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Research Geologist Daniel Ciarletta holds up a sand auger core collected at Fire Island

By St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
A scientist stands in a vegetated sandy area holding a thin cylinder of sand, next to a tripod.
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Detailed Description

Scientists collected sand auger cores from Fire Island to help reconstruct the evolution of the barrier over the last several centuries, with the goal of quantifying changes in sediment input and partitioning through time (e.g., how sand is distributed between the terrestrial portion of the barrier and the beach/shoreface). With this information, it could be possible to predict how the barrier might respond in the future (or even how it is responding presently) to changes in rate of sea-level rise, storminess, and sediment budget.

Learn more about the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project. 

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

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Sediments are the foundation of coastal systems, including barrier islands. Their behavior is driven by not only sediment availability, but also sediment exchanges between barrier island environments. We collect geophysical, remote sensing, and sediment data to estimate these parameters, which are integrated with models to improve prediction of coastal response to extreme storms and sea-level rise...
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    link
    Photo of Fire Island showing back barrier, dunes, beach, and nearshore environments

    Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)

    Sediments are the foundation of coastal systems, including barrier islands. Their behavior is driven by not only sediment availability, but also sediment exchanges between barrier island environments. We collect geophysical, remote sensing, and sediment data to estimate these parameters, which are integrated with models to improve prediction of coastal response to extreme storms and sea-level rise...
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    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of Mexico
    link

    Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)

    Sediments are the foundation of coastal systems, including barrier islands. Their behavior is driven by not only sediment availability, but also sediment exchanges between barrier island environments. We collect geophysical, remote sensing, and sediment data to estimate these parameters, which are integrated with models to improve prediction of coastal response to extreme storms and sea-level rise...
    Learn More