Coastal System Change at Fire Island, New York Completed
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. Sound scientific understanding of the interplay of natural processes and human activities is required to successfully manage coastal resources at Fire Island to achieve the optimum balance in benefits to public safety, the economy, and the environment. To this end, USGS coastal research utilizes an integrated approach to measure long- and short-term changes to the Fire Island barrier island system, including open ocean/marine, nearshore, barrier island, and estuarine environments.
Research
Research on the various components of the Fire Island system is being conducted at multiple USGS Centers and across projects.
Fire Island Research Activities
The USGS is engaged in a variety of research activities within the Fire Island coastal system and together these activities provide a comprehensive assessment of coastal system change and evolution at Fire Island. The activities include:
- mapping the seabed of the adjacent offshore areas to characterize geological contributions to coastal behavior;
- measuring and modeling waves, winds, and currents to understand the processes by which sediment is exchanged between marine and terrestrial coastal systems;
- establishing relationships between inner shelf geology, ocean processes, and island response;
- identifying linkages between coastal changes and natural and human-induced variations in sediment supply;
- measuring and modeling beach and dune changes resulting from long-term processes, storm impacts (including erosion, breaching) and post-storm recovery;
- quantifying the impact of geomorphic changes on circulation and water levels in Great South Bay; and
- building and integrating predictive models of long-term shoreline change, geomorphic change, and habitat suitability to improve human access and ensure sufficient habitat for threatened species.
Past and ongoing USGS research uses a combination of direct and remotely-sensed observations and numerical and statistical modeling to measure and predict the evolution of the coastal system over long (e.g., geological and historical) and short (e.g., storms to decades) time periods, including the impact of Hurricane Sandy and subsequent recovery. To date, this research has resulted in identification of inner shelf and nearshore sand resources; development of models that predict coastal response to waves and currents, impacts of inlet dredging and island breaching on bay water levels, and breach evolution; assessments and forecasts of existing and future vulnerabilities to storms and sea-level rise; and the establishment of a detailed sediment budget from the inner shelf to the shoreline. Most research activities are conducted in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and state and county agencies. Science and products from the sustained, integrated research effort at Fire Island are the basis for sound coastal management that provides protection to people and infrastructure, sustains tourism and recreation, and supports habitat resilience.
Open Ocean/Marine
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.
Nearshore
The nearshore is the link between the inner shelf and Fire Island itself. Mapping sediment availability in the nearshore may help us understand beach recovery after storms and identify natural sources of sediment that contribute to long-term island resilience.
Oceanside Beaches and Dunes
Fire Island is a dynamic barrier island that changes in response to wind, waves, tides, sediment supply, human intervention, and sea level rise. Most of the terrestrial research focuses on historical, storm impact, and recovery time scales.
Back-Barrier and Estuarine
Regional-scale modeling forecasts how atmospheric forcing and oceanographic circulation influence estuarine circulation and water levels, sediment transport, and wetland change.
Below are other research tasks associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Coastal Change Processes Project data report for observations near Fire Island, New York, January to April 2012
Shoreface response and recovery to Hurricane Sandy: Fire Island, NY
Maps showing bathymetry and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, pre-Hurricane Sandy
Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York
Water level response in back-barrier bays unchanged following Hurricane Sandy
Coastal change from Hurricane Sandy and the 2012-13 winter storm season: Fire Island, New York
Geologic evidence for onshore sediment transport from the inner continental shelf: Fire Island, New York
Improving understanding of near-term barrier island evolution through multi-decadal assessment of morphologic change
Quantifying anthropogenically driven morphologic changes on a barrier island: Fire Island National Seashore, New York
Inner shelf morphologic controls on the dynamics of the beach and bar system, Fire Island, New York
Geologic framework influences on the geomorphology of an anthropogenically modified barrier island: Assessment of dune/beach changes at Fire Island, New York
A review of sediment budget imbalances along Fire Island, New York: Can nearshore geologic framework and patterns of shoreline change explain the deficit?
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
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. Sound scientific understanding of the interplay of natural processes and human activities is required to successfully manage coastal resources at Fire Island to achieve the optimum balance in benefits to public safety, the economy, and the environment. To this end, USGS coastal research utilizes an integrated approach to measure long- and short-term changes to the Fire Island barrier island system, including open ocean/marine, nearshore, barrier island, and estuarine environments.
