Capturing the transient hydrological response in sandy soils during a rare cloudburst associated with shallow slope failures; A case study in the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, USA

Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology
By: , and 

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Abstract

A cloudburst on 7 August 2018 in the coastal bluffs of the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, induced flooding, erosion and multiple shallow slope failures that adversely affected the surrounding hillside residential area. Historically, short-duration deluges are rare in the New York Bay region, with only eight cloudbursts of greater magnitude documented since 1948. The coastal bluffs consist of a variably thick, sandy surficial material overlying flat-lying, mostly non-indurated Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, including some low-permeability glauconitic units. The bluffs have been affected by both historical deep-seated and shallow landslide movement, the latter typically related to heavy, relatively long-duration rainfall associated with tropical cyclones and nor'easters. The shallow hydrological response during the rare cloudburst was captured at two hydrological monitoring sites and yielded insights into rapidly changing moisture conditions resulting in slope failure. Additional information is provided on historical cloudbursts that have affected the region, antecedent moisture conditions, and documented landslide types and processes.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Capturing the transient hydrological response in sandy soils during a rare cloudburst associated with shallow slope failures; A case study in the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, USA
Series title Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology
DOI 10.1144/qjegh2020-127
Volume 54
Issue 4
Year Published 2021
Language English
Publisher Geological Society of America
Contributing office(s) New Jersey Water Science Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Description qjegh2020-127, 10 p.
Country United States
State New Jersey
Other Geospatial Atlantic Highlands
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