Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland Physical Change Assessment Project

Hurricane Sandy Washover Deposits on Southern Long 

Beach Island, New Jersey 

By James M. Bishop, Bruce M. Richmond, Nicholas J. Zaremba, Brent D. Lunghino, and Haunani H. Kane 

Open-File Report 2016–1090

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
ii

U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016

For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth,

its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit

http://www.usgs.gov/ or call 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747).

For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications,

visit http://store.usgs.gov/.

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may

contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items

must be secured from the copyright owner.

Suggested citation:

Bishop, J.M., Richmond, B.R., Zaremba, N.J., Lunghino, B.D., and Kane, H.K., 2016, Hurricane Sandy washover 

deposits on southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1090, 14 p., 

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161090.

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)
iii

Acknowledgments

Financing for this study was provided by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, utilizing the Department of the Interior Hurricane Sandy supplemental funding. The authors thank Maziet Cheseby (Oregon State 

University College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences) for assistance with computed tomography (CT) 

scanning and Virginia Rettig (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) for supporting our field work in the Edwin B. Forsyth 

Wildlife Refuge.

The authors also thank Nathaniel Plant and Christopher Smith (USGS) for support and thoughtful scientific input 

during this study, Kathryn Smith (USGS) for help in the field, and Julie Bernier (USGS) for reviewing a draft of 

this report.
iv

Contents

Acknowledgments ...........................................................................................................................................................................................iii

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Methods........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Field Data Collection................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Post-Processing of GPS Data..................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Core Processing.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Grain-Size Analysis..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Results............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

References Cited........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Figures

1. (A) Map showing the path of the center of Hurricane Sandy and the extent of hurricane force winds; (B) Large-scale inset map 

showing southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey ........................................................................................................................ 3

2. Aerial photographs showing locations where push cores and Russian cores were collected and trenches in five sampling 

transects, southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey...................................................................................................................... 4

3. (A) Photograph showing trench 3, transect 3, with white sand deposited by Hurricane Sandy above the dark pre-Hurricane 

Sandy marsh surface; (B) post-Hurricane Sandy imagery (November 6, 2012) with washover fan visible; and (C) pre-Hurricane 

Sandy imagery (March–April 2012) with the pre-hurricane marsh surface visible.......................................................................... 5

4. Photographs showing (A) push-core device, and (B) Russian peat auger..................................................................................... 6

5. (A) Orthoimagery collected November 6, 2012, showing Hurricane Sandy washover deposits. Note the sharp outlines of the 

different washover fans. (B) Orthoimagery collected in September 2013 showing the sediment reworking that occurred in the 

time since Hurricane Sandy sediments were deposited................................................................................................................. 8

6. Photograph and CT scan of push core PC13 showing the massive deposit from Hurricane Sandy at the bottom of the core 

at a depth of 20–31 centimeters ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

7. Example of coarsening upward sequence exhibited in sediment above pre-hurricane surface in push core BH15-PC12 ...........11

8. Core log for Russian peat auger BH15-RC06, Long Beach Island, New Jersey.......................................................................... 12
v

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

Length

micrometer (μm) 0.00003937 inch (in.)

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch (in.)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

kilometer (km) 0.5400 mile, nautical (nmi) 

meter (m) 1.094 yard (yd) 

Volume

liter (L) 33.82 ounce, fluid (fl. oz)

liter (L) 2.113 pint (pt)

liter (L) 1.057 quart (qt)

liter (L) 0.2642 gallon (gal)

Mass

gram (g) 0.03527 ounce, avoirdupois (oz)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as °F = (1.8 × °C) + 32.

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as °C = (°F – 32) / 1.8.

Datums

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83).

Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.

Supplemental Information

Data used in this report are available as an accompanying data release (Bishop and others, 2016): http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7PK0D7S.
vi

Abbreviations

.gdb Esri file geodatabase

18N Zone 18 North

BIWC Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland Physical Change Assessment

CORS continuously operating reference station 

CT computed tomography

DGPS differential global positioning system

DICOM Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine

FAN Field Activity Number

FDGC Federal Geographic Data Committee

GIS geographic information system

GPR ground-penetrating radar

GPS global positioning system

HS Hurricane Sandy

ID identification

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group

KML Keyhole Markup Language

lidar light detection and ranging

mL milliliter

n number of samples used in mean

NMEA National Marine Electronics Association

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association

PCMSC Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS)

PNG portable network graphics

PVC polyvinyl chloride

SPCMSC St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS)

