Nauset Beach, Mass. 



16.7 



13 



3.2 



0.70 ± 0.51 



2.0 



Mlsquamlcut, R.I. 



4.9 



7 



2.1 



0.79 ± 0.47 



0.8 



Westhampton. N.Y. 



15.0 



11 



2.5 



0.74 ± 0.43 



0.9 



Jones Beach, N.Y. 



21.9 



15 



2.8 



0.72 ± 0.41 



1.1 



Long Beach IS, N.J. 



20.3 



21 



2.4 



0.73 ± 0.41 



1.3 



Atlantic City, N.J. 



4.5 



7 



2.1 



0.70 ± 0.39 



1.3 



Ludlam Beach, N.J. 



11.8 



19 



2.0 



0.66 ± 0.39 



1.3 



PART III: LOCALITY DESCRIPTIONS 



26. Each of the seven sites is unique according to morphology, 

 shoreline orientation, and incident wave climate. This part presents a 

 general description of each locality along with a discussion on how they 

 respond to storms. Basic characteristics of the localities are given in 

 Table 4. 



Table 4 

 Characteristics of the Study Beaches 



Number Berm Annual Average Tide Range* 

 Length of Elevation Wave Height Average Spring Sediment 

 (km) Profiles (m) (m) (m) (m) Type 



2.4 medium/coarse 



1.0 medium 



1.1 medium/coarse 

 1.3 fine/medium 

 1.6 medium 

 1.6 fine/medium 

 1.6 medium 



US Department of Commerce (1982). 



Nauset Beach, Massachusetts 



27. Nauset Beach differs from the other localities in that 10 of the 

 13 profile lines (Figure 7) are backed by a steep bluff which is composed of 

 glacial material deposited during the Wisconsin glaciation. Bluff heights 

 range from approximately 15 to 25 m above msl. The shoreline orientation 

 ranges from 5 to 25 deg west of north. The average foreshore slope is 1:12. 

 Tides are semidiurnal with an average range of 2 m and a spring range of 

 2.4 m. Based on data in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

 (NOAA) tide tables (US Department of Commerce 1982) predicted high tide 

 heights at Nauset Beach are -0.85 lower than those predicted for Boston, the 

 closest tide gage. Profile lines backed by the bluff have the steepest 

 beachface slopes. Historic rates show a 1 m/year recession of the coastline. 

 Net longshore transport is toward the south. There are no coastal protection 

 structures along Nauset Beach (Miller 1985). 



28. Because of the bluffs, survey errors were more likely to occur on 

 these profile lines because of the difficulty of accurately surveying the 



18 



