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Document Type
Book Chapter
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Editors
Millington Lockwood, Bonnie A. McGregor, editors
Publication Date
1990
Book Title
Proceedings of the 1989 Exclusive Economic Zone Symposium on Mapping and Research: Federal- State Partners in EEZ Mapping
Publisher
US GPO
Series
U.S. Geological Survey circular ; 1052
Abstract
The Chesapeake Bay, which is a classic coastal plain estuary, is located on a trailing edge continental margin. It has a surface area of nearly 6,000 km2 and ranges in width from 8 to 48 km. The morphology of the bay clearly reflects its formation as a response to fluctuating sea level during and following the last major continental glaciation. The shoreline is highly irregular, the tributaries form an intricate dendritic drainage pattern, and a deep axial channel occurs along much of its length (fig. 1). Water depths commonly exceed 30m in this deep channel, which is flanked by broad shallow benches. Overall, the bay is quite shallow and has an average depth _of only 8 m. more....
Keywords
Quaternary geology, Oceanography, Applied geophysics
Recommended Citation
Halka, Jeffrey P.; Colman, Steven M.; and Hobbs, Carl H. III, "Quaternary Geology of the Chesapeake Bay" (1990). VIMS Books and Book Chapters. 116.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/116