TIFF Tagged Image File Format

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

UTM Universal Transverse Mercator
1

Hurricane Sandy Washover Deposits on Southern Long 

Beach Island, New Jersey 

By James M. Bishop ,

1

 Bruce M. Richmond, 1 Nicholas J. Zaremba, 1 Brent D. Lunghino, 1 and Haunani H. Kane 2 

Abstract

Sedimentologic and topographic data from Hurricane Sandy washover deposits were collected from 

southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in order to document changes to the barrier-island beaches, dunes, 

and coastal wetlands caused by Hurricane Sandy and subsequent storm events. These data will provide a 

baseline dataset for use in future coastal change descriptive and predictive studies and assessments. The data 

presented here were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland 

Physical Change Assessment Project (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/sandy-wetland-assessment/), which aims to 

assess ecological and societal vulnerability that results from long- and short-term physical changes to barrier islands and coastal wetlands. This report describes data that were collected in April 2015, approximately 

21⁄2 years after Hurricane Sandy’s landfall on October 29, 2012. During the field campaign, washover deposits were photographed and described, and sediment cores, sediment samples, and surface-elevation data were 

collected. Data collected during this study, including sample locations and elevations, core photographs, 

computed tomography scans, descriptive core logs, sediment grain-size data, and accompanying Federal 

Geographic Data Committee metadata, are available in the associated U.S. Geological Survey data release 

(Bishop and others, 2016; http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7PK0D7S). 

Introduction

Sedimentologic data from Hurricane Sandy (HS) washover deposits on Long Beach Island, New 

Jersey, were collected in order to characterize and document the geological impact to barrier islands from the 

storm. HS was one of the deadliest and most costly hurricanes to make landfall in the United States, impacting the entire U.S. eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and as far inland as Michigan. The most substantial damage occurred to the mid-Atlantic States, particularly New Jersey and New York, where a combination of storm surge, wave runup, heavy rainfall, and strong winds resulted in an estimated $79 billion in 

damage (Henry and others, 2013). Along Long Beach Island, New Jersey, storm-induced erosion, overwash, 

and inundation re-distributed sediment and damaged coastal infrastructure. The purpose of this report is to 

provide a baseline dataset for future sedimentological and coastal change descriptive and predictive studies 

and assessments. 

HS made landfall as an extratropical cyclone on October 29, 2012, near Brigantine, New Jersey. 

While hurricane force wind speeds did occur along the New Jersey coast, the most notable characteristic of 

the hurricane was the enormous wind swath, which extended 2,000 kilometers (km) along the coastline. The 

large wind swath combined with the nearly orthogonal angle at which the hurricane approached the coast 

resulted in high storm surges that affected extensive portions of the U.S. eastern seaboard (Blake and others, 

2013). At the Little Egg Inlet tide gage (USGS 01409335), approximately 2 km from southern Long Beach 

1 U.S. Geological Survey.

2 University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Geology and Geophysics.
2

Island, water levels peaked at 2 meters (m) higher than normal high tide levels. New Jersey barrier islands 

north of Brigantine were almost completely flooded and in many cases breached due to the combination of 

large storm surge and Atlantic surf (Blake and others, 2013).

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is documenting physical changes to coastlines that result from 

hurricanes in order to incorporate such information into storm-induced coastal change predictive models. 

The data described in this report were collected as part of the Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland Physical 

Change Assessment (BIWC) Project. The goal of the BIWC Project is to assess ecological and societal vulnerability that results from long- and short-term changes to barrier islands and coastal wetlands. This report, 

in combination with similar studies conducted at Assateague Island, Maryland (Julie Bernier, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2016), and Fire Island, New York (Seanpaul La Selle, U.S. Geological Survey, 

written commun., 2016), will provide data that will contribute to updating coastal change models which will 

help predict physical changes that occur to barrier islands and coastal wetlands as a result of storms.

Field work for this study was conducted during April 7–14, 2015, approximately 21⁄2 years after HS 

made landfall. Sediment data were collected from the southern end of Long Beach Island near the town of 

Beach Haven, within the Holgate unit of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, approximately 

20 km northeast of where the center of the hurricane eye made landfall (fig. 1). Long Beach Island is a 

30-km-long barrier island along the eastern coast of New Jersey, and the Holgate unit of the wildlife refuge 

is on the southernmost 5 km of the island. Because the Holgate unit of the wildlife refuge remains undeveloped, it provides an excellent place to study storm-related coastal change in a natural setting. This report 

documents sediment core data that were collected during USGS Field Activity Number (FAN) 2015-611-FA. 

