Assessment of Active Sand Volumes at Rockaway Beach and Fire Island in New York and Seven Mile Island in New Jersey

Data Report 1211
Natural Hazards Mission Area Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program
Prepared in cooperation with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
By: , and 

Links

  • Document: Report (8.47 MB pdf) , HTML , XML
  • Data Releases:
    • USGS Data Release - Archive of chirp sub-bottom profile geophysical data collected in 2014 from Fire Island, New York
    • USGS Data Release - Archive of chirp subbottom profile data collected in June 2018 from Fire Island, New York
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal bathymetry data collected in June 2018 from Fire Island, New York—Wilderness breach and shoreface
    • USGS Data Release - Archive of chirp subbottom profile data collected in 2019 from Rockaway Peninsula, New York
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal bathymetry and backscatter data collected in September and October 2019 from Rockaway Peninsula, New York
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal bathymetry and backscatter data collected in June 2021 from Rockaway Peninsula, New York
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal multibeam bathymetry data collected in 2018 offshore of Seven Mile Island, New Jersey
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in May 2021 from Seven Mile Island, New Jersey
    • USGS Data Release - Archive of chirp subbottom profile data collected in 2022 from Seven Mile Island, New Jersey
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal single-beam bathymetry data collected in 2022 off Seven Mile Island, New Jersey
    • USGS Data Release - Coastal multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in May 2023 from Seven Mile Island, New Jersey
  • NGMDB Index Page: National Geologic Map Database Index Page (html)
  • Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

Between 2018 and 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed shoreface sediment availability at three Atlantic Coast barrier island study sites in support of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation project entitled, “Monitoring Hurricane Sandy Beach and Marsh Resilience in New York and New Jersey.” The three study sites are Seven Mile Island, New Jersey, Rockaway Beach peninsula, New York, and Fire Island, N.Y. Previously interpreted geologic boundaries from shoreface geophysical surveys and data from repeat bathymetric surveys at each of the study sites were integrated to quantify the active sediment volume, or the volume of sediment that could contribute to beach and shoreline behavior over annual to decadal time scales. This report describes the methods used to calculate these volumes and the variability of active sediment volume for each survey at the three study sites. Our data show that when shoreface volumes account for varying alongshore extent of each study site, Seven Mile Island and Rockaway Beach peninsula have about 1.5 times the active sediment volume measured at Fire Island.

Suggested Citation

Buster, N.A., Miselis, J.L., Wei, E.A., and Forde, A.S., 2025, Assessment of active sand volumes at Rockaway Beach and Fire Island in New York and Seven Mile Island in New Jersey: U.S. Geological Survey Data Report 1211, 19 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/dr1211.

ISSN: 2771-9448 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Setting
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Assessment of active sand volumes at Rockaway Beach and Fire Island in New York and Seven Mile Island in New Jersey
Series title Data Report
Series number 1211
DOI 10.3133/dr1211
Publication Date May 22, 2025
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description Report: vii, 19 p.; 11 Data Releases
Country United States
State New York, New Jersey
Other Geospatial Fire Island, Rockaway Beach, Seven Mile Island
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional publication details