This project integrated a wetland assessment with existing coastal-change hazard assessments for the adjacent dunes and beaches of Assateague Island, Maryland, to create a more comprehensive coastal vulnerability assessment.
The Nation's coast is fringed by beaches, dunes, barrier islands, wetlands, and bluffs. These natural coastal barriers provide critical benefits and services, and can mitigate the impact of storms, erosion, and sea-level rise on coastal communities. In late October 2012, waves and storm surge resulting from Hurricane Sandy affected the U.S. coastline from North Carolina to New York and Massachusetts, including Assateague Island, Maryland, and the Delmarva coastal system. The storm impacts included changes in topography, coastal morphology and geology, hydrology, environmental quality, and ecosystems (Buxton and others).
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, lidar surveys from North Carolina to New York documented storm impacts to coastal barriers, providing a baseline to assess vulnerability of the reconfigured coast. In addition to that, a thorough investigation of the topography and geology of the affected coastal systems has provided a complete picture of the post-storm barrier landscape that allows us to understand the potential vulnerability to future storms and informs decisions on recovery and rebuilding.
The Barrier Island Wetlands Physical Change project conducted research tasks in 2014-2015 that included the following:
- Identified and measured estuarine shoreline changes resulting from Hurricane Sandy along Assateague Island using remotely sensed data;
- Sampled and analyzed sediment cores to understand long-term geologic processes and ground-truth measurements from the remote sensing analysis;
- Assessed the likelihood of wetland change resulting from future storm events and linked this assessment to the beaches and dunes vulnerability assessments that have already been developed.
This study provides baseline scientific information regarding the natural resiliency of the coastal system that will continue to inform Federal and other resource managers as they make decisions regarding restoration and resource management projects. In addition, project results are providing coastal planners and managers with similar information for addressing infrastructure concerns along developed coastlines.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Barrier-island and estuarine-wetland physical-change assessment after Hurricane Sandy
Analysis of multi-decadal wetland changes, and cumulative impact of multiple storms 1984 to 2017
Hurricane Sandy washover deposits on southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Evaluating the potential effects of hurricanes on long-term sediment accumulation in two micro-tidal sub-estuaries: Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Sedimentologic characteristics of recent washover deposits from Assateague Island, Maryland
A seasonal comparison of surface sediment characteristics in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, USA
Back-Island and Open-Ocean Shorelines, and Sand Areas of the Undeveloped Areas of New Jersey Barrier Islands, March 9, 1991, to July 30, 2013
Land-cover types, shoreline positions, and sand extents derived From Landsat satellite imagery, Assateague Island to Metompkin Island, Maryland and Virginia, 1984 to 2014
Sedimentological and radiochemical characteristics of marsh deposits from Assateague Island and the adjacent vicinity, Maryland and Virginia, following Hurricane Sandy
Back-island and open-ocean shorelines, and sand areas of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia, April 12, 1989, to September 5, 2013
- Overview
This project integrated a wetland assessment with existing coastal-change hazard assessments for the adjacent dunes and beaches of Assateague Island, Maryland, to create a more comprehensive coastal vulnerability assessment.
The Nation's coast is fringed by beaches, dunes, barrier islands, wetlands, and bluffs. These natural coastal barriers provide critical benefits and services, and can mitigate the impact of storms, erosion, and sea-level rise on coastal communities. In late October 2012, waves and storm surge resulting from Hurricane Sandy affected the U.S. coastline from North Carolina to New York and Massachusetts, including Assateague Island, Maryland, and the Delmarva coastal system. The storm impacts included changes in topography, coastal morphology and geology, hydrology, environmental quality, and ecosystems (Buxton and others).
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, lidar surveys from North Carolina to New York documented storm impacts to coastal barriers, providing a baseline to assess vulnerability of the reconfigured coast. In addition to that, a thorough investigation of the topography and geology of the affected coastal systems has provided a complete picture of the post-storm barrier landscape that allows us to understand the potential vulnerability to future storms and informs decisions on recovery and rebuilding.
The Barrier Island Wetlands Physical Change project conducted research tasks in 2014-2015 that included the following:
- Identified and measured estuarine shoreline changes resulting from Hurricane Sandy along Assateague Island using remotely sensed data;
- Sampled and analyzed sediment cores to understand long-term geologic processes and ground-truth measurements from the remote sensing analysis;
- Assessed the likelihood of wetland change resulting from future storm events and linked this assessment to the beaches and dunes vulnerability assessments that have already been developed.