ResearchResearch on the various components of the Fire Island system is being conducted at multiple USGS Centers and across projects.
Fire Island Research Activities
The USGS is engaged in a variety of research activities within the Fire Island coastal system and together these activities provide a comprehensive assessment of coastal system change and evolution at Fire Island. The activities include:
- mapping the seabed of the adjacent offshore areas to characterize geological contributions to coastal behavior;
- measuring and modeling waves, winds, and currents to understand the processes by which sediment is exchanged between marine and terrestrial coastal systems;
- establishing relationships between inner shelf geology, ocean processes, and island response;
- identifying linkages between coastal changes and natural and human-induced variations in sediment supply;
- measuring and modeling beach and dune changes resulting from long-term processes, storm impacts (including erosion, breaching) and post-storm recovery;
- quantifying the impact of geomorphic changes on circulation and water levels in Great South Bay; and
- building and integrating predictive models of long-term shoreline change, geomorphic change, and habitat suitability to improve human access and ensure sufficient habitat for threatened species.
Past and ongoing USGS research uses a combination of direct and remotely-sensed observations and numerical and statistical modeling to measure and predict the evolution of the coastal system over long (e.g., geological and historical) and short (e.g., storms to decades) time periods, including the impact of Hurricane Sandy and subsequent recovery. To date, this research has resulted in identification of inner shelf and nearshore sand resources; development of models that predict coastal response to waves and currents, impacts of inlet dredging and island breaching on bay water levels, and breach evolution; assessments and forecasts of existing and future vulnerabilities to storms and sea-level rise; and the establishment of a detailed sediment budget from the inner shelf to the shoreline. Most research activities are conducted in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and state and county agencies. Science and products from the sustained, integrated research effort at Fire Island are the basis for sound coastal management that provides protection to people and infrastructure, sustains tourism and recreation, and supports habitat resilience.
Open Ocean/Marine
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.
Nearshore
The nearshore is the link between the inner shelf and Fire Island itself. Mapping sediment availability in the nearshore may help us understand beach recovery after storms and identify natural sources of sediment that contribute to long-term island resilience.
Oceanside Beaches and Dunes
Fire Island is a dynamic barrier island that changes in response to wind, waves, tides, sediment supply, human intervention, and sea level rise. Most of the terrestrial research focuses on historical, storm impact, and recovery time scales.
Back-Barrier and Estuarine
Regional-scale modeling forecasts how atmospheric forcing and oceanographic circulation influence estuarine circulation and water levels, sediment transport, and wetland change.
- Science
Below are other research tasks associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 37Coastal Change Processes Project data report for observations near Fire Island, New York, January to April 2012
An oceanographic field study during January through April 2012 investigated processes that control the sediment-transport dynamics near Fire Island, New York. This report describes the project background, field program, instrumentation configuration, and locations of the sensors deploymed. The data collected and supporting meteorological observations are presented as time series plots for data visAuthorsBrandy N. Armstrong, John C. Warner, Jeffrey H. List, Marinna A. Martini, Ellyn T. Montgomery, George Voulgaris, Peter A. TraykovskiShoreface response and recovery to Hurricane Sandy: Fire Island, NY
The shoreface of Fire Island was extensively modified by Hurricane Sandy and subsequent storms in the following winter months. The changes were evaluated using various morphometrics of the shoreface from four bathymetric surveys, one prior to Hurricane Sandy, and three over the course of twenty months following Sandy. The datasets show that the nearshore bar system moved offshore to deeper water dAuthorsTimothy R. Nelson, Cheryl J. HapkeMaps showing bathymetry and modern sediment thickness on the inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, pre-Hurricane Sandy
The U.S. Geological Survey mapped approximately 336 square kilometers of the lower shoreface and inner continental shelf offshore of Fire Island, New York, in 2011 by using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. This report presents maps of bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, the coastal plain unconformity, the Holocene marine transgressive surface, and modern seAuthorsWilliam C. Schwab, Jane F. Denny, Wayne E. BaldwinModification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York
