Morphologic Analysis of Shinnecock Inlet Using Multibeam Sonar Systems

Tidal inlets are common morphologic features along the coasts of the United States. The morphology and sedimentary structures of inlets are created and constantly modified by the complex interactions of waves, tides and currents. Because tidal inlets provide conduits for the exchange of water and sediments between the ocean and bays, many of them are artificially maintained. These engineering activities also modify natural coastal processes and change the inlet sediment pathways. A thorough understanding of the magnitudes, rates and patterns of the geomorphologic changes in the inlets is central to predicting the shoreline erosion/deposition trends, to calculating sediment budgets and to characterizing migration patterns.