25
of thousands of years in response to the growth (i.e., Ice Ages) and retreat of glaciers and ice-sheets on the continents (i.e., glacial-interglacial cycles). It is these sea
level changes, and the response of the river systems, that have really shaped the
coast here. Large channels within river valleys are buried beneath the sediments
of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. They show up as U-shaped reflections up to a
Fig. 2.9 Photographs of
scientists deploying the
CHIRP subbottom profiler
in Pamlico Sound,
NC. This device provides
an image of the layers of
sediments beneath the
seafloor. (Images by
S.J. Culver)
Fig. 2.10 CHIRP subbottom data from Pamlico River, NC showing the layers of sediment that
inform us on environmental changes
2 Buried Secrets of the North Carolina Coast, USA