Monday, December 5, 2011

NGS and Partners Study Bench Mark Stability in Coastal Marshes at Waquoit Bay, MA

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) successfully completed a mission in the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) the week of December 5. Working in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service, NGS trained NERR staff in deep rod mark-setting and high-precision digital barcode leveling procedures. NERR staff will continue to monitor the stability of the experimental rod marks through May 2012. The results will be in a paper published by NGS and partners on the effects of the installation techniques and mark depth with regard to vertical stability in wetland soils. Study results will provide much-needed data on best practices for the establishment of permanent bench marks used to monitor the impacts of coastal elevation and local sea level change.