Many barrier islands in the United States are eroding and losing elevation substantively because of storm surge, waves, and sea-level changes. This is particularly true for the deltaic barrier system in Louisiana. Breton Island is near the mouth of the Mississippi River at the southern end of the Chandeleur barrier island chain in southeast Louisiana. This report expands on previous geomorphic studies of Breton Island by incorporating additional historic and recent datasets. Multiple analyses focus on longand short-term shoreline change, as well as episodic events and anthropogenic modification. Analyses periods include long term (1869–2014), long-term historic (1869–1950), post-Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (1950–2014), pre/post-Hurricane Katrina (2004–5), and recent (2005–14). In addition to shoreline change, barrier island geomorphology is evaluated using island area, elevation, and sediment volume change. In the long term (1869–2014), Breton Island was affected by landward transgression, island narrowing, and elevation loss. Major storm events exacerbated the long-term trends. In the recent period (2005–14), Breton Island eroded at a slower rate than in the long-term and gained area and total sediment volume. The recent accretion is likely because of the lack of major storms since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Title | Analysis of shoreline and geomorphic change for Breton Island, Louisiana, from 1869 to 2014 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20161039 |
| Authors | Joseph F. Terrano, James G. Flocks, Kathryn E. L. Smith |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Open-File Report |
| Series Number | 2016-1039 |
| Index ID | ofr20161039 |
| 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