Geomorphological Evolution of Estuaries: The Dynamic Basis for Morpho-Sedimentary Units in Selected Estuaries in the Northeastern United States

The coastal geomorphological processes of alongshore transport and tidal currents are interacting with the attendant influences of sea-level rise and sediment supply to generate morphosedimentary units in selected estuarine systems. Constrained by the conditions promoted by microtidal situations in barrier island settings, vectors of sediment transport have established spatial sequences of morphologies and sediment types that are components of shellfish habitats. Greater depth and decreasing grain-size toward the mainland are common characteristics in five northeastern U.S. estuarine systems. The patterns are repeated at various scales among the lagoon-type estuaries as well as within the estuarine settings to establish geospatial associations of geomorphology and habitat

Mitigation as a new strategy for coastal management / La "modération" comme nouvelle stratégie pour la gestion côtière

A new US Federal Policy has recently been introduced regarding the approach toward management of coastal storm hazard and coastal flooding and property destruction. Using the catchword "mitigation", the Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced a redirection of Federal funds from the insurance support in the National Flood Insurance Program to a hazard mitigation fund directed to reducing exposure to hazard and to risk reduction. The long range goal is to reduce the losses and destruction from natural hazards by 50 % by the year 2010. Consideration of the new FEMA strategy and guidelines reinforces a consistent signal from the US Administration that Federal subsidies are being withdrawn from living in a high hazard area. Various national policies are pointing to the relinquishing of the significant role of the Federal Government in protecting property and investment in the coastal zone. And it is likely that with the removal of the national subsidies, step-wise withdrawals from the coastal zone will accompany major storms events in the future.Aux États-Unis, une nouvelle politique fédérale se met en place en matière de gestion des risques liés aux tempêtes, aux inondations et à la destruction des propriétés en milieu côtier. L’Agence Fédérale de Gestion des Situations d’Urgence vient d’annoncer la réaffectation des fonds fédéraux de la Caisse d’Assurance contre les Inondations vers un Fonds destiné à limiter l’exposition aux risques. L’objectif à atteindre, vers 2010, est de réduire de moitié les pertes et destructions liées aux risques naturels. Cette stratégie indique clairement la volonté de l’Administration fédérale de limiter la politique d’aide financière à la résidence dans des zones à risques, attitude suivie par de nombreux États. Et il est probable qu’avec la disparition des subventions des États, on assistera à un abandon progressif des zones côtières au rythme des catastrophes atmosphériques.Psuty Norbert P. Mitigation as a new strategy for coastal management / La "modération" comme nouvelle stratégie pour la gestion côtière. In: Cahiers du Centre nantais de recherche pour l'aménagement régional, n°47-48, 1997. Littoral 95 - Actes du Colloque International Continuités et ruptures sur les littoraux européens. pp. 482-488

A tribute to Roland Paskoff (1933-2005): Friend and colleague

The world of coastal geomorphology lost a very active and exceptional scientist with the passing of Roland Paskoff (Fig. 1) in September 2005. He left this world as he participated in it, after being in the field with students. Roland was a friend and advisor to many of us and his presence will be missed in the field and at the numerous international venues in which he participated.Peer reviewe