The inner-continental shelf off Fire Island, New York was mapped in 2011 using interferometric sonar and high-resolution chirp seismic-reflection systems. The area mapped is approximately 50 km long by 8 km wide, extending from Moriches Inlet to Fire Island Inlet in water depths ranging from 8 to 32 m. The morphology of this inner-continental shelf region and modern sediment distribution patternsAuthorsWilliam C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, Jane F. Denny, Cheryl J. Hapke, Paul T. Gayes, Jeffrey H. List, John C. WarnerWater level response in back-barrier bays unchanged following Hurricane Sandy
On 28–30 October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused severe flooding along portions of the northeast coast of the United States and cut new inlets across barrier islands in New Jersey and New York. About 30% of the 20 highest daily maximum water levels observed between 2007 and 2013 in Barnegat and Great South Bay occurred in 5 months following Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Sandy provided a rare opportunityAuthorsAlfredo L. Aretxabaleta, Bradford Butman, Neil K. GanjuCoastal change from Hurricane Sandy and the 2012-13 winter storm season: Fire Island, New York
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mounted a substantial effort in response to Hurricane Sandy including an assessment of the morphological impacts to the beach and dune system at Fire Island, New York. Field surveys of the beach and dunes collected just prior to and after landfall were used to quantify change in several focus areas. In order to quantify morphologic change along the length of the iAuthorsCheryl J. Hapke, Owen Brenner, Rachel E. Henderson, B.J. ReynoldsGeologic evidence for onshore sediment transport from the inner continental shelf: Fire Island, New York
Sediment budget analyses along the south shore of Fire Island, New York, have been conducted and debated in the scientific and coastal engineering literature for decades. It is well documented that a primary component of sediment transport in this system is directed alongshore from E to W, but discrepancies in volumetric sediment budget calculations remain. An additional quantity of sand, averaginAuthorsWilliam C. Schwab, Wayne E. Baldwin, Cheryl J. Hapke, Erika E. Lentz, Paul T. Gayes, Jane F. Denny, Jeffrey H. List, John C. WarnerImproving understanding of near-term barrier island evolution through multi-decadal assessment of morphologic change
Observed morphodynamic changes over multiple decades were coupled with storm-driven run-up characteristics at Fire Island, New York, to explore the influence of wave processes relative to the impacts of other coastal change drivers on the near-term evolution of the barrier island. Historical topography was generated from digital stereo-photogrammetry and compared with more recent lidar surveys toAuthorsErika E. Lentz, Cheryl J. Hapke, Hilary F. Stockdon, Rachel E. HehreQuantifying anthropogenically driven morphologic changes on a barrier island: Fire Island National Seashore, New York
Beach scraping, beach replenishment, and the presence of moderate development have altered the morphology of the dune–beach system at Fire Island National Seashore, located on a barrier island on the south coast of Long Island, New York. Seventeen communities are interspersed with sections of natural, nonmodified land within the park boundary. Beach width, dune elevation change, volume change, andAuthorsMeredith G. Kratzmann, Cheryl J. HapkeInner shelf morphologic controls on the dynamics of the beach and bar system, Fire Island, New York
The mechanism of sediment exchange between offshore sand ridges and the beach at Fire Island, New York is largely unknown. However, recent evidence from repeat nearshore bathymetry surveys, coupled with the complex but consistent bar morphology and patterns of shoreline change demonstrate that there is a feedback occurring between the regional geologic framework and modern processes. Analysis of bAuthorsCheryl J. Hapke, William C. Schwab, Paul T. Gayes, Clay McCoy, Richard Viso, Erika E. LentzGeologic framework influences on the geomorphology of an anthropogenically modified barrier island: Assessment of dune/beach changes at Fire Island, New York
Antecedent geology plays a crucial role in determining the inner-shelf, nearshore, and onshore geomorphology observed in coastal systems. However, the influence of the geologic framework on a system is difficult to extract when evaluating responses to changes due to storms and anthropogenic modifications, and few studies have quantified the potential for these influences in dune/beach environmentsAuthorsErika Lentz, Cheryl HapkeA review of sediment budget imbalances along Fire Island, New York: Can nearshore geologic framework and patterns of shoreline change explain the deficit?
Sediment budget analyses conducted for annual to decadal timescales report variable magnitudes of littoral transport along the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is well documented that the primary transport component is directed alongshore from east to west, but relatively little information has been reported concerning the directions or magnitudes of cross-shore components. Our review of bAuthorsCheryl J. Hapke, Erika E. Lentz, Paul T. Gayes, Clayton A. McCoy, Rachel E. Henderson, William C. Schwab, S. Jeffress Williams - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.