BUMP Professor Sergio Fagherazzi Published in Coastal Sediments
BUMP Professor Sergio Fagherazzi was involved in a study on the feeding of salt marshes with coastal storms. To survive sea-level rise, salt marshes need to increase elevation through vertical accretion. Here we present several examples of marsh accretion triggered by coastal storms at different coastal locations along the US shoreline. Based on this reach dataset, we discuss mechanisms, relevance, and limitations of marsh accretion driven by coastal storms. A frequency-magnitude analysis is necessary to determine the storm that produces the peak geomorphic work (maximum accretion). In many coastal locations sediment inputs from the ocean are key for marsh survival, these inputs occur mostly during storms. Sediment resuspension during a storm increases the flux of sediment to the marsh, but also increases export of sediment during the subsequent ebb, reducing the overall trapping efficiency. Sediment inputs can occur with ice rafting in cold climates. In fact, large storms like hurricanes trigger widespread accretion but are too infrequent to control salt marsh evolution. These findings show that alternative options to survive sea-level rise would be worth looking into. Read more here.