Data presented include descriptive core logs, core photographs, computed tomography (CT) scans, results 

of sediment analyses, and elevations, all of which are available in the associated USGS data release (Bishop 

and others, 2016; http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7PK0D7S). Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data were also 

collected during the course of the current study. 

Methods

Field Data Collection

Scientists from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), the USGS St. 

Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC), and students from the University of Hawaii 

conducted field work from April 7 to 14, 2015, during which time 49 trenches were dug, documented, and 

photographed. In addition, 33 sediment cores, 12 sediment source grab samples, and differential global positioning system (DGPS) elevations were collected. Sampling locations were chosen after analyzing pre- and 

post-storm aerial imagery (pre-storm, March–April 2012, New Jersey Office of Information Technology, Office of Geographic Information Systems, 2013; post-storm, November 6, 2012, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2012) and lidar data (pre-storm, October 26, 2012, post-storm, November 1 and 5, 

2012, Wright and others, 2014) to identify areas of Long Beach Island that were overwashed by HS. Washover deposits from HS were documented along five transects that were oriented roughly parallel to the long 

axis of the washover fan (that is, parallel to the inferred overwash flow direction) (fig. 2). Sediment cores 

were collected and trenches were dug periodically along each of the transects. In addition to the five washover transects, trenches were dug and sediment cores were collected from areas that did not contain washover deposits from HS in order to document and compare sedimentologic characteristics of non-HS deposits.
3

Sample locations were recorded at the time of collections by using Garmin GPSmap 60CSx handheld 

receivers. At most sampling locations, position and elevation data were also recorded by using an Ashtech 

Proflex DGPS receiver and a geodetic antenna. Field setup consisted of a rover receiver collecting GPS data 

at a frequency of 1 second. The receiver was placed within a backpack and connected to the antenna; data 

were recorded to a flash drive. The antenna was mounted on a metal pole with a spike on the bottom, the 

spike was pushed into the ground, and the height of the GPS antenna above the ground was measured and 

recorded when the system was set up. Each site was occupied from 5 to 45 minutes, and the start and stop 

times of each occupation site were recorded.

Trenches were dug such that the walls were roughly parallel to the long axis of the washover fan 

(parallel to the inferred overwash flow direction). Each trench was photographed and described, with special 

attention paid to identifying the depth of the pre-HS surfaces where possible. At some locations, the pre-HS 

surface, identified by using pre-HS aerial imagery, was a brown, rooted peat or soil that has been overlain by a 

light-colored sand (fig. 3). In these cases, identification of the pre-HS surface in the field was obvious. In other 

locations, a shallow water table resulted in collapse of the trench walls before reaching the pre-HS surface.

Cores were collected by using either a 7.62-centimeter (cm) (3-inch) diameter push-core device or a 

5.2-cm-diameter, 50-cm-long Russian peat auger (fig. 4). In general, push cores were composed of shallow 

sediment that occurred above the groundwater table. The Russian peat augers were able to sample sediment 

Figure 1. (A) Map showing the path of the center of Hurricane Sandy and the extent of hurricane force winds. Hurricane force wind extent and 

hurricane path from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center (2015). (B) Large-scale inset map showing 

southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, 

1994, 1:2,000,000

Base from 2013 USGS National Elevation Dataset 

New York

New Jersey Pennsylvania

Delaware

Connecticut

Maryland

Virginia

New York

Massachusetts

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic City

Study Area Inset map

New Jersey

Hurricane Sandy Path

EXPLANATION

A

B

Category 1 Extent

Long Beach Island

Beach Haven

Holgate

Brigantine

Little Egg 

Inlet

76°0' W 74°0' W

42°0' N

40°0' N

38°0' N

74o20'0"W

39o40' N

39o30' N

39o20' N

0 75 KILOMETERS

0 50 100 MILES 0 5 KILOMETERS

0 3 6 MILES
4

within ponds or below the water table. In total, 13 push cores and 20 Russian cores were collected. At six of 

the sites, multiple Russian cores were collected, each penetrating to different depths. Push cores were capped 

and sealed upon extraction, and the location and core ID were recorded. A north arrow was marked on the 

push cores in order to orient them for CT scanning and laboratory analysis (described below). Russian cores 

were transferred to polyvinyl (PVC) tubes that had been split lengthwise. Then the tubes were wrapped in 

plastic and taped. Location and core IDs were recorded, but due to the nature of Russian core extraction, 

orientation was uncertain and not recorded. Bulk sediment grab samples weighing between 5 and 30 grams 

were collected from potential sediment sources and analyzed for grain size. 

