Foraminifera of Storm-Generated Washover Fans

This study investigates the sediment source for washover fans and the use of natural (foraminifera) and artificial (glass bead) tracers to quantify deposition and mixing in back-barrier marsh environments along the South Carolina coast. Erosion and deposition along South Carolina’s coast are processes of growing interest. Recent storm events have demonstrated the economic effects of such natural agents and the need to better understand the frequency of major storms in relation to barrier-island migration, sediment supply, and evolution. Foraminiferal assemblages provide insight into back-barrier deposition rates, including potential storm-generated washover intervals, and may help to identify processes acting on an evolving barrier island in a transgressive setting.