A Review of Sediment Budget Imbalances along Fire Island, New York: Can Nearshore Geologic Framework and Patterns of Shoreline Change Explain the Deficit?

Abstract

HAPKE, C.J.; LENTZ, E.E.; GAYES, P.T.; MCCOY, C.A.; HEHRE, R.; SCHWAB, W.C., and WILLIAMS, S.J., 2010. A review of sediment budget imbalances along Fire Island, New York: can nearshore geologic framework and patterns of shoreline change explain the deficit? Journal of Coastal Research, 26(3), 510-522. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.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 budget calculations for the Fire Island coastal compartment (between Moriches and Fire Island Inlets) indicates an average deficit of 217,700 m 3 /y. Updrift shoreline erosion, redistribution of nourishment fills, and reworking of inner-shelf deposits have been proposed as the potential sources of additional sediment needed to rectify budget residuals. Each of these sources is probably relevant over various spatial and temporal scales, but previous studies of sediment texture and provenance, inner-shelf geologic mapping, and beach profile comparison indicate that reworking of inner-shelf deposits is the source most likely to resolve budget discrepancies over the broadest scales. This suggests that an onshore component of sediment transport is likely more important along Fire Island than previously thought. Our discussion focuses on relations between geomorphology, inner-shelf geologic framework, and historic shoreline change along Fire Island and the potential pathways by which reworked, inner-shelf sediments are likely transported toward the shoreline.ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Long Island, Fire Island, sediment budget, cross-shore transport, shoreline change, nearshore bathymetry, geologic framework.

Characterizing storm response and recovery using the beach change envelope: Fire Island, New York

“…2b). Western Fire Island exhibits rapid westward spit progradation and relatively wide beaches backed by moderately sized dunes (4.5 m average) due to large sediment inputs via cross-shore and alongshore transport -as evidenced by consecutive recurved dune ridges and alongshore distance between Fire Island Inlet and extending four miles west of the Fire Island Lighthouse, which was originally constructed in 1826 to mark the eastern flank of the inlet (Leatherman, 1985, Leatherman andAllen, 1985;Hapke et al, 2010Hapke et al, , 2011Hapke et al, , 2016Lentz et al, 2013, Schwab et al, 2013. The central portion, approximately from Sailors Haven to Watch Hill, is thought to be the oldest part of the island and has many well established 10 + m-high dune ridges and has historically been the most stable of the three regions showing minimal landward migration of the past 1000 years (Leatherman, 1985;Psuty and Silveira, 2009).…”

“…One category measures a single morphologic proxy (e.g. shoreline position (Morton et al, 1995;Thieler and Young, 1991;Farris and List, 2007;Houser et al, 2008;Hapke et al, 2010Hapke et al, , 2016Bramato et al, 2012;Phillips et al, 2017) or dune height (Houser et al, 2008(Houser et al, , 2015Stockdon et al, 2009;Wernette et al, 2016)); whereas the other simplifies spatial information along a cross-shore profile to an averaged value (e.g. beach volume and slope) (Morton et al, 1994;Stone et al, 2004;Stockdon et al, 2007;Houser and Hamilton, 2009;Mathew et al, 2010;Scott et al, 2016).…”

Inner-shelf circulation and sediment dynamics on a series of shoreface-connected ridges offshore of Fire Island, NY

“…Sections of Fire Island have high rates of coastal erosion, while others are relatively stable (Hapke et al 2010;Schwab et al 2013). A principal strategy to mitigate coastal erosion is construction of sand berms, dunes, and regular beach nourishments, with sediment dredged from the adjacent inner-continental shelf.…”

Alongshore Momentum Balance Over Shoreface-Connected Ridges, Fire Island, Ny

“…The coastline and inner shelf of Fire Island and Long Island, NY have been heavily researched since the 1970's (Flint 1971, Lavelle et al 1978, Rampino 1979, Swift and Field 1981, Rampino and Sanders 1981, Niedoroda and Swift 1981, Swift and Moslow 1982, McBride and Moslow 1991, Kana 1995, Foster et al 1999, Rosati et al 1999, Schwab et al 2000, Hapke et al 2010, Lentz et al 2013, Schwab et al 2013). Long…”