This study provides baseline scientific information regarding the natural resiliency of the coastal system that will continue to inform Federal and other resource managers as they make decisions regarding restoration and resource management projects. In addition, project results are providing coastal planners and managers with similar information for addressing infrastructure concerns along developed coastlines.
Burial of wetlands by overwash deposits along the Virginia coastline. (Public domain.) - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Barrier-island and estuarine-wetland physical-change assessment after Hurricane Sandy
IntroductionThe Nation’s eastern coast is fringed by beaches, dunes, barrier islands, wetlands, and bluffs. These natural coastal barriers provide critical benefits and services, and can mitigate the impact of storms, erosion, and sea-level rise on our coastal communities. Waves and storm surge resulting from Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall along the New Jersey coast on October 29, 2012, impaAnalysis of multi-decadal wetland changes, and cumulative impact of multiple storms 1984 to 2017
Land-cover classification analysis using Landsat satellite imagery acquired between 1984 and 2017 quantified short- (post-Hurricane Sandy) and long-term wetland-change trends along the Maryland and Virginia coasts between Metompkin Bay, VA and Ocean City, MD. Although there are limited options for upland migration of wetlands in the study area, regression analysis showed that wetland area increaseHurricane Sandy washover deposits on southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Sedimentologic and topographic data from Hurricane Sandy washover deposits were collected from southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in order to document changes to the barrier-island beaches, dunes, and coastal wetlands caused by Hurricane Sandy and subsequent storm events. These data will provide a baseline dataset for use in future coastal change descriptive and predictive studies and assessmEvaluating the potential effects of hurricanes on long-term sediment accumulation in two micro-tidal sub-estuaries: Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Barnegat Bay, located along the eastern shore of New Jersey, was significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed a multidisciplinary study of sediment transport and hydrodynamics to understand the mechanisms that govern estuarine and wetland responses to storm forcing. This report details the physical and chemical characteristiSedimentologic characteristics of recent washover deposits from Assateague Island, Maryland
The U.S. Geological Survey has a long history of responding to and documenting the impacts of storms along the Nation’s coasts and incorporating these data into storm impact and coastal change vulnerability assessments. Although physical changes caused by tropical and extratropical storms to the sandy beaches and dunes fronting barrier islands are generally well documented, the interaction betweenA seasonal comparison of surface sediment characteristics in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, USA
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted a seasonal collection of surficial sediments from Chincoteague Bay and Tom's Cove, between Assateague Island and the Delmarva Peninsula in late March/early April 2014 and October 2014. The sampling efforts were part of a larger U.S. Geological Survey study to assess the effects of storm events onBack-Island and Open-Ocean Shorelines, and Sand Areas of the Undeveloped Areas of New Jersey Barrier Islands, March 9, 1991, to July 30, 2013
Assessing the physical change to shorelines and wetlands is critical for determining the resiliency of wetland systems that protect adjacent habitat and communities. The wetland and back-barrier shorelines of the New Jersey barrier islands were changed by wave action and storm surge from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program is assessing the impactLand-cover types, shoreline positions, and sand extents derived From Landsat satellite imagery, Assateague Island to Metompkin Island, Maryland and Virginia, 1984 to 2014
The U.S. Geological Survey has a long history of responding to and documenting the impacts of storms along the Nation’s coasts and incorporating these data into storm impact and coastal change vulnerability assessments. These studies, however, have traditionally focused on sandy shorelines and sandy barrier-island systems, without consideration of impacts to coastal wetlands. The goal of the BarriSedimentological and radiochemical characteristics of marsh deposits from Assateague Island and the adjacent vicinity, Maryland and Virginia, following Hurricane Sandy
The effect of tropical and extratropical cyclones on coastal wetlands and marshes is highly variable and depends on a number of climatic, geologic, and physical variables. The impacts of storms can be either positive or negative with respect to the wetland and marsh ecosystems. Small to moderate amounts of inorganic sediment added to the marsh surface during storms or other events help to abate prBack-island and open-ocean shorelines, and sand areas of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia, April 12, 1989, to September 5, 2013
Assessing the physical change to shorelines and wetlands is critical in determining the resiliency of wetland systems that protect adjacent habitat and communities. The wetland and back-barrier shorelines of Assateague Island, located in Maryland and Virginia, changed as a result of wave action and storm surge that occurred during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey Coas