish straits, and formation of the South Jutland Current. Mineral magnetic properties of the core show a distinct relationship reflecting general sediment source variability. After 8.5 kyr, sediments in the northeastern Skagerrak were derived predominantly from the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, with varying contributions from the South Jutland Current, the Baltic Current, and the currents along the coasts of western Sweden and southern Norway. Between 6.3 and 3.8 kyr, the eastern North Sea was further developed towards the modern situation by an increase of the South Jutland Current flow. The Skagerrak bottom currents were probably forced by strong Atlantic water inflow between 0.9 and 0.5 kyr, and after that by increased wind stress. The influence of regional climate on the eastern North Sea circulation has increased since the middle of the Holocene.

Seabed surface sediments vary with active geomorphodynamics and sediment remobilization processes. Understanding relations between geotechnical sediment properties and sediment mobilization processes can potentially improve predictions of coastal erosion and hazard mitigation. Portable free fall penetrometers have emerged as an economic and useful tool for rapid geotechnical site characterization and uppermost sediment layer investigation. Acoustic methods have been used to assess seabed layering, scour evolution, and seabed morphology. However, there still exist major limitations in using these methods for classification and characterization of seabed sediment surface layers in the context of local sediment dynamics. Therefore, the goal of this research is to advance field data collection methods and field data availability towards advancing the current understanding and prediction of nearshore sediment dynamics. Geotechnical and geophysical measurements were conducted at different sites: Delaware Bay, Delaware; Pea Island, North Carolina; York River, Virginia; Potomac River, Maryland; Guadalupe River, Brazos River, Colorado River, Texas with different soil types and properties, hydrodynamic conditions, and morphological settings. The data collected was utilized to address the research goals through: (1) combining geotechnical and acoustic measurements to get better insight on sediment dynamics and erodibility, (2) proposing a framework that utilizes PFFP data to classify soil and estimate certain sediment properties (relative density and friction angle for sand and undrained shear strength for clays), relevant for local sediment dynamics, and (3) investigating how relevant geotechnical properties are reflected in acoustic, and specifically chirp sonar measurements. The findings of this research support the capability of portable free fall penetrometer to estimate sediment properties in topmost layers for different soil types such as friction angles, with an accuracy of ± 1° and undrained shear strength values, with <10% mismatches. Geoacoustic parameters such as acoustic impedance can also be calculated from acoustic measurements and correlated to certain sediment properties such as porosity and bulk density. Combining both measurements can yield better site characterization and accurate estimation of sediment properties for a better prediction of sediment dynamics. / Doctor of Philosophy / As the impacts of climate change seem to worsen, the likelihood of extreme events increases. This includes more frequent and severe events such as erosion, storm surges, melting glaciers, and sea level rise that impacts coastlines and coastal infrastructure. The increase in water levels increases the frequency of coastal hazards and flooding. These events result in devastating consequences, economically and environmentally, and disrupt people's lives all over the world. To adapt and reduce the severity of these consequences, there is a need to capture the changes in seabed, and a better understanding of seabed properties and their erodibility. This requires a reliable site characterization and an accurate estimate of seabed properties, which remain a challenge for different marine environments. There exist different site investigation methods to estimate seabed sediment properties that fall under geotechnical or geophysical types. One of the common geotechnical methods is a Portable free fall penetrometer (PFFPs), that presents a robust and economical tool for a rapid site assessment of topmost seabed layers. Geophysical tools, and mainly acoustic methods, are also often used to complement geotechnical methods due to their ability to cover vast areas in efficient time. However, both methods still face limitations in assessing seabed layers and properties. Therefore, the objective of this research is to develop a framework that paves the way for a reliable assessment of seabed properties using geotechnical and geophysical methods. Both methods were utilized for data collection in different locations across the US: Delaware Bay, Delaware; Pea Island, North Carolina; York River, Virginia; Potomac River, Maryland. Three additional sites Guadalupe, Brazos River, and Colorado Rivers, Texas were surveyed post hurricane Harvey that resulted in extreme flooding events. The measurements are collected from different coastal environments. This better account for the diversity in seabed to achieve a more generalized and well-integrated methodology to assess seabed layers under different conditions.