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).
Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF) Capabilities
As part of the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project, we use innovative technology and integrate a variety of techniques to characterize barrier island environments, reconstruct their past history, and predict their future vulnerability.
Geophysics
We acquire geophysical data to investigate changes in the shape and geology of inner shelf, shoreface, beach, and barrier environments. In shallow marine environments, we acquire high-resolution multibeam and single-beam bathymetry – data that show the shape and depth of the seafloor. By repeating surveys in the same location annually or semi-annually, we track erosional or depositional processes that might impact the response of the barrier to storms, sea-level rise, or human intervention. We pair bathymetry with sub-bottom geophysics (e.g., Chirp), to explore sediment layers beneath the seafloor. On land, we examine what’s beneath beaches and barriers using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to learn about their evolution through time.
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing allows us to assess changes in barrier island extent, inlet dynamics, overwash processes, and land cover at varying spatial scales. Different spectra, or frequency ranges, in satellite imagery help us classify land cover features. This is especially useful for rapidly changing coastal features, like new inlets, where we can use multiple forms of remotely sensed imagery to study their evolution.
![Colored lines overlaid on aerial image of an island and island breach shows how the island footprint has changed since 1985.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/half_width/public/thumbnails/image/cap5_nelson_Shoreline_Retreat.png?itok=XMzapgVs)
![Animation displays an island spit lengthening between the years of 1970 and 2017.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/half_width/public/media/images/Ciarletta-Holgate-change-small_0_0.gif?itok=ZgyiesdP)
Reduced-Complexity Models
We use reduced-complexity models to infer past changes in coastal systems and reconstruct past geomorphology, which can help predict future change. This animation displays modeled beach profile elevation as it has evolved at Parramore Island, Virginia. These data are based on geomorphic field investigations and measure distance (in kilometers) of cross-shore accretion. QS is the flux of sand to the beach and QD is the flux of sand from the beach to the active dune. Yellow represents sand, blue represents water, while green represents marsh.
![Animation of a plot displaying beach elevation over time](/index.php/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Ciarletta-RS-PR.gif?itok=Tf_FGwAR)
Sediment Sampling
Sediment sampling is used to verify remote sensing observations and can tell us how old sediments are, where they came from, and what processes brought them there. Sediment cores can extend records of erosion and deposition further into the past than geophysical or remote sensing methods.
This research is part of the part of the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project.
Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)
Coastal Bathymetry and Backscatter Data Collected in June 2021 from Rockaway Peninsula, New York
Secrets of the Sediment on Barrier Islands
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
![A scientist stands in a vegetated sandy area holding a thin cylinder of sand, next to a tripod.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/20220419_110742-e.jpg?itok=WgYMRYyn)
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).
![Scientist holds and analyzes a thin cylinder of sand and mud in front of a sandy vegetated area next to a hole in the ground](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/20220419_105011-e.jpg?itok=V2itk7aQ)
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).
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).
![View from the dunes of waves crashing on a sandy beach with grassy shoreline and some dead trees under a gray sky.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/20220419_092147-e.jpg?itok=RI9BLkuR)
Looking over the dunes towards the beach in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness at Fire Island, New York.
Looking over the dunes towards the beach in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness at Fire Island, New York.
USGS Research Geologist Jennifer Miselis will conduct shoreface geophysical surveys at the USACE Field Research Facility during DUNEX aboard the LARC, which is shown here being set up for the survey.
USGS Research Geologist Jennifer Miselis will conduct shoreface geophysical surveys at the USACE Field Research Facility during DUNEX aboard the LARC, which is shown here being set up for the survey.
![USGS DUNEX geophysical survey underway off of a USACE amphibious vessel in Duck, North Carolina](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/USACE_amphibious_vehicle_1.jpg?itok=ADiOrqeZ)
A geophysical instrument (chirp) is towed in the water (yellow instrument) from a floating sled to acquire information about the geology below the seafloor in Duck, NC as part of DUNEX. The USACE Field Research Facility can be seen in the background in the upper left corner.
