Extensive sediment research is done by several departments in varying locations.

Sediment Research

 

Dr. Lewis Abrams,Geography And Geology, uses of physical/chemical properties of subsurface marine sediments to detect paleoclimatic and volcanic cycles; tectonic, volcanic and sedimentary history of the Caribbean basin and western Pacific.

 

Dr. Mike Benedetti, Geology and Geography, recent projects include post-glacial evolution of the Upper Mississippi River, soil erosion and sedimentation in agricultural watersheds, and the influence of floods on sediment transport in large rivers.

 

Dr. Larry Cahoon, Biology and Marine Biology, researches the sediments of blackwater streams in the Cape Fear River basin.  In this project the primary goal is to assess the ability of these stream sediments to serve as a reserve and potential incubator for fecal pathogen indicator organisms, particularly in terms of sediment nutrient content. 

 

Nancy Grindlay, Geology and Geography, studies the morphology, structure and evolution of submarine plate boundaries using high-resolution swathmapping and geophysical tools; seabed classification; slope instability and sediment movement across continental and insular margins.

The Department of Geology and Geography's Dr. Lynn Leonard areas of expertise are physical sedimentology and marine geology. Her research focuses on sediment transport mechanisms in coastal environments ranging from tidal creeks and inlets, to large estuaries and the continental shelf.

 

Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program (CORMP) is a interdisciplinary group of UNCW investigators, collaborators from other universities and agencies to study the physical, geological, chemical and biological properties of the coastal ocean in the Cape Fear region.

 

Dr Brooks Avery, Chemistry and Biochemistry, studies Global carbon cycling in the atmosphere, water column, and sediments anthropogenic and biogenic while his colleague Dr. Steve Skrabal researches sediment-water exchange in estuaries and coastal waters.

Photo Credit Lee Pridgen