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1998 Assateague Island Northeasters |
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ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NORTHEASTERS
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Wave height off Ocean City, MD, January and February
1998. |
During January and February, 1998, while El-Niño storms impacted
the west coast of the U.S., two major northeasters impacted the
mid-Atlantic states. Our partners at NASA Wallops Flight Facility
(Wallops Island, VA) surveyed nearby Assateague Island, a NPS
National Seashore, using scanning airborne laser altimetry
prior to and after two major northeasters that occurred one week
apart. During each storm, wave heights reached 7 m off Ocean City, MD.
Example profile
comparsions derived from the laser altimetry data
(see below) show considerable
variability of impact on Assateague Island from extensive reteat
of coastal dunes to overwash across the island. These profiles consist
of all data that lie within 1 m of the shore-normal line. Note the
vertical exaggeration that emphasizes the changes.
More extensive analyses, including animation
showing coastal change to the island, are available from our partners in
NASA.
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Coastal and Marine Program >
Center for Coastal Geology >
Research by Theme >
Hazards >
Hurricane & Extreme Storm Impact Studies >
1998 Assateague Island Northeasters
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal Geology
http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/assateague/index.html
Address questions and comments to Trent Faust - Webmaster
Updated December 08, 1999 @ 06:51 PM
(THF)
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