Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Hurricane Sandy Effects On Coastal Marsh Elevation Change, Alice G. Yeates, James B. Grace, Et Al, Scott Lerberg, James C. Lynch, Nichole Maher, J.Patrick Megonigal, W. G. Reay

VIMS Articles

High-magnitude storm events such as Hurricane Sandy are powerful agents of geomorphic change in coastal marshes, potentially altering their surface elevation trajectories. But how do a storm’s impacts vary across a large region spanning a variety of wetland settings and storm exposures and intensities. We determined the short-term impacts of Hurricane Sandy at 223 surface elevation table–marker horizon stations in estuarine marshes located across the northeast region of the United States by comparing post- storm surface elevation change with pre-storm elevation trends. We hypothesized that the storm’s effect on marsh elevation trends would be influenced by position relative to landfall …