Shoreline change monitoring at Gateway National Recreation Area: 2007-2008 annual report
Psuty NP, Silveira TM, Soda D, Spahn A, Zarella P, McDermott J, Hudacek W, Gagnon J. 2011. Shoreline change monitoring at Gateway National Recreation Area: 2007-2008 annual report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/NCBN/NRTR—2011/498. National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science. Fort Collins, Colorado
This annual report documents the collection of shoreline position data and describes the shortterm variation that has occurred during the period from Spring 2007 to Spring 2008 in the Gateway National Recreation Area, as called for in the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network’s protocol on shoreline monitoring (Psuty, et al., 2010). The changes in shoreline position are generally descriptive of the seasonal contrasts (lower energetics in the summer period versus higher energetics in the winter period) that support sediment accumulation during summer and erosion during the winter. However, there are many natural variables and cultural events that affect the gains and losses of sediment and the displacements of the beach, especially along a coastal setting where sediment input and shoreline exposure are as varied as they are at Gateway National Recreation Area. In this case, the stormy Spring 2007 and Spring 2008 periods altered the usual survey window, and a problem with survey personnel curtailed some of the Fall 2007 surveys. This short-term annual report is a step in characterizing the Park’s ocean shoreline and it contributes to the geodatabase for subsequent description and analyses. The ocean shoreline of the Sandy Hook Unit had an average seasonal variation of 4.09 m and - 8.22 m, and an average annual variation of -4.2 m, with considerable loss in the southern portion of the Hook and gain at the northern tip. Great Kills had mean seasonal changes ranging from - 5.41 m to +0.71 m, with a mean annual loss of -2.44 m. The Breezy Point ocean shoreline had a considerable spatial variation of gains and losses, with mean annual inland displacement of -4.27 m. This annual report on shoreline position change of the Gateway ocean shoreline offers some insight into the themes of coastal dynamics and sediment budget. However, it describes one year of observations and does not establish a trend. The protocols for shoreline monitoring created a foundation for comparable measurements that will lead to efficiencies in data assembly and analysis.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Psuty, Norbert; Silveira, Tanya; Soda, Daniel; Spahn, Andrea; Zarella, Paul; McDermott, Jacob; Hudacek, William; Gagnon, John
- Date of Issue
- 2011-11
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science
- Units
- GATE , NCBN , NRSS
- Keywords
- Gateway National Recreation Area, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, shoreline monitoring , shoreline position change