This project will conduct offshore geophysical data collection and stratigraphic mapping within illinois lake michigan waters beyond 3 KM from the shoreline of chicago

The project leverages results from a recent 2022-2024 effort supported by the NOAA illinois- indiana sea grant (IISG) and undertaken by this project?S principal investigators, which focused on a regional sand assessment study along the chicago coast within 3 KM from shore. This project uses the same methodology of integrating several high-resolution geospatial datasets unavailable in the past, including digital sub-bottom reflection data, sediment cores and samples collected by the illinois state geological survey (ISGS) during this survey, and lidar-based bathymetric information (by way of federal datasets). These data are necessary to understand coastal evolution in response to climate-driven changes in lake hydrology. They also provide the means for offshore sand assessment (for potential beach-nourishment opportunities) and data for the potential siting of wind farms and other offshore infrastructure. Lastly, IT is known that former drainage channels from a low lake michigan water-level stage, ~10,000 years to ~6,000 years ago, exist buried across much of the study area. Knowing their location is of importance to the archaeological community looking to identify and protect underwater cultural resources.