Storm-Related Barrier Island Morphological Evolution
Storms quickly and dramatically alter barrier island environments by changing adjacent seafloor morphology, eroding beaches, scarping or leveling dunes, and sometimes creating new inlets. Measuring the magnitude of barrier island sediment movement during and after storms allows us to track rates of beach recovery, dune growth, and inlet-related alterations to barrier island sediment supply.
Introduction
Storms affect barrier islands immediately and dramatically, but they also drive sediment fluxes that help barriers adjust to changes in sea level. As part of the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project, we measure the changes storms make to barrier islands, such as how the volume of beaches and dunes change, where that sediment goes (either offshore or landward), and how developed and undeveloped parts of barrier islands respond differently. This information, coupled with an estimate of storm frequency, gives us some insight into the potential magnitude of long-term fluxes which we can integrate with models to make predictions about long-term barrier island vulnerability.
Barrier-estuary system change from Hurricane Sandy
Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)
Storms quickly and dramatically alter barrier island environments by changing adjacent seafloor morphology, eroding beaches, scarping or leveling dunes, and sometimes creating new inlets. Measuring the magnitude of barrier island sediment movement during and after storms allows us to track rates of beach recovery, dune growth, and inlet-related alterations to barrier island sediment supply.
Introduction
Storms affect barrier islands immediately and dramatically, but they also drive sediment fluxes that help barriers adjust to changes in sea level. As part of the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project, we measure the changes storms make to barrier islands, such as how the volume of beaches and dunes change, where that sediment goes (either offshore or landward), and how developed and undeveloped parts of barrier islands respond differently. This information, coupled with an estimate of storm frequency, gives us some insight into the potential magnitude of long-term fluxes which we can integrate with models to make predictions about long-term barrier island vulnerability.
Barrier-estuary system change from Hurricane Sandy