Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (lads):

LADS (Laser Airborne Depth Sounding) is a new laser bathymetric survey tool that has applicability in clear coastal (Case II) waters down to -70 m depth. The new sounding technique features rapid acquisition of large high-quality data sets via variable swath widths that are independent of water depth. This advanced airborne laser bathymetric (ALB) system was deployed along the southeast Florida (Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade counties) coast providing a contiguous data set for 160 km of coast from onshore to 6 km offshore. Image enhancement of the LADS digital data facilitates recognition of numerous seafloor features and bathymetric patterns. Bathymetric analysis of the 600 km survey area on the inner continental shelf shows inherited lithologic features that are partly covered by surficial sediments. Primary parabathic provinces include: (1) nearshore rocky zones dominated by the Anastasia Formation (AF), (2) coral-algal reef systems (Florida Reef Tract, FRT), and (3) marine terraces. Sedimentary subprovinces include shoreface sands, inter-reefal sedimentary infills (coral rubble in basal sequences and near reef gaps), and finer grained materials seaward of the FRT. Tertiary topographic features include: (1) longshore bar and trough systems, shoals, sand sheets, diabathic channels; (2) reef crests and ledges, forereef spurs and grooves, sediment ramps in large reef gaps, incised paleo-river channels; and (3) drowned karst topography. Hierarchical organization of these bathymetric features is now possible for the first time due to the increased accuracy and density of bathymetric data in LADS format. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Bathymetric mapping, airborne bathymetric surveying, remote sensing, seafloor sediments, coastal geomorphology, beach nourishment, marine sand resources, interreefal sand deposits, karst topography. _____________________________________________________________________________________