6 Applied Geological Investigations at State Geological Surveys in the Northeastern Section of GSA (Posters)

This technical session will highlight the high-level, applied work done by state geological surveys to address diverse environmental issues including geologic hazards, groundwater and surface water, and economic mineral deposits in the Northeast Section region.

Sunday, 22 March 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
CCC, Ballroom C

Building a Beach-camera Network along Bay and Ocean Coastlines of Delaware

Paper number: 6-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), in collaboration with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) researchers, are working to expand the state’s beach profile-based monitoring program through the development of a shoreline-focused camera network. DGS-DNREC camera installations, which include a unit at the Indian River Inlet, are optimized to capture nearshore-shoreline process dynamics and geomorphic development along ocean and bay coastlines. The primary aim of this state-federal interagency partnership is to facilitate imagery for timelapse analyses that, with appropriate data integration from weather stations, offshore buoys, water-level gauges, and other sensor deployments, can enhance our understanding of coastal process dynamics and coastal geomorphic evolution.

Simple DGS trail cameras (n = 10, as of December 2025), some of which we hope to upgrade over time, are affixed to public, park, and private infrastructure near the shoreline. Light poles, posts, and railings have offered suitable mounting locations. All units are time-synchronized to within a minute and programmed to acquire 16MP images of beach and/or nearshore region at a half-hour frequency, adequate to resolve Delaware’s semi-diurnal tidal signature. Upon additional data collection, time-stamped images from along ~100 km of coastline will factor into a variety of machine-learning analyses to explore (1) wave-approach and breaking patterns, (2) swash dynamics, (3) tidal and storm inundation, and (4) topobathymetric change. Many of the cameras capture DNREC beach profile-based monitoring spots within their viewsheds. We hope that our regional shoreline deployments in Delaware and associated analytics can help to better inform dredge-and-nourishment schedules and aid other shoreline-management decisions.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 2

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026NE-411383

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