3. Scope 



The area covered by this report extends along the east Florida coast 

 and adjacent Continental Shelf, from Palm Beach (26°48'N) to the southern 

 part of Canaveral Peninsula (28°27'N) . Tne adjacent coastal segment, from 

 Palm Beach to Miami, is covered in CERC's Technical Memorandum No. 29 

 (Duane and Meisburger, 1969) . Figure 1 is a map of the location and major 

 geographic features of the region. Field work in support of the study was 

 accomplished between January and May 1965 by contract (Alpine Geophysical 

 Associates, Inc.). Data collected and reported consists of continuous 

 seismic reflection profiles covering 611 statute miles of survey line and 

 72 sediment cores ranging from 6 to 12 feet long (Figures 2 and 3) . 



Basic data processing covered analysis and reduction of geophysical 

 records, visual description and size analysis of sediment samples from 

 the cores, and construction of large-scale navigation overlays showing 

 the position of geophysical lines and cores. Field data was supplemented 

 by literature pertaining to the region and by U. S. Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey hydrographic smooth-sheet coverage at 1:40,000 scale. 



4. Geologic Setting 



a. Hydrography - The shoreline of the study area extends 100 miles in 

 a north-northwesterly direction from North Palm Beach (26°48'N) to near 

 Canova Beach (28°08'N) thence northward and eastward 24 miles along the 

 south flank of Canaveral Peninsula to Cape Kennedy (28°27'N). South from 

 Palm Beach, the Florida shoreline has a north-south alignment. 



The study comprises coastal portions of the counties of Brevard, 

 Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach, and includes the adjacent 

 submerged plain of the Continental Shelf (Figure 1) . The abrupt change in 

 shoreline orientation near Palm Beach and the Canaveral Peninsula salient 

 combined with changes in width of the Continental Shelf form geographic 

 boundaries to the study area. 



Adjacent to the study area the Continental Shelf is complex. The 

 major morphologic element of the Shelf is a submerged coastal plain with 

 naturally divisible inner and outer zones and a well- developed shoreface 

 zone. ITiis shelf region varies from 2 to 38 miles in width and terminates 

 at a break marking the top of the Florida-Hatteras Slope in water depths 

 varying from 80 to 230 feet. The Florida-Hatteras Slope (name proposed by 

 Uchupi, 1968) is defined as an incipient continental slope by Heezen, et 

 al., (1959). It forms the western wall of the Straits of Florida in that 

 part of the study area lying south of 28°00'N. North of 28°00'N the slope 

 descends to the Blake Plateau at about 2,300 feet (Figure 1). 



Within the study limits the immediate shore area consists of a low 

 barrier island. North of St. Lucie Inlet, the barrier is backed by the 

 broad lagoons of the Banana River and Indian River; south of the inlet, 

 the barrier fronts a marshy swale traversed by the Atlantic Intracoagtal 



