The nearshore is the submerged portion of the shoreface between the inner shelf and the shoreline and includes the surf zone, where waves break. Along with beaches and dunes, nearshore morphology and geology adjusts to changes in waves, sediment supply, human alterations, and sea level rise. By measuring nearshore morphologic and geologic variations, we can understand how quickly beaches and dunes will respond to and recover from storms and improve predictions of future coastal response to storms and sea level rise.
Morphological Behavior
Similar to beaches and dunes, the submerged shoreface at Fire Island responds to changes in waves, sediment supply, human alteration, and sea level rise. Nearshore morphology research explores connections between submerged changes and beach behavior.
Geology and Sediment Availability
Nearshore geology barrier-island research fills a data and knowledge gap between the inner shelf and shoreline to identify how nearshore geology variations and natural sediment supply influence beach recovery from storms and future sediment supply.
Morphological Behavior
The submerged shoreface, or nearshore, responds to fairweather and storm waves in concert with beaches and dunes. Exploring connections between changes in nearshore configuration and changes on the beach is a focus of nearshore morphology research.
Geology and Sediment Availability
Exploring how nearshore sediment availability influences post-storm beach recovery in the months and years after storms, dune building over decades, and barrier island response to sea level rise over longer timescales are themes of nearshore geology research.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Back-barrier and Estuarine - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Oceanside Beaches and Dunes - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Open Ocean/Marine - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
- Overview
The nearshore is the submerged portion of the shoreface between the inner shelf and the shoreline and includes the surf zone, where waves break. Along with beaches and dunes, nearshore morphology and geology adjusts to changes in waves, sediment supply, human alterations, and sea level rise. By measuring nearshore morphologic and geologic variations, we can understand how quickly beaches and dunes will respond to and recover from storms and improve predictions of future coastal response to storms and sea level rise.
Morphological Behavior
Similar to beaches and dunes, the submerged shoreface at Fire Island responds to changes in waves, sediment supply, human alteration, and sea level rise. Nearshore morphology research explores connections between submerged changes and beach behavior.
Geology and Sediment Availability
Nearshore geology barrier-island research fills a data and knowledge gap between the inner shelf and shoreline to identify how nearshore geology variations and natural sediment supply influence beach recovery from storms and future sediment supply.
Morphological Behavior
The submerged shoreface, or nearshore, responds to fairweather and storm waves in concert with beaches and dunes. Exploring connections between changes in nearshore configuration and changes on the beach is a focus of nearshore morphology research.
Geology and Sediment Availability
Exploring how nearshore sediment availability influences post-storm beach recovery in the months and years after storms, dune building over decades, and barrier island response to sea level rise over longer timescales are themes of nearshore geology research.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is a 50-km long barrier island along the south shore of Long Island, New York. The island is comprised of seventeen year-round communities; federal, state, and county parks; and supports distinct ecosystems alongside areas of economic and cultural value. In addition to providing resources to its residents, the barrier island also protects the heavily-populated mainland from storm waves...Back-barrier and Estuarine - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Regional-scale modeling forecasts how atmospheric forcing and oceanographic circulation influence estuarine circulation and water levels, sediment transport, and wetland change.Oceanside Beaches and Dunes - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Oceanfront research at Fire Island, New York, is primarily focused on understanding the long- and short-term behavior of the ocean-facing terrestrial barrier island system, including human influences. The USGS has had ongoing research activities on Fire Island since the late 1990s, providing science to help inform management decisions. Recent efforts include monitoring the response to and recovery...Open Ocean/Marine - Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York
Geophysical mapping and research have demonstrated that the seabed on the inner continental shelf has a variety of shapes which are linked to long-term evolution of the barrier island. Regional-scale modeling forecasts how atmospheric forcing and oceanographic circulation case sand, gravel, and other materials to be transported by tides, winds, waves, fresh water fluxes, and density variations. - Publications