Alongshore Momentum Balance Over Shore-face Connected Ridges, Fire Island, NY

Shore-face connected ridges (SFCRs) have been extensively studied to determine their creation and maintenance mechanisms, as well as for use as a sand resource for beach nourishment. Thus far, the maintenance mechanism for SFCRs has been described as an offshore veering of currents at ridge crests, causing current convergence, a lower sediment carrying capacity, and ultimately sediment deposition at the crest. In this study, we present in-situ collected flow data over SFCRs in the inner shelf (water depth~12m). Momentum balance analysis over the SFCRs identified the region as dominated by pressure gradient force, surface stress, and bottom stress. This results are compared to previous numerical modelling studies of SFCR maintenance mechanisms and sheds light on the inner shelf ocean circulation over a so far unexplained, but prominent world-wide bathymetry.