Characterizing bathymetric change in coastal environments is an important component in understanding shoreline evolution, especially along barrier island platforms. Bathymetric change is a function of the regional sediment budget, long-term wave and current patterns, and episodic impact from high-energy events such as storms. Human modifications may also cause changes in seafloor elevation. This study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, evaluates bathymetric and volumetric change and sediment characteristics around Breton Island and Gosier Shoals located offshore of the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana. This area has been affected by significant storm events such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sedimentation patterns at Breton Island and offshore have also been modified by the excavation of a shipping channel north of the island. Four time periods are considered that encompass these episodes and include long-term change and short-term storm recovery: 1869–2014, 1869–1920, 1920–2014, and 2007–2014. Finally, sediment characteristics are reported in the context of seafloor elevation.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Title | Analysis of seafloor change at Breton Island, Gosier Shoals, and surrounding waters, 1869–2014, Breton National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20161069 |
| Authors | James G. Flocks, Joseph F. Terrano |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Open-File Report |
| Series Number | 2016-1069 |
| Index ID | ofr20161069 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center |
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This dataset contains binary point-cloud data and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), produced from remotely sensed, geographically referenced topobathymetric measurements encompassing the Breton Island and Gosier Islands, LA study area. The original area of interest was buffered by 100 meters to ensure complete coverage, resulting in approximately 75 square miles of lidar data. The Breton Island LiA GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for Breton Island, Louisiana: 1869-2014
Many barrier islands in the United States are experiencing substantive erosion and elevation loss due to storm surge, waves, and sea-level changes; this is particularly true for the deltaic barrier system in Louisiana. Breton Island is located near the mouth of the Mississippi River in the southern end of the Chandeleur Island chain in southeast Louisiana. This report expands on previous geomorphi - Connect