Figure 2. Aerial photographs showing locations where push cores and Russian cores were collected and trenches in five sampling transects, 

southern Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Off-transect samples not shown. Orthoimagery is mosaicked from data collected on November 6, 2012, 

shortly after Hurricane Sandy made landfall. Imagery courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2012).

39o32' N

39o31' N

39o30' N

74o18' W 74o17' W 74o16' W

Push Core

EXPLANATION

Russian Core

Trench only, no samples

0 150 300 FEET

0 50 100 METERS

0 150 300 FEET

0 50 100 METERS

N

0 150 300 FEET

0 50 100 METERS

PC10

PC11

PC02

PC03

PC04

PC06

PC07

PC08

RC02

RC03 RC04

RC01

RC13

RC12

RC11

PC13

PC12

RC07

PC01

Transect 4

Transect 1

Transect 2 

Transect 3 

Transect 5

0 0.5 MILE

0 0.5 1 KILOMETER
5

Post-Processing of GPS Data

The global positioning system (GPS) data collected during USGS FAN 2015-611-FA were differentially corrected by post-processing using continuously operating reference stations (CORS) NJGT, 

NJOC, and NJCM located approximately 23, 50, and 65 km, respectively, away from the study location. It 

was necessary for multiple CORS to be used during post-processing because some of the CORS were not 

in operation during the entire time of data collection. Data for the CORS used during processing of the GPS 

data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, 2015). The CORS 

coordinates were imported into GrafNav, version 8.4 (NovAtel Waypoint Product Group), and the data from 

the rover GPS (the GPS unit used to collect data at each sample site) were post-processed to the concurrent 

CORS session. The position data were then exported from GrafNav. Vertical GPS accuracies ranged from 

13 millimeters (mm) (25-km CORS) to 30 mm (65-km CORS), and horizontal GPS accuracies ranged from 

5 mm (25-km CORS) to 10 mm (65-km CORS).

Figure 3. (A) Photograph showing trench 3, transect 3, with white sand deposited by Hurricane Sandy above the dark pre-Hurricane Sandy 

marsh surface; (B) post-Hurricane Sandy imagery (November 6, 2012) with washover fan visible; and (C) pre-Hurricane Sandy imagery 

(March–April 2012) with the pre-hurricane marsh surface visible. 

0 cm

15 cm

30 cm

0 25 50 METERS

0 75 150 FEET

Imagery: November 6, 2012

Imagery: March-April, 2012

A B

C

Push Core

EXPLANATION

Russian Core

Location of photograph in A

74o16'10"W 74o16'08"W

39o31'50"N

39o31'47"N

74o16'10"W 74o16'08"W

39o31'50"N

39o31'47"N
6

Core Processing

Sediment cores were shipped from the field location directly to the College of Earth, Ocean, and 

Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University where they were imaged using CT density scans. The 

CT scans enable 3-dimensional imaging of the core densities and reveal internal sedimentary structure. Scans 

of each core were acquired by using a Toshiba Aquilon 64 Slice and were collected at 120 peak kilovoltage and 200 milliamps and a pitch of 0.5 second (100 milliampere-seconds). For visualization purposes, the 

resulting images were processed with a “bone” algorithm to generate coronal images every 2 mm across 

the core. Push cores were oriented in the CT scanner with the north arrow facing up, towards the ceiling. 

Russian cores were oriented such that the flat portion of the half-cylinder core was facing upwards. Resulting images are referred to as either coronal or sagittal. Coronal images view the core perpendicular to the 

horizontal plane, and sagittal images view the core perpendicular to the vertical plane. After CT scanning 

was complete, cores were shipped to the PCMSC. At the PCMSC, raw images were edited by using OsiriX, 

software dedicated to editing Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images produced 

by medical imaging equipment, including CT scans. OsiriX allows for 2-dimensional viewing and 3-dimenFigure 4. Photographs showing (A) push-core device, and (B) Russian peat auger.

A B
7

sional rendering of CT scan images. Push cores that were collected from a washover fan (all cores except 

PC05 and PC09) have CT scans that view the core perpendicular to the long axis of the washover fan and 

parallel to the long axis of the washover fan. Russian cores and push cores PC05 and PC09 have sagittal and 

coronal images. CT scans can be downloaded from the data downloads page.

