GULF OF MEXICO 



43 



charts from recent surveys done on thin paper, 

 bound in the book. Soundings and underwater 

 contours are given to depths of from 30 to 60 

 brazos de agua (Cuban fathoms). 



World Aeronautical Charts, U. S. Air Force 

 {Mexico and Cuba) .—Charts 522, 586-589, and 

 643-645. See: Aeronautical Chart Catalog, 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey. 



Topographic Maps, Air Photographs and Geo- 

 logical Reports. — The U. S. Geological Survey 

 publishes a series of key maps for the United 

 States, Alaska, and Insular possessions showing 

 the status of topographic mapping and air (aerial) 

 photography, including mosaic sheets and with 

 some geologic mapping. State maps showing 

 the areas covered by all published geological re- 

 ports and articles are available for some States 

 from this agency. The State geological surveys 

 and bureaus also furnish lists of their publications. 

 The Geologic Map of North America, Geological 

 Society of America, 1946, and the American 

 Geographical Society's Map of North America 

 are useful regional aids, besides State geologic 

 and topographic maps. 



Areal summaries of oceanographic data. — Since 

 Vaughan's (1937) survey of information available 

 in this field no general key maps have been 

 published. Articles on geological oceanography 

 of coastal areas are now listed in geological 

 bibliographies. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The writer is indebted to a large number of 

 persons and organizations too numerous to list 

 here. Valuable aid was received from the State 

 geological surveys of Florida and Louisiana, and 

 some former members of the latter; several mem- 

 bers of the United States Geological Survey; 

 officials of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Hydro- 

 graphic Office, photographic branches of the 

 Arm}^ Navy, and Department of Agriculture, 

 and the corps of Engineers; geologists of the 

 Mexican federal geological survey and petroleum 

 development agency, as well as numerous individ- 

 ual geologists, biologists, ecologists, and other 

 persons familiar with remote and little-known 

 parts of the shorelines of Mexico, Florida, and 

 Louisiana. To his colleagues in the Department 

 of Oceanography of the Agricultural and Me- 

 chanical College of Texas, the writer is deeply 

 indebted for orientation and guidance in oceanog- 

 raphy during the years of 1950-53, as well as 

 for specific information and aid. The develop- 

 ment of the research on which this condensed 

 paper is based was followed closely by Warren C. 

 Thompson and Charles C. Bates, while doing 

 research in the Department, with whom many 

 helpful discussions have been held. The impetus 

 in the development of the geo-oceanographic 

 classification here used, as has been said, came from 

 the manuscript by E. H. Fleming and F. E. 

 Elliott. 



STRUCTURAL AND REGIONAL GEO-OCEANOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO SHORELINE 

 DESCRIPTION AND CLASSIFICATION FOR GULF OF MEXICO 



COASTS AND HINTERLAND 



The Gulf provides a good example of the well- 

 recognized relation (Weaver 1950) of the 

 topography of the hinterland to the width of 

 coastal plains and continental shelves (fig. 13). ^ 

 The geolog ic structure of any hinterland largely 



' Taken from Price (1951 b). 



controls its topography and has a direct or indirect 

 effect (Suess 1888) on the character and positions 

 of shorelines. These factors are dominant in 

 determining the drainage and hence, the transport 

 of sediment from the land to coastal areas. 



