Assessing the Effectiveness of Coastal Foredune Barriers in Reducing Hurricane Washover Sedimentation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Williams, H., 2018. Assessing the effectiveness of coastal foredune barriers in reducing hurricane washover sedimentation. This study tests the effectiveness of physical barriers in blocking or reducing washover sedimentation in coastal marshes. It is widely assumed that natural and artificial physical barriers, such as foredunes and roads, block or reduce storm overwash. However, there appears to be little documented assessment of this effect. This topic has gained significance recently because of concerns over sea-level rise induced by global warming creating a larger potential threat from storm overwash. Nearshore physical barriers act to protect populations and infrastructure farther inland from storm surge, but they may also reduce sediment delivery to coastal marshlands, slowing their vertical accretion and contributing to their submergence by rising sea level. Consequently, there is a critical need for more information on the effect of physical barriers on marsh sedimentation. Washover sed...