In the PCMSC sediment core lab, push cores were split lengthwise, parallel to the long axis of the 

washover fan from which they were collected, then photographed and described by using standard sediment 

logging methods. Push cores were sub-sampled at 1-cm intervals for grain-size analysis. Sample frequencies varied from core to core based on observed lithologic changes. Russian cores were photographed and 

described after removing tape and plastic wrap from the core. Grain-size analysis was not performed on 

Russian cores. Core logs including elevations, descriptions, photographs, CT scans, and grain size (push 

cores only) are available from the associated USGS data release (Bishop and others, 2016; http://dx.doi.

org/10.5066/F7PK0D7S).

Grain-Size Analysis

Samples used for grain-size analysis were placed into a 1,000-milliliter (mL) beaker filled with 

200–500 mL of deionized water. Organics were removed by adding 5–10 mL of 30-percent hydrogen peroxide and allowing the sample to oxidize overnight. Following the oxidation, the samples were heated to drive 

off excess hydrogen peroxide. Samples were then washed twice via centrifugation in order to remove all 

soluble chemicals and excess organic material. Following washing, the samples were wet sieved to segregate them into three broad size fractions: coarse/gravel (>2 mm); intermediate/sand (2.00 mm–0.063 mm); 

and mud (silt and clay) composed of the material (<0.063 mm). Sand and gravel fractions were dried in an 

oven at 80 degrees Celsius (°C) and weighed. Five mL of Calgon (sodium hexametaphosphate) solution was 

added to the mud fraction cylinder, and distilled water was added to total the volume to 1 liter (L). The mud 

+ Calgon solution sat overnight to ensure removal of the mud particles’ negative charges. Subsequently, a 

20-mL aliquot was taken from the 1-L mud fraction to determine the weight of the mud.

The gravel fraction was separated with sieves and binned at 1⁄4-phi intervals. The sand and mud fractions were analyzed with a Beckman Coulter LS 13-320 laser diffraction particle-size analyzer at 1⁄4-phi intervals. The particle-size data were then combined and processed with the PCMSC software called pcSDSZ, 

which determines the particle-size distribution according to graphical statistics using the formulas of Folk 

and Ward (1957), Folk (1966, 1974), Inman (1952), and Trask (1930 and 1932), as well as moment measures 

(Collias and others, 1963). The raw grain-size data were also run through the program GRADISTAT (Blott 

and Pye, 2001) in order to calculate geometric (in metric units) mean, sorting, skewness, and kurtosis of each 

sample by using the Folk and Ward (1957) method. GRADISTAT also calculates the fraction of sediment 

from each sample by size category (for example, clay, coarse silt, fine sand) based on a modified Wentworth 

(1922) size scale. The grain-size analysis outputs from pcSDSZ and GRADISTAT are available from the associated USGS data release (Bishop and others, 2016; http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7PK0D7S).

Results

The sedimentologic characteristics of washover deposits created by storms will reflect the sediment sources that are available for erosion and re-distribution. Sediment samples were collected from a 

number of potential sources including a beachfront dune (BH15-WP415), the crest of a backbeach berm 

(BH15-WP416), dune ripples on the lagoon side of the island (BH15-WP106), the swash zone on the lagoon 

side of the island (BH15-WP107), sand from the beach on the ocean side of the island (BH15-WP427-1), 
8

beachfront dune soil (BH15-WP427-2), low-tide coarse beach-face sand (BH15-WP448), the lower swash 

zone on the ocean side of the island (BH15-WP449), the upper swash zone on the beach side of the island 

(BH15-WP469), the toe of the beach (BH15-WP468), and a low-tide terrace on the beach side of the island 

(BH15-WP467). Visibly, the sediment sources all looked fairly similar and were composed primarily of 

a light-colored quartz sand with between 1 and 10 percent darker minerals. Sediment sources range from 

well-sorted (1.32 micrometers [μm]) to moderately well-sorted (1.51 μm), medium (327 μm) to very coarse 

sand (665 μm). The mean grain size of all sediment source samples is 487 ± 102 μm, and mean sorting is 

1.40 ± 0.07 μm (n = 12).

