Geological, Economic, and Environmental Characterization of Selected Near-Term Leasable Offshore Sand Deposits and Competing Onshore Sources for Beach Nourishment. Final Report.

摘要

Since 1986, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S. Department of Interior has directed the Gulf Task Force, composed of representatives of the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, to assess the occurrence and economic potential of hard mineral (non-fuel) resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of those states. Sand and gravel, shell, and heavy minerals were the prominent hard minerals identified in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ, with sand being identified as the most abundant mineral and having the highest near-term leasing potential. The primary goal of present study by the Geological Survey of Alabama is the identification and characterization of high quality clean sand deposits in the Alabama EEZ to determine their potential for beach nourishment of eroding coastal shoreline segments in Alabama.