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Boston University BOSTON UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Thesis BLUFF EVOLUTION AND GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE BOSTON HARBOR DRUMLINS, MASSACHUSETTS by EMILY A. HIMMELSTOSS B.A., Franklin & Marshall College, 2000 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2003 Approved by First Reader ______________________________________________________ Duncan M. FitzGerald, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Earth Sciences Second Reader ______________________________________________________ David R. Marchant, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Earth Sciences ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was made possible through financial support from the National Park Service. Special thanks to Ms. Mary Foley, Regional Chief Scientist and Ms. Deborah DiQuinzio, Park Ranger, Natural Resource Management and Research Division of the Boston Support Office. I would have been unable to complete much of my research without help from my summer field assistant and friend Amy Webster, whose patience through all kinds of weather was greatly appreciated. I also owe gratitude to all of the graduate students in the Department of Earth Sciences at Boston University, whose good humor, helpful advice, and constant support gave me the needed strength to make it though many obstacles. Much appreciation is due to my wonderful parents, who have always been there for me. Finally I want to thank my boyfriend, Scott Ramsey, whose considerate nature and patience inspire me to be a better person. Special thanks are also due to my advisor, Duncan FitzGerald, and Peter Rosen who provided me with insight and good humor both in and out of the field. I would like to dedicate this thesis to the memory of Dr. James Allen of the United States Geological Survey a primary investigator on this project, who tragically passed away prior to its completion. iii BLUFF EVOLUTION AND GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE BOSTON HARBOR DRUMLINS, MASSACHUSETTS EMILY A. HIMMELSTOSS ABSTRACT There are over two dozen islands scattered within Boston Harbor, all of which are composed of bedrock and/or glacially deposited material, such as till. The glacial deposits are commonly found in drumlin form and easy to identify due to their distinctive hill shape. These oblong mounds lie partially submerged within the harbor and many sections of the island drumlins have been impacted by wave attack resulting in the formation of bluffs. The physical processes responsible for the long-term evolution of the Boston Harbor drumlins operate on many different spatial and temporal scales. An evolutionary model was constructed to describe the surface process history and enabled identification of the current factors operating on eroding bluffs. The regional processes responsible for reworking sediment around the islands are storms, wind-generated waves, boat wakes, and tidal currents all operating in a regime of accelerated sea-level rise. Locally, factors such as sediment composition, bluff stratigraphy, surface flow processes, and geotechnical properties, may influence erosion susceptibility. Analyses of individual bluffs revealed inconsistencies in their height and length, as well as in the dominant mechanism causing their retreat. The drumlin bluffs erode by means of two distinct morphologic processes; (1) planar slopes undercut by wave action, which result in episodic slumping events and (2) rilled or gullied slopes caused predominantly by rain splash. Factors controlling the process of erosion were identified and compared to better understand how slopes with different morphologies relate to one another as well as to the overall evolution of the islands through time. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................iii ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 8 STUDY AREA................................................................................................................... 9 Physical Setting...................................................................................................... 9 Hydrographic Regime.......................................................................................... 10 METHODS ...................................................................................................................... 11 Aerial Photograph Analysis................................................................................. 12 Historic Coastal Charts and Hydrographic Chart Data..................................... 15 Theoretical Wave Height Calculations ............................................................... 15 Fieldwork Data Collection................................................................................... 16 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................ 17 Thompson Island ................................................................................................. 19 Long Island .......................................................................................................... 23 Lovells Island ....................................................................................................... 27 Peddocks Island.................................................................................................... 30 Grape Island......................................................................................................... 33 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................. 35 Regional Influences............................................................................................. 35 Local Factors of Erosion ..................................................................................... 39 Importance of Bluff Height ................................................................................. 41 Model of Bluff Evolution..................................................................................... 42 Hierarchical Classification and Bluff Characteristics....................................... 47 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................. 49 APPENDIX...........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Significant wave height calculations for locally-generated winds at various exposures................................................................................................................... 19 Table 2. Mean retreat rates and confidence intervals of shoreline change on Thompson, Long, Lovells, Peddocks, and Grape Islands............................................................ 22 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location Map of Boston Harbor Island, Massachusetts.................................... 9 Figure 2. Wind Rose for Logan Airport, Boston Massachusetts. .................................. 11 Figure 3. BeachToolsTM histogram manipulation............................................................ 14 Figure 4. Map of Thompson Island Shoreline Change. ................................................. 23 Figure 5. Long Island shoreline change.......................................................................... 27 Figure 6. Lovells Island Shoreline Change..................................................................... 29 Figure 7 Peddocks Island shoreline change. ................................................................... 33 Figure 8. Grape Island shoreline change......................................................................... 35 Figure 9. Significant wave heights for the NOAA data buoy......................................... 36 Figure 10. Wind speeds averaged by month for NOAA data buoy. ............................... 37 Figure 11. Bluff orientation with respect to dominant slope morphology...................... 42 Figure 12. Theoretical model of drumlin bluff evolution. .............................................. 44 Figure 13. Time sequence of slope erosion processes. ................................................... 46 Figure 14. Hierarchical classification of geomorphic factors......................................... 48 vii INTRODUCTION The Boston Harbor Islands are a recent addition to the National Park System, established by Congress in 1996. The purpose of the National Park Area designation is to preserve and protect the drumlin island system including their associated natural and cultural resources, while enhancing public understanding and appreciation through public access (NPS, 2000). If access to the islands is expected to increase, it is imperative for island managers to identify the areas that will be most susceptible to erosion. This study identifies the primary regional and local processes responsible for the formation and continual erosion of bluffs along section of the island drumlins. The results will be used
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