Sediment Transport from Delaware Bay to the New Jersey Inner Shelf

Abstract

Trace metal analysis of bottom sediments (<63 micron fraction) clearly indicates that Delaware Bay-derived sediment is being-deposited in waters surrounding Cape May Peninsula and northward along the inner shelf of New -Jersey. Distributional patterns of trace metal values on the inner shelf show that ridge crests contain higher trace metal values than adjacent swales because exposed Pleistocene clay layers in the swales dilute the trace metal concentrations. In addition, summer sediments have metal concentrations two to three times higher than winter sediments, which may reflect the more dominant northward flowing currents in summer than in winter, or it may indicate dilution of Delaware Bay derived clays with offshore Pleistocene clays stirred up during winter storms.