Identification of HS washover deposits 21⁄2 years after the event occurred is complicated by the 

fact that substantial sediment re-working has occurred since the hurricane. Sediment re-working is evident 

because washover deposits were documented during the field campaign in locations that are visibly not 

overwashed in aerial imagery collected immediately after the hurricane. Also, aerial imagery from September 2013, 11 months after the hurricane, shows extensive sediment reworking (fig. 5). Elevation data collected in April 2015 indicate that the current ground surface is either higher or lower than the post-hurricane 

light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation, indicating deposition, erosion, or a combination of the two 

processes has occurred since the hurricane.

Despite the re-working that has occurred, HS washover deposits are still evident in a number of the 

trenches and cores. Locations where washover sediment was deposited on a pre-hurricane marsh surface can 

be identified by using pre- and post-storm aerial imagery. In these locations, HS washover deposits appear 

as non-laminated gray, tan, or brown sand that sharply contacts the dark gray or black underlying marsh 

surface. A few samples also have marsh plants bent toward the lagoon (figs. 3 and 6) and (or) lagoonwarddipping foresets (trenches 2 and 3 on transect 1). Sand with faint or sharp horizontal dark mineral laminations above the massive unit may also be a characteristic of HS overwash (figs. 3 and 6). However, because 

substantial re-working has occurred, it is unknown how much of the above-marsh deposit is from HS and 

how much occurred in subsequent depositional events (for example, February 2013 Nor’Easter, March 2013 

Figure 5. (A) Orthoimagery collected November 6, 2012, showing Hurricane Sandy washover deposits. Note the sharp outlines of the different 

washover fans. (B) Orthoimagery collected in September 2013 showing the sediment reworking that occurred in the time since Hurricane Sandy 

sediments were deposited. Imagery from U.S. Geological Survey, 2014. 

150 300 FEET

0 50 100 METERS

0

Push Core

EXPLANATION

Russian Core

Trench only, no samples

A B

Imagery:

September 2013

Imagery:

November 1, 2012

Transect 1

Transect 2

Transect 3

Transect 1

Transect 2

Transect 3

N N

74o16'15" W 74o16'08" W

39o31'45" N

74o16'15" W 74o16'08" W
9

Nor’Easter, December 2014 Nor’Easter). Thus, the laminated portion could be a result of depositional processes that occurred after HS. 

Push cores PC01, PC02, PC06, PC07, PC10, PC12, and PC13 all have HS washover deposits overlying a pre-hurricane marsh surface. In all these cores, a massive sand ranging in thickness from 4.5 to 19 cm 

overlies a pre-hurricane marsh surface. Above the massive sand is a sharply or faintly laminated sand ranging 

from 6.5 to 30 cm thick. Total sediment thickness above the pre-HS surface ranges from 13 to 52 cm. Sediment collected from the massive portion of these cores ranges from well-sorted (1.32 μm) to moderately wellsorted (1.54 μm), medium (281 μm) to coarse (524 μm) sand. Massive layer mean grain size is 392 ± 74 μm, 

and mean sorting is 1.41 ± 0.06 μm (n = 13). Laminated sediment ranged from well-sorted (1.34 μm) to 

moderately well-sorted (1.52 μm), medium (310 μm) to coarse (538 μm) sand. Laminated layer mean grain 

Figure 6. Photograph and CT scan of push core PC13 showing the massive deposit from Hurricane Sandy at the bottom of the core at a depth 

of 20–31 centimeters (cm). Dark mineral laminations are visible at depths from 0 to 19 cm. Near the bottom of the core, grasses bent in the 

lagoonward direction (279°) can be seen in the photograph and the CT scan. The bottom 3–4 cm of the core was lost during core recovery, but 

the missing portion was identified in the field as a pre-Hurricane Sandy marsh surface; a rag was stuffed in place of the peat to keep the core from 

sliding inside the casing. 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.95

0.90

0.85

0.80

0.75

0.70

0.65

Elevation (m)

Depth (cm)

Core Photograph

Sample Interval

Core CT Scan

Lithology

Lithologic Description

Location: Distal overwash deposit, Beach Haven, CT (Transect 3)

Core Length: 34 cm

Elevation: 0.96 m

Longitude: -74.26939

Core ID: BH-15-PC13 Latitude: 39.53016

0–20 cm: SAND, tan (25Y 8/1), laminated, well-sorted, sub-round, medium sand. 

Laminations appear sharp near the top though become more faint down section. 

Laminations are generally horizontal or slightly dipping in the lagoonward direction.

20–32 cm: SAND, gray (GLEY 1 8/N), massive, well-sorted, sub-round, medium sand. 

