Coastal Erosion and Transgressive Stratigraphy

Swift, Donald J. P.

doi:10.1086/627342

Cited by 371 publications

(183 citation statements)

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“…These characteristics arise from incomplete preservation and pronounced reworking of shoreline systems during their overall retreat (e.g., Curray 1964), however, thick net-transgressive shallow-marine successions containing abundant stacked sandbodies have been documented (Olsen et al 1999;Allen and Johnson 2011). Conceptual models indicate that preservation of nettransgressive shallow-marine strata requires overall retreat of the shoreline punctuated by periods of limited shoreline regression (e.g., Swift 1968;Swift et al 1991;Cattaneo and Steel 2000). Field studies have provided supporting evidence in the form of detailed facies relationships and stratigraphic architectures that match the model predictions (Sixsmith et al 2008;Allen and Johnson 2011) though the number of field cases documented are significantly fewer than those for regressive systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preserved Stratigraphic Architecture and Evolution of A Net-Transgressive Mixed Wave- and Tide-Influenced Coastal System: The Cliff House Sandstone, Northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Jordan¹,

Gupta²,

Hampson³

et al. 2016

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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The Cretaceous Cliff House Sandstone comprises a thick (400 m) nettransgressive succession representing a mixed wave-and tide-influenced shallow-marine system that migrated episodically landwards. This study examines the youngest part (middle Campanian) of the Cliff House Sandstone, exposed in Chaco Cultural Natural Historical Park, northwest New Mexico, U.S.A. Detailed mapping of facies architecture between a three-dimensional network of measured sections has allowed the character, geometry, and distribution of key stratigraphic surfaces and stratal units to be reconstructed. Upward-shallowing facies successions (parasequences) are separated by laterally extensive transgressive erosion (ravinement) surfaces cut by both wave and tide processes. Preservation of facies tracts in each parasequence is controlled by the depth of erosion and migration trajectory of the overlying ravinement surfaces. In most parasequences, there is no preservation of the proximal wave-dominated facies tracts (foreshore, upper-shoreface), resulting in thin (4-7 m) top-truncated packages. Four distinct shallow marine tongues (parasequence sets) have been identified, consisting of ten parasequences with a total stratigraphic thickness of ~ 100 m. Each tongue records an episode of complex shoreline migration history (multiple regressive-transgressive phases) in an overall net-transgressive system.The ravinement surfaces provide a stratigraphic framework in which to understand partitioning of tide-and wave-dominated deposits in a net-transgressive system, and a model is presented to account for the sediment distribution and stratigraphic architecture observed in each parasequence. Despite a complex internal architecture, parasequences exhibit a predictable pattern which can be related to the regressive and transgressive phases of deposition. Preservation of wave-dominated facies tracts is associated with shoreline regression, while tide-dominated facies tracts are interpreted to record sediment accumulation during shoreline transgression that also resulted in significant erosion of the underlying regressive deposits. The interplay between erosion, sediment bypass, and deposition during regression and transgression is shown to ultimately control the preservation and stratigraphic architecture of the larger-scale net-transgressive coastal system. While the Cliff House Sandstone exhibits a facies composition and quantitative stacking patterns (shoreline trajectory) similar to other studied examples, differences in the dip-extent of the wave-dominated sandstone tongue has resulted in a more

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preserved Stratigraphic Architecture and Evolution of A Net-Transgressive Mixed Wave- and Tide-Influenced Coastal System: The Cliff House Sandstone, Northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Jordan¹,

Gupta²,

Hampson³

et al. 2016

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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“…The toe of the shoreface is the narrow relatively steeply sloping zone between the seaward limit of the shore at low water and the nearly horizontal inner-continental shelf. It is widely assumed to approximate the depth of storm wave base (limit of wave-induced sediment transport) and has been used as a minimum estimate for the depth of shoreface ravinement (e.g., Swift, 1968;Nummedal and Swift, 1987). However, erosion, transport and deposition of sediment in deeper-water, innercontinental shelf settings have been well documented (e.g., Pilkey and Field, 1972;Sternberg and Larsen, 1975;Gadd et al, 1978;Lavelle et al, 1978;Cacchione and Drake, 1982;Cacchione et al, 1984Cacchione et al, , 1987Vincent et al, 1982;Wiberg and Smith, 1983;Wright et al, 1986Wright et al, , 1994.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York

