ABSTRACT A man-made deposit at Northbridge Park near Charleston, South Carolina, consists of phosphatic nodules, fossils, and mud dredged from the bottom of the Ashley River; nodules and fossils lay strewn across the banks of the river. This artificial deposit is likely representative of deposits mined extensively in the late nineteenth century and widely referred to as the “Ashley Phosphate Beds.” Many of the taxa discovered at Northbridge Park were historically reported from the phosphate beds, and include sharks, rays, bony fish, sea turtles, giant birds, whales, dolphins, sea cows, and land mammals. Some of these bear adhering matrix indicating origin from the Oligocene Ashley Formation. Others lack matrix but have short geochronologic ranges and are derived from the Ashley Formation, Lower Miocene Marks Head Formation, Lower Pliocene Goose Creek Limestone, and Pleistocene Wando Formation.

ABSTRACT Edisto Island, South Carolina, offers a wide range of coastal environments, including maritime forests, back-dune meadows, primary dunes, berms, intertidal beaches, salt marshes, tidal creeks, and storm-washover fans. Each environment is characterized by a different suite of invertebrate and vertebrate traces. Trace assemblages also differ among undeveloped, moderately developed, and overdeveloped shorelines. Field-trip participants will observe tracks, burrows, borings, predation traces, and other traces in sediments, shells, and wood, and learn how modern traces can inform interpretations of trace fossils. We will also consider how ongoing anthropogenic change may limit applications of neoichnology to trace fossils by affecting trace distribution, diversity, and abundance.

ABSTRACT The built environment of peninsular Charleston, South Carolina, has been strongly influenced by the ethos of architectural preservation. However, increased frequency of storm and tide-related flooding has been affecting property and public services, and threatens human and environmental health. Management processes for excess water in this urban area must adapt to the challenges resulting from historic development including the fill of tidal creek systems, sea-level rise, and the influence of large storm events on drainage infrastructure. The City of Charleston has adopted several strategies to manage flooding and encourage progressive development. Large-scale drainage improvement projects capitalize on a geologic framework that provides for deep tunnel excavation and drainage system construction. Novel approaches in zoning codes provide some incentives for land owners to use lower impact design techniques in return for more flexible design standards. This field tour will guide participants through this historic city, and will provide a glimpse of the geologic setting, development history, and environmental pressures that have compelled the city’s proactive stormwater management.

This guidebook provides detailed itineraries of three field trips associated with the 2019 GSA Southeastern Section Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. The first chapter outlines the fossiliferous deposits near Charleston historically referred to as the “Ashley Phosphate Beds,” which include sharks, rays, sea turtles, whales, and other Oligocene to Pleistocene fossils. The second chapter explores how hydrology has shaped Charleston and how engineers, public officials, and citizens incorporate new technologies in design to increase community resiliency. The third chapter describes the variety of modern traces that can be observed in the coastal setting of Edisto Island near Charleston. These include burrows, tracks, borings, and other signs of terrestrial and marginal-marine invertebrates and vertebrates in sediments, shells, and wood.