Size Analysis of Sand Samples from Southern New Jersey Beaches.
Abstract
The size of sand on Atlantic coast beaches of southern New Jersey was studied by analyzing 788 sand samples. In north-to-south order, the samples were collected by Island Beach, Long Beach Island, Brigantine, Atlantic City, and Ludlam Island. Sand size generally decreased from north to south, with size at the two northermost sites noticeably coarser on the average than the size at the three southern sites. Results from Long Beach Island, Atlantic City, and Ludlam Island, where most of the data were collected, indicate that size, averaged by beach, decreases from 0.33 millimeter at Long Beach Island in the north, through 0.27 millimeter at Atlantic City, to 0.23 millimeter at Ludlam Island in the south. Size, averaged by profile line, varies from 0.34 millimeter at a profile on the northern half of Long Beach Island, 0.20 millimeter at a profile in the middle of Ludlam Island. Size also varies with position across the profile from low tide terrace to landward edge of berm, tending to decrease landward across the average of three profiles on Atlantic City and three profiles on Ludlam Island, but tending to increase landward across the average of four profile lines on Long Beach Island. Maximum variation at one Beach, averaged by position on profile, occurs at Long Beach Island where the average size increased from 0.28 millimeter on the low tide terrace to 0.36 millimeter on the berm. Size variation by month suggests a tendency for sand to be finer during late summer and early fall, but data do not permit identification of a consistent annual cycle.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA040082
Entities
People
- Cyril J. Galvin Jr.
- Michael D. Ramsey
Organizations
- Coastal Engineering Research Center