A geophysical instrument (chirp) is towed in the water (yellow instrument) from a floating sled to acquire information about the geology below the seafloor in Duck, NC as part of DUNEX. The USACE Field Research Facility can be seen in the background in the upper left corner.
A groin at Seven Mile Island, New Jersey traps sand and contributes to widening of the barrier beach. This illustrates how human modification and wave processes shape the beach. In May 2021, Andrew Farmer, Chelsea Stalk, and Emily Wei conducted a multibeam bathymetry survey offshore of Seven Mile Island, along the southern coast of New Jersey.
A groin at Seven Mile Island, New Jersey traps sand and contributes to widening of the barrier beach. This illustrates how human modification and wave processes shape the beach. In May 2021, Andrew Farmer, Chelsea Stalk, and Emily Wei conducted a multibeam bathymetry survey offshore of Seven Mile Island, along the southern coast of New Jersey.
![Beach ridges at Caladesi Island, FL](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/CaledesiIsland_beachridges_DCiarletta_2021.jpg?itok=F3fZjotm)
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta captured this view of the modern beach ridge system at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. Ciarletta and colleagues are studying the island as part of a project to explore barrier island response to long-term changes in sediment availability.
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta captured this view of the modern beach ridge system at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. Ciarletta and colleagues are studying the island as part of a project to explore barrier island response to long-term changes in sediment availability.
![A man writes on a long metal cyllinder in a marsh environment](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/20210219_161017%280%29_0.jpg?itok=nPUkf59P)
![Three scientists operate a vibracore - a metal cylinder that is pushed into the sediment on a barrier island](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/GOPR0166-2%20-%20Copy.jpg?itok=7MXr6qmh)
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
![USGS geologists surveying the beach at Caladesi Island, FL](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/CSAF_Geologists_CaladesiIsland.jpg?itok=f-l2XW1j)
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologist Julie Bernier perform field reconnaissance at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. The scientists are refining a plan to sample and survey the island using sediment vibracores and ground-penetrating radar.
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologist Julie Bernier perform field reconnaissance at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. The scientists are refining a plan to sample and survey the island using sediment vibracores and ground-penetrating radar.
![A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast during a geophysical survey](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/Miselis_Rockaway_2019_WeiSOSCast.jpeg?itok=bGKh4pvL)
A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast from a boat while conducting a chirp geophysical survey offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula, New York. These geophysical data were used to quantify volumes of available shoreface sediment on this margin.
A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast from a boat while conducting a chirp geophysical survey offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula, New York. These geophysical data were used to quantify volumes of available shoreface sediment on this margin.
![Two-panel image. Top: scientists stand by a personal watercraft on beach. Bottom: woman pulls an instrument across the water.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/Methods_0.png?itok=zPjfmqU0)
USGS scientists use specialized equipment to measure sediment dynamics in nearshore and coastal systems. Access by boat is limited in these areas, so personal watercraft are equipped with GPS and echosounders to collect bathymetric data. Seismic sleds are pulled along transects from the beach across the water to measure changes in sediment type below the water.
USGS scientists use specialized equipment to measure sediment dynamics in nearshore and coastal systems. Access by boat is limited in these areas, so personal watercraft are equipped with GPS and echosounders to collect bathymetric data. Seismic sleds are pulled along transects from the beach across the water to measure changes in sediment type below the water.
![Pilots from two USGS Coastal and Marine Science Centers collect imagery data using Unmanned Aerial System, while personnel from](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/Pelican-Isl_winterbird_Dec2018_pic-01_1.png?itok=WfB-ai5_)
In an effort spanning the Natural Hazards and Ecosystems Mission Areas, pilots from the Saint Petersburg and Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Centers collect imagery data using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) while personnel from the Wetlands and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) conduct ground-based site surveys of Pelican Island, Alabama.
In an effort spanning the Natural Hazards and Ecosystems Mission Areas, pilots from the Saint Petersburg and Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Centers collect imagery data using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) while personnel from the Wetlands and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) conduct ground-based site surveys of Pelican Island, Alabama.