Grass from peat below entrained in the section, many of the grass pieces are bent in 

the lagoonward direction. Small (2–3 mm length) charcoal pieces present.

32–34 cm: PEAT. This section was lost from the core during 

recovery, but in the field it was documented that the lost portion was peat. The dark 

coloration shown in the CT scan image is a rag stuffed in the bottom of the core to 

prevent movement of the sediment inside the casing. 

279°
10

size is 412 ± 70 μm, and mean sorting is 1.41 ± 0.06 μm (n = 11). In cores PC01, PC06, PC12, and PC13, 

there is a slight coarsening upward in the sediment above the pre-HS marsh surface (fig. 7), and in PC02 and 

PC07, there is a slight fining upward. The up-core mean grain size in PC10 is erratic and inconclusive. 

At the locations where push cores PC03, PC04, and PC08 were collected, the pre-HS surface is 

sand. Because the pre-hurricane sand and the washover sand are both composed primarily of medium to 

coarse white quartz grains, it is difficult to determine whether the cores have penetrated the pre-HS surface. 

A comparison of core elevations to post-HS lidar elevations indicates that these cores may have penetrated 

HS washover deposits. However, it is also possible that, in the 21⁄2 years between HS and the field campaign, 

the HS washover deposits were eroded and post-hurricane deposition created the sediment deposits cored 

during the field study. As such, these cores could be composed of pre-hurricane sediment, hurricane washover sediment, sediment deposited from post-hurricane processes, or some combination thereof. Visibly, 

two distinct sand units appear to be contained in these cores—a dark brown sand near the bottom of each 

core and a light tan sand in the upper portion of the cores. The difference in color is likely due to the greater 

amount of organic matter observed in the darker sediment; grain size is similar between the two units. Sediment in the bottom 6–11 cm of each of these cores consisted of a massive, dark brown, organic-rich sand 

with a sharp upper contact. This dark brown sand ranged from moderately well-sorted (1.48 μm) to wellsorted (1.39 μm), medium sand (mean = 440 ± 31). Sediments in the upper 20–35 cm of these cores consist 

of light tan to dark brown, massive to laminated, poorly sorted (2.09 μm) to well-sorted (1.33 μm), medium 

(346 μm) to coarse (556 μm) sand. Mean grain size is 436 ± 68 μm, and mean sorting is 1.50 ± 0.22 μm 

(n = 18).

Elevation data from push core PC11 indicate that the sediment contained in the bottom of the core 

was deposited 36 cm above the post-hurricane sediment surface; thus, this core does not contain HS washover sediment. Sediment in the core is light tan, is massive or laminated, and exhibits an upcore, repetitive 

sequence of fining then coarsening. Sediment ranges from poorly sorted (2.16 μm) to well-sorted (1.33 μm), 

medium (331 μm) to very coarse (1,030 μm) sand. 

Sediment from the non-vegetated portions of push cores PC05 and PC09, which were collected from 

areas not overwashed by Hurricane Sandy, ranged from poorly sorted (2.02 μm) to well-sorted (1.409 μm), 

fine (236 μm) to coarse sand (542 μm). Sediment appears primarily massive, though some faint, horizontal 

laminations are visible in PC05. Shell fragments, up to 2 cm in diameter, occur throughout PC05. The sandy 

marsh section of PC09 consists of 10 cm of poorly to moderately well-sorted (mean sorting = 2.04 μm), very 

fine to fine (mean grain size = 143 ± 35 μm) muddy sand and sand. Peat underlies the sandy marsh section, 

but the core did not penetrate through the peat section, so its thickness is unknown. The peat consisted of 

poorly sorted (2.34 μm), fine muddy sand (126 μm) with a dense root mat. 

Russian cores were collected from surficial deposits, from the bottom of trenches, and from the 

bottom of barrier island ponds. Individual cores ranged in length from 28 to 50 cm, though cores combined 

from a single location totaled up to 200 cm. Sediment in these cores is composed of sand, muddy sand, 

sandy mud, or peat. Many of the cores contained multiple peat layers, and one core contained five separate 

peat layers, each separated by a layer of sand (fig. 8). Peat layers ranged from 4 to 24.5 cm thick, sand layers 

ranged from 3 to 50 cm thick, and mud layers ranged from 1.5 to 5 cm thick.

