Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Analysis of acoustic records created during a sub-bottom survey of wreckage of the Queen Anne’s Revenge was conducted in order to confirm the presence of an erosion-resistant layer in the underlying geology of the inlet in which it rests. The wreckage has been subject to the processes of scour and burial, which have caused it to settle into the surrounding sediment to the depth at which it is found today. Two main controls on this depth are the velocity of the bottom currents that act upon the wreckage, and the underlying geology of the area. An erosion, or scour, resistant layer would possess characteristics that alter its permeability or density. The layer, believed to exist at a depth of one meter, does not appear on the acoustic records and therefore does not possess a distinct density from the layers of sediment above it. Sediment cores taken of the area support the idea that a scour-resistant layer exists, but may be highly localized, occurring primarily to the west of the wreck. Cores also provide evidence that the layer possesses characteristics that reduce its permeability without changing its density. More research is needed to confirm the presence and extent of a scour-resistant layer, and to identify the characteristics that make it resistant.
Date Awarded
2004
Department
Geology
Advisor 1
Jesse E. McNinch
Recommended Citation
Gibson, Kelly, "The Use of Seismic Technology in Identifying Scour Resistant Layers: A study on the wreck site of the Queen Anne's Revenge and the control of underlying geology on the processes of scour and burial" (2004). Geology Senior Theses. William & Mary. Paper 132.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/geologyseniors/132
