| Abstract: | A coastal vulnerability index (CVI) was used to map the relative vulnerability of the coast to future sea-level rise within Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS), New York. The CVI ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to sea-level rise-related coastal change: geomorphology, regional coastal slope, rate of relative sea-level rise, shoreline change rates, mean tidal range and mean wave height. The rankings for each variable were combined and an index value calculated for 1-minute grid cells covering the park. The CVI highlights those regions where the physical effects of sea-level rise might be the greatest. This approach combines the coastal system‘s susceptibility to change with its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, yielding a quantitative, although relative, measure of the park‘s natural vulnerability to the effects of sea-level rise. Fire Island consists of stable and washover dominated portions of barrier beach backed by lagoons, tidal wetlands and marsh. The areas most vulnerable to sea-level rise are those with the highest historic occurrence of overwash and the highest rates of shoreline change. Implementation of large-scale beach nourishment and other coastal engineering alternatives being considered for Fire Island could alter the CVI computed here. The CVI provides an objective technique for evaluation and long-term planning by scientists and park managers. |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 53675 |
| Citation Author: | Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Williams, S. Jeffress; Thieler, E. Robert |
| Citation Contributing Office: | |
| Citation Datum: | |
| Citation Day: | |
| Citation Edition: | - |
| Citation Editor: | |
| Citation End Page: | |
| Citation Issue: | |
| Citation Keywords: | |
| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | |
| Citation LatN: | |
| Citation LatS: | |
| Citation LonE: | |
| Citation LonW: | |
| Citation Month: | |
| Citation No Pagination: | Y |
| Citation Number Of Pages: | |
| Citation Online Only Flag: | |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | NA |
| Citation Projection: | |
| Citation Public Comments: | |
| Citation Publisher: | |
| Citation Series: | Open-File Report |
| Citation Series Code: | OFR |
| Citation Series Number: | 2003-439 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of Fire Island National Seashore to Sea-Level Rise; 2004; OFR; 2003-439; Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Williams, S. Jeffress; Thieler, E. Robert |
| Citation Start Page: | |
| Citation Volume: | |
| Citation Year: | 2004 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of Fire Island National Seashore to Sea-Level Rise; 2004; OFR; 2003-439; Pendleton, Elizabeth A.; Williams, S. Jeffress; Thieler, E. Robert |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-439/ |
| Date Other: | Mon, 1 Mar 2004 00:00 -0600 |
| Publisher: | |