Foredune sediment budgets, Fire Island, New York, U.S.A., 1982-1991

Foredune Crestline displacements have been investigated through aerial photographic interpretation during the period 1976-1986. Although the mean condition is a slow inland displacement, 0.33 m/yr, many geomorphological variations exist in a spatial matrix. A 9-year foredune/beach profile monitoring program on Fire Island, 1982-1991, produces data on the dimensional changes of the foredune. A complex pattern of annual variation in addition to alongshore variation emerges that links beach budgets directly to dune budgets, and scarping processes to dune budgets. Sand fences do not uniformly create sand accumulation on the profile. Sand fence accumulations are on the order of 1-2 m²/yr. Erosion events cause an order of magnitude greater removal from the dune portion of the profiles. Two major storms provide most of the erosion in the 9-year period.Consacrée à Fire Island, île-barrière à l’est de New York, cetle étude porte sur les différentes méthodes utilisées pour la gestion des dunes côtières. Celles-ci peuvent être aussi bien loties que préservées dans le cadre de Parcs ; les secteurs sauvages alternent ainsi avec les secteurs bâtis. Les dunes bordières constituent un enjeu essentiel pour la protection côtière puisqu’elles fixent vers la mer une zone entièrement inconstructible : le maintien de la dune est donc vital et toutes les méthodes douces sont utilisées. Un suivi sur 10 années montrent le succès relatif des opérations de protection qui n’empêchent évidemment pas l’érosion. Les auteurs montrent d’ailleurs que, pour efficaces que soient les mesures prises, le sort de la dune est : d’abord lié au transit littoral qui fournit aux plages la substance des engraissements de la dune. Si, sur le long terme, le succès paraît évident, l’occurence de sévères tempêtes balance parfois en peu de temps les résultats obtenus.Psuty Norbert P., Piccola Tammy A. Foredune sediment budgets, Fire Island, New York, U.S.A., 1982-1991. In: Cahiers du Centre nantais de recherche pour l'aménagement régional, n°41-42, 1994. Défense des côtes ou protection de l'espace littoral, quelles perspectives ? Actes du colloque international (17-20 octobre 1991) pp. 186-196

Quelques conclusions du colloque / A few conclusions from the meeting

Miossec Alain, Anthony Edward J., Psuty Norbert P. Quelques conclusions du colloque / A few conclusions from the meeting. In: Cahiers du Centre nantais de recherche pour l'aménagement régional, n°41-42, 1994. Défense des côtes ou protection de l'espace littoral, quelles perspectives ? Actes du colloque international (17-20 octobre 1991) pp. 359-364

Holocene sedimentation and sea level rise in the Sado Estuary, Portugal

The general geomorphologic developmental history of the Sado estuary is tied to the history of sea-level rise during the middle and late Holocene and to the history of sediment transport both downstream by the fluvial drainage system and alongshore by the northerly coastal drift. Several deep cores in the Sado estuary show an encroachment of Holocene sediments upward and inland across the Pleistocene surface. Although the trend line depicts a persistent sea-level-rise rate of about 1.7 mm/yr., this is an average and there is stratigraphic evidence for variation as interpreted from the sediment facies in the cores. Similar to other areas, the sediment history is one of transgression and some vertical accumulation during the rising phase, whereas horizontal accretion was delayed until after a reduction in the rate of rise about 2600 BP, when the fringing marsh began to develop and expand into the estuary. Abundant quantities of sand were brought into the southern portion of the estuary by alongshore drifting and barrier spit development. It is likely that major spit elongation and dune development coincided with the initiation of a lower rate of sea level rise and that both the spit and the estuary had contemporaneous positive budgets. An increased rate of sea-level rise in the past several centuries plus many centuries of human interference with sediment transport is responsible for the re-initiation of wetland attenuation through modern-day erosion and destruction of the margins of the high marsh.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sediment Budget and Geomorphological Evolution of the Estuarine Dune-Beach System on Three Nourished Beaches, Delaware Bay, New Jersey

Beach nourishment was applied at three fetch-restricted sites along the estuarine margin of Delaware Bay, New Jersey. Evaluation of geomorphological performance of the nourishment project was conducted through seasonal monitoring to track linear features (shoreline, dune crest, peat edge) and to create digital elevation models (DEMs). Comparisons of the DEMs yielded sediment budgets of the updrift, fill area, and downdrift zones as well as the spatial and temporal evolution of the tidal flat, beach, and dune features within the zones. Through four years, Moore’s Beach lost all of the emplaced fill as well as an additional −5446 m3 from the fill area. The shoreline position shifted inland −12.78 m, and the foredune crest shifted inland −9.23 m. The fill area at Pierce’s Point lost all of the fill and an additional −3810 m3. The shoreline and dune crest shifted inland −7.35 m and −1.17 m, respectively. The Reed’s Beach study area benefited from beach fill updrift that more than offset the losses in the fill area, a net gain of 2107 m3. There was a major contrast in volumetric change between the updrift and downdrift portions. Sediment budget calculations established alongshore transport was an important factor in the fetch-restricted estuarine environment driving the variable geomorphological responses in the updrift, fill, and downdrift zones