CONTENTS 



Page 



I INTRODUCTION 7 



1. Background 7 



2. Field and Laboratory Procedures 8 



3. Scope 10 



4. Recent Studies 10 



5. Hydrography 14 



6. Geologic Setting 14 



II GEOMORPHOLOGY AND SHALLOW SUBBOTTOM STRUCTURE 19 



1. Geomorphology 19 



2. Shallow Subbottom Structure 23 



III SEDIMENT CHARACTERISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION 29 



1. Sediment Characteristics 29 



2. Sediment Distribution 34 



IV DISCUSSION 36 



1. Relationship between Subbottom Strata, 



Topography, and Sediments 36 



2. Origin and Distribution of Sediments 38 



3. Modern Sedimentation 41 



V SAND RESOURCES 42 



1. Sandfill Requirements 42 



2. Potential Offshore Sand Resources 42 



VI SUMMARY 58 



LITERATURE CITED 67 



APPENDIX 



A SELECTED GEOPHYSICAL PROFILES 71 



B GRANULOMETRIC DATA 74 



TABLES 



1 Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Boston Basin. ... 17 



2 Grain-size scales (soil classification) 30 



3 Beach sandfill requirements in the study region 42 



4 Characteristics of sand from potential borrow areas 47 



FIGURES 



1 General map of the study area 11 



2 Navigation chart of the ICONS survey 12 



