Summary of study design and data collected at Assateague National Seashore, MD

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Data Sources

Monitoring Wells

The monitoring conducted for this study at wells Wo Ef 41, Wo Ef 42, and Wo Ef 43 characterized the effects of storm events on the western bay-side of Assateague Island. These wells are located adjacent to a surficial pond and in the vicinity of maritime pine trees. The wells are on a slight hill and are protected from the Atlantic coast by a taller primary dune on the east side of the island. From Lidar elevations (Figure 1) it appears that Wo Ef 41 is at a higher elevation than the interior wells. However, surveyed ground elevations show Wo EF 41 is higher due to it being on a hill. Links to data from each of these wells can be found in Table 1.

Figure 1. Location of wells in transect.
Figure 1. Location of wells in transect
Well Name Screened-Interval (below land surface) Location Description Link to Site Page
Wo Ef 41 8.75-9.5 ft bls Located closer to the bay, on slight swale or hill Link
Wo Ef 42 8.2-8.95 ft bls Located in Stand of Pines, slight land surface depression Link
Wo Ef 43 0.85-1.6 ft bls Located in Stand of Pines, slight land surface depression Link
Table 1. Description of wells.

Tide Data

  • Chincoteague Inlet Tide Data (USGS- Site Number 01484746)

  • 6-minute elevation data

  • Ocean City Inlet Tide Data (NOAA- Site Number 8570283)

Precipitation (BLM and NPS)

  • ASTM2

Study Design

The monitoring period for this study was from September 2017 through June 2018. During this period, the water level and specific conductance were monitored in each well and collected at 15-minute intervals. Short-term responses to storm responses were evaluated using the timeseries of water level and specific conductance data, along with precipitation data and wind speed data collected at location ASTM2, and tidal elevations recorded from nearby tide gages at Chincoteague Inlet and Ocean City (See Fig. 1.).


Data Summary (Table 2, Figure 2)

Storm Number Start Date End Date Precip. As rain (in.) Max. precip as rain (in.) Max. Precip Date MAX. Wind speed (mph) Max wind date Max. Height abv Mean Higher High Water (NAVD88, ft)
1 9-17-2017 9-21-2017 0.28 0.13 9-19-17 15 9-19-2017 2.802
2 10-29-2017 11-1-2017 2.04 0.31 10-29-17 20 10-30 1.752
3 1-3-2018 1-6-2018 0.07 0.04 1-3-2017 24 1-4-2018 1.97
4 1-12-2018 1-14-2018 0.69 0.36 1-13-2018 20 1-13-2018 0.676
5 3-1-2018 3-4-2018 0.24 0.05 3-1-2018 28 3-2-2018 2.411
6 3-4-2018 3-12-2018 0.75 0.16 3-7-2018 22 3-7-2018 2.677
7 3-12-2018 3-16-2018 0.53 0.13 3-12-2018 21 3-12-2018 1.92
8 3-19-2018 3-24-2018 2.12 0.18 3-20-2018 33 3-20-2018 2.346
9 4-2-2018 4-5-2018 0.03 0.02 4-2-2018 21 4-4-2018 1.233
10 4-14-2018 4-18-2018 1.63 0.65 4-16-2018 27 4-16-2018 2.122
11 5-12-2018 5-15-2018 3.46 1.69 5-13-2018 22 5-12-2018 1.473
12 5-15-2018 5-20-2018 4.14 0.8 5-18-2018 23 5-18-2018 2.08





























Table 2: List of storm events
Figure 2: Assateague Monitoring Summary - Period: September 8, 2017 – June 25, 2018. Missing SC and water temperature data in Wo Ef 43 SC from December 2017 to were periods when the sensors were out of the water.
Figure 2: Assateague Monitoring Summary - Period: September 8, 2017 – June 25, 2018. Missing SC and water temperature data in Wo Ef 43 SC from December 2017 to were periods when the sensors were out of the water.

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Last updated: December 5, 2022