Grain size variation across sand ridges,New Jersey continental shelf

Cross-ridge grain size profiles were determined for a nearshore and an offshore sand ridge on the New Jersey shelf. On both, the coarset sands occur on the landward flank. The range and rate of change in grain size with horizontal distance are greatest on the nearshore ridge. The grain size gradient is believed to be a response of the bottom to the cross-ridge shear stress distribution during storm flows. The difference between the two ridges may be a consequence of the relict origin of the offshore ridge versus a modern origin for the nearshore ridge, or to the different flow climates of the nearshore and offshore environments.