Based on the presence of a massive sand overlying a marsh surface, HS washover deposits range 

in thickness from 4.5 to 19 cm thick. If the laminated portion of the deposit is included as part of the total 

deposit thickness, HS washover deposit thicknesses may be up to 48 cm. Sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and 

elevation data collected during this study provide a baseline dataset for future sedimentological and coastal 

change descriptive and predictive studies and assessments.
11

Figure 7. Example of coarsening upward sequence exhibited in sediment above pre-hurricane surface in push core BH15-PC12. Depth (cm)

Mean Grain Size ( μm)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0 2 4 6 8

Sorting (μm)

0 25 50 75 100

Percent Composition

Mean grain size Sorting

Coarse sand

Medium sand

Fine sand

Mud

Explanation

Core ID: BH15-PC12

Very fine sand

Very coarse +

granule sand

0 2000 400 600 800

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0.70

0.65

0.60

0.55

0.50

0.45

0.40

Elevation (m)

Depth (cm)

Core Photograph

Sample Interval

Core CT Scan

Lithology

Lithologic Description

Location: Distal overwash deposit, Beach Haven, CT (Transect 5)

Core Length: 36.5 cm

Elevation: 0.73 m

Longitude: -74.28985

Core ID: BH15-PC12 Latitude: 39.50911

0 - 14.5 cm: SAND, light tan (2.5Y 8/1), massive, moderately well-sorted, 

sub-round, medium-coarse sand. Small (2 - 4 mm diameter) shell fragments 

present. ~5% dark minerals. Faint lagoonward-dipping lamina visible in CT 

scan.

14.5 - 32 cm: SAND, light gray (GLEY 1 7/N), well-sorted, sub-round, 

medium sand. Faint contact with upper section dips at ~10°

 in the 

lagoonward direction. Very faint laminations that dip ~ 5°

 in the lagoonward 

direction are visible in both the photograph and CT scan. Grasses are 

present from about 25 to 36.5 cm, many of which are bent in the lagoonward 

direction. ~15-20% dark minerals in this section.

32 - 36.5 cm: PEAT, dark brown (10YR 3/1), organic-rich, sandy peat with 

some mud.

279°
12

Figure 8. Core log for Russian peat auger BH15-RC06, Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

0.30

0.20

-0.10

Elevation (m)

Depth (cm)

Core Photograph

Core X-Ray

Lithology

Lithologic Description

Location: Core from pond bottom, Long Beach Island, NJ

Core Length: 200 cm (combined)

Elevation: 0.31 m

Longitude: -74.28421

Latitude: 39.51462 

Core ID: BH15-RC06

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

0.10

0.00

-0.20

-0.30

-0.40

-0.50

-0.60

-0.70

-0.80

-0.90

-1.00

-1.10

-1.20

-1.30

-1.40

-1.50

-1.60

0–33 cm: SAND, light gray (10YR 7/1), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, medium sand.

33–42 cm: PEAT, very dark gray (10YR 3/2), sandy peat with some mud present. Very small 

(~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present. Sand is well sorted, sub-round, medium size.

42–51 cm: SAND, grayish-brown (10YR 5/2), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, medium 

sand. Very small (~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present.

51–61.5 cm: PEAT, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), sandy peat with some mud present. Very small 

(~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present. Sand is well sorted, sub-round, medium size.

61.5–64 cm: SAND, grayish-brown (10YR 5/2), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, medium 

sand. Very small (~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present.

64–72.5 cm: PEAT, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), muddy peat with ~10% well-sorted, sub-round, 

fine sand. Very small (~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present. 

72.5–80 cm: SAND, grayish-brown (10YR 5/2), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, medium 

sand. Very small (~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present.

80–86 cm: PEAT, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), muddy peat with ~10% well-sorted, sub-round, 

fine sand. Very small (~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present. 

86–100 cm: SAND, light gray (GLEY1 7/N), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, medium 

sand. Roots present in top 2 cm of unit.

100–107 cm: PEAT, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), sandy peat with some mud present. Very small 

(~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present. Sand is well sorted, sub-round, medium size.

107–150 cm: SAND, light gray (10YR 7/1), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, medium sand. 

Lenses ~ 5–10 mm thick of dark, organic-rich sand occur at 113, 118, and 140 cm.

150–158 cm: organic-rich SAND, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), well-sorted, sub-round, non-laminated, 

fine sand. Mud, grass, roots, and small (~ 1 mm diameter) shell fragments present.

158–200 cm: SAND, light gray (GLEY1 7/N), well-sorted, sub-round, medium sand. Occasional, 

faint, 1–2 mm thick, sub-horizontal dark-mineral laminations visible in the core photograph.
13

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