et al. 2014

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“…Under rising sea level conditions, the natural condition today along 53 most of the U.S. east coast, barrier islands will back-step (retreat landward) by erosion on the 54 seaward side and deposition on the landward side (Bruun, 1962;Swift and Thorne, 1991; Thorne 55 and Swift, 1991). Large storms, with consequent high waves, strong currents and above-normal 56 tidal ranges/surges, are thought to be primary drivers of such shoreface erosion (Swift, 1968; 57 Swift and Thorne, 1991). Such storms are also considered important contributors to landward 58 3 aggradation through overwash deposition (Lentz et al, 2013), although island breaching and 59 inlet formation/closure are also major drivers over the short term (Leatherman, 1985).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the shoreface and inner shelf of Fire Island, New York: Large bedform migration but limited erosion

Goff

Flood

Austin

et al. 2015

Continental Shelf Research

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14We investigate the impact of superstorm Sandy on the lower shoreface and inner shelf 15 offshore the barrier island system of Fire Island, NY using before-and-after surveys involving 16 swath bathymetry, backscatter and CHIRP acoustic reflection data. As sea level rises over the 17 long term, the shoreface and inner shelf are eroded as barrier islands migrate landward; large 18 storms like Sandy are thought to be a primary driver of this largely evolutionary process. The 19 "before" data were collected in 2011 by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of a long-term 20 investigation of the Fire Island barrier system. The "after" data were collected in January, 2013, 21 ~two months after the storm. Surprisingly, no widespread erosional event was observed. Rather, 22 the primary impact of Sandy on the shoreface and inner shelf was to force migration of major 23 bedforms (sand ridges and sorted bedforms) 10's of meters WSW alongshore, decreasing in 24 migration distance with increasing water depth. Although greater in rate, this migratory behavior 25 is no different than observations made over the 15-year span prior to the 2011 survey. 26Stratigraphic observations of buried, offshore-thinning fluvial channels indicate that long-term 27 erosion of older sediments is focused in water depths ranging from the base of the shoreface 28 (~13-16 m) to ~21 m on the inner shelf, which is coincident with the range of depth over which 29 sand ridges and sorted bedforms migrated in response to Sandy. We hypothesize that bedform 30 migration regulates erosion over these water depths and controls the formation of a widely 31 observed transgressive ravinement; focusing erosion of older material occurs at the base of the 32 stoss (upcurrent) flank of the bedforms. Secondary storm impacts include the formation of 33 ephemeral hummocky bedforms and the deposition of a mud event layer. the New York City metropolitan area was heavily damaged, and the Long Island barrier island 46 system was both breached in places and seriously eroded . 47The impacts of this storm on the shoreface and inner shelf, which are permanently 48 submerged and therefore primarily accessible only through acoustic mapping, are harder to 49 observe. However, although the shoreface and inner shelf are neither populated nor veneered 50 with human infrastructure, they are nevertheless critical to both people and their structures, 51 because they are the first line of defense of barrier island systems against a naturally retreating, 52or "transgressing," coastline. Under rising sea level conditions, the natural condition today along 53 most of the U.S. east coast, barrier islands will back-step (retreat landward) by erosion on the 54 seaward side and deposition on the landward side (Bruun, 1962;Swift and Thorne, 1991; Thorne 55 and Swift, 1991). Large storms, with consequent high waves, strong currents and above-normal 56 tidal ranges/surges, are thought to be primary drivers of such shoreface erosion (Swift, 1968; 57 Swift and Thorne, 1991). Such storms...

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Coastal Erosion and Transgressive Stratigraphy

Cited by 371 publications

References 22 publications

Preserved Stratigraphic Architecture and Evolution of A Net-Transgressive Mixed Wave- and Tide-Influenced Coastal System: The Cliff House Sandstone, Northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Preserved Stratigraphic Architecture and Evolution of A Net-Transgressive Mixed Wave- and Tide-Influenced Coastal System: The Cliff House Sandstone, Northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Modification of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the inner-continental shelf by Holocene marine transgression: An example offshore of Fire Island, New York

The impact of Hurricane Sandy on the shoreface and inner shelf of Fire Island, New York: Large bedform migration but limited erosion

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