As part of the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project, we use innovative technology and integrate a variety of techniques to characterize barrier island environments, reconstruct their past history, and predict their future vulnerability.
Geophysics
We acquire geophysical data to investigate changes in the shape and geology of inner shelf, shoreface, beach, and barrier environments. In shallow marine environments, we acquire high-resolution multibeam and single-beam bathymetry – data that show the shape and depth of the seafloor. By repeating surveys in the same location annually or semi-annually, we track erosional or depositional processes that might impact the response of the barrier to storms, sea-level rise, or human intervention. We pair bathymetry with sub-bottom geophysics (e.g., Chirp), to explore sediment layers beneath the seafloor. On land, we examine what’s beneath beaches and barriers using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to learn about their evolution through time.
Remote Sensing
Remote sensing allows us to assess changes in barrier island extent, inlet dynamics, overwash processes, and land cover at varying spatial scales. Different spectra, or frequency ranges, in satellite imagery help us classify land cover features. This is especially useful for rapidly changing coastal features, like new inlets, where we can use multiple forms of remotely sensed imagery to study their evolution.
![Colored lines overlaid on aerial image of an island and island breach shows how the island footprint has changed since 1985.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/half_width/public/thumbnails/image/cap5_nelson_Shoreline_Retreat.png?itok=XMzapgVs)
![Animation displays an island spit lengthening between the years of 1970 and 2017.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/half_width/public/media/images/Ciarletta-Holgate-change-small_0_0.gif?itok=ZgyiesdP)
Reduced-Complexity Models
We use reduced-complexity models to infer past changes in coastal systems and reconstruct past geomorphology, which can help predict future change. This animation displays modeled beach profile elevation as it has evolved at Parramore Island, Virginia. These data are based on geomorphic field investigations and measure distance (in kilometers) of cross-shore accretion. QS is the flux of sand to the beach and QD is the flux of sand from the beach to the active dune. Yellow represents sand, blue represents water, while green represents marsh.
![Animation of a plot displaying beach elevation over time](/index.php/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Ciarletta-RS-PR.gif?itok=Tf_FGwAR)
Sediment Sampling
Sediment sampling is used to verify remote sensing observations and can tell us how old sediments are, where they came from, and what processes brought them there. Sediment cores can extend records of erosion and deposition further into the past than geophysical or remote sensing methods.
This research is part of the part of the Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project.
Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)
Coastal Bathymetry and Backscatter Data Collected in June 2021 from Rockaway Peninsula, New York
Secrets of the Sediment on Barrier Islands
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
![A scientist stands in a vegetated sandy area holding a thin cylinder of sand, next to a tripod.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/20220419_110742-e.jpg?itok=WgYMRYyn)
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).
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).
![Scientist holds and analyzes a thin cylinder of sand and mud in front of a sandy vegetated area next to a hole in the ground](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/20220419_105011-e.jpg?itok=V2itk7aQ)
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).
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).
![View from the dunes of waves crashing on a sandy beach with grassy shoreline and some dead trees under a gray sky.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/20220419_092147-e.jpg?itok=RI9BLkuR)
Looking over the dunes towards the beach in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness at Fire Island, New York.
Looking over the dunes towards the beach in the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness at Fire Island, New York.
USGS Research Geologist Jennifer Miselis will conduct shoreface geophysical surveys at the USACE Field Research Facility during DUNEX aboard the LARC, which is shown here being set up for the survey.
USGS Research Geologist Jennifer Miselis will conduct shoreface geophysical surveys at the USACE Field Research Facility during DUNEX aboard the LARC, which is shown here being set up for the survey.
![USGS DUNEX geophysical survey underway off of a USACE amphibious vessel in Duck, North Carolina](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/USACE_amphibious_vehicle_1.jpg?itok=ADiOrqeZ)
A geophysical instrument (chirp) is towed in the water (yellow instrument) from a floating sled to acquire information about the geology below the seafloor in Duck, NC as part of DUNEX. The USACE Field Research Facility can be seen in the background in the upper left corner.
