MRI: Acquisition of Side-scan Sonar, Seismic Reflection Profiling, and Differential Global Positioning Sys in Support of Coastal and Shallow Marine Research and Teaching Activities

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Intellectual Merit:The PI is requesting funds to acquire a side-scan sonar and seismic reflection profiling system. This system will provide the PI the capability to conduct repeated measurements of coastal features, enabling the assessment of (1) the geologic and sedimentological framework offshore of the Virginia barrier island chain, and (2) estuarine sediment transport in Chesapeake Bay sub-estuaries. The proposed instrumentation will serve the long-term goals of developing models capable of predicting landscape dynamics as a function of variations in sediment supply, waves, sea-level fluctuations, inherited geologic controls, and other factors. The proposed instrumentation would be managed primarily by the PI, with support from the LTER maintenance group and a laboratory technician at the institution. Broader Impacts:The PI plans to incorporate the proposed instrumentation into an on-going LTER effort (Virginia Coast Reserve, hosted by the University of Virginia), which engages students primary and secondary school in field efforts, and provides a summer graduate class for science teachers. Students at the institution as part of hands-on, undergraduate research efforts and coursework would also use the proposed instrumentation. The proposed instrumentation would also serve to expand the research capabilities for the Environmental Studies Program at the institution and further enable existing cross-institution collaborations.