Monday, 7 November 2005
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Subaqueous Landforms and Their Associated Soils in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland.

Danielle Balduff, University of Maryland, Department of NRSL, 1112 H.J. Patterson Hall, College Park, MD 20742-5821 and Martin Rabenhorst, University of Maryland, Department of NRSL, 1112 H.J. Patterson Hall, College Park, MD 20742-5821.

Prior to the early 1990's shallow water mineral substrates were only mapped as geological sediments. Demas and Rabenhorst (1999) demonstrated that soil horizons have formed in these shallow water substrates due to pedologic processes. Therefore, these shallow water substrates should be considered subaqueous soils and can be accommodated under a pedological paradigm. This study will identify and describe subaqueous landforms and the associated soils of Chincoteague Bay, Maryland. Chincoteague Bay is the largest of Maryland's inland coastal bays (45, 325 ha) located between the Maryland and Virginia coasts and Assateague Island. Chincoteague Bay contains abundant submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds, which are indicative of relatively clean estuaries having sufficient water clarity for benthic photosynthesis. Bathymetric data collected by the Maryland Geological Survey in 2003 was used to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) of Chincoteague Bay. The DEM was used, in conjunction with color infrared photography, as a base map to aid in the identification of subaqueous landforms. The identified landforms include: storm-surge washover fan; storm-surge washover fan slope; mainland cove; lagoon bottom; submerged wave-cut terrace; and barrier cove. Previously established soil-landscape models were evaluated for their applicability in Chincoteague Bay. The appropriate models were then utilized to create a draft soil map of Chincoteague Bay. Soils were classified using Soil Taxonomy and the major subgroup classifications found in Chincoteague Bay include Typic Sulfaquents, Haplic Sulfaquents, Thapto-histic Sulfaquents, and Typic Hydraquents. The association of soils with particular landforms further supports the notion that the soil-landscape paradigm is applicable in subaqueous environments. By mapping the soils of Chincoteague Bay a valuable resource will be inventoried for use in ecological research and management.

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