A geophysical instrument (chirp) is towed in the water (yellow instrument) from a floating sled to acquire information about the geology below the seafloor in Duck, NC as part of DUNEX. The USACE Field Research Facility can be seen in the background in the upper left corner.
A groin at Seven Mile Island, New Jersey traps sand and contributes to widening of the barrier beach. This illustrates how human modification and wave processes shape the beach. In May 2021, Andrew Farmer, Chelsea Stalk, and Emily Wei conducted a multibeam bathymetry survey offshore of Seven Mile Island, along the southern coast of New Jersey.
A groin at Seven Mile Island, New Jersey traps sand and contributes to widening of the barrier beach. This illustrates how human modification and wave processes shape the beach. In May 2021, Andrew Farmer, Chelsea Stalk, and Emily Wei conducted a multibeam bathymetry survey offshore of Seven Mile Island, along the southern coast of New Jersey.
![Beach ridges at Caladesi Island, FL](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/CaledesiIsland_beachridges_DCiarletta_2021.jpg?itok=F3fZjotm)
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta captured this view of the modern beach ridge system at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. Ciarletta and colleagues are studying the island as part of a project to explore barrier island response to long-term changes in sediment availability.
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta captured this view of the modern beach ridge system at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. Ciarletta and colleagues are studying the island as part of a project to explore barrier island response to long-term changes in sediment availability.
![A man writes on a long metal cyllinder in a marsh environment](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/20210219_161017%280%29_0.jpg?itok=nPUkf59P)
![Three scientists operate a vibracore - a metal cylinder that is pushed into the sediment on a barrier island](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/GOPR0166-2%20-%20Copy.jpg?itok=7MXr6qmh)
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
![USGS geologists surveying the beach at Caladesi Island, FL](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/CSAF_Geologists_CaladesiIsland.jpg?itok=f-l2XW1j)
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologist Julie Bernier perform field reconnaissance at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. The scientists are refining a plan to sample and survey the island using sediment vibracores and ground-penetrating radar.
Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow Daniel Ciarletta and geologist Julie Bernier perform field reconnaissance at Caladesi Island, along the Gulf coast of central Florida. The scientists are refining a plan to sample and survey the island using sediment vibracores and ground-penetrating radar.
![A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast during a geophysical survey](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/Miselis_Rockaway_2019_WeiSOSCast.jpeg?itok=bGKh4pvL)
A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast from a boat while conducting a chirp geophysical survey offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula, New York. These geophysical data were used to quantify volumes of available shoreface sediment on this margin.
A scientist deploys a sound velocity cast from a boat while conducting a chirp geophysical survey offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula, New York. These geophysical data were used to quantify volumes of available shoreface sediment on this margin.
![Two-panel image. Top: scientists stand by a personal watercraft on beach. Bottom: woman pulls an instrument across the water.](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/Methods_0.png?itok=zPjfmqU0)
USGS scientists use specialized equipment to measure sediment dynamics in nearshore and coastal systems. Access by boat is limited in these areas, so personal watercraft are equipped with GPS and echosounders to collect bathymetric data. Seismic sleds are pulled along transects from the beach across the water to measure changes in sediment type below the water.
USGS scientists use specialized equipment to measure sediment dynamics in nearshore and coastal systems. Access by boat is limited in these areas, so personal watercraft are equipped with GPS and echosounders to collect bathymetric data. Seismic sleds are pulled along transects from the beach across the water to measure changes in sediment type below the water.
![Pilots from two USGS Coastal and Marine Science Centers collect imagery data using Unmanned Aerial System, while personnel from](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/Pelican-Isl_winterbird_Dec2018_pic-01_1.png?itok=WfB-ai5_)
In an effort spanning the Natural Hazards and Ecosystems Mission Areas, pilots from the Saint Petersburg and Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Centers collect imagery data using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) while personnel from the Wetlands and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) conduct ground-based site surveys of Pelican Island, Alabama.
In an effort spanning the Natural Hazards and Ecosystems Mission Areas, pilots from the Saint Petersburg and Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Centers collect imagery data using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) while personnel from the Wetlands and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) conduct ground-based site surveys of Pelican Island, Alabama.