The characteristics and preservation potential of Hurricane Irma's overwash deposit in southern Florida, USA

Overwash deposits from tropical cyclone-induced storm surges are commonly used as modern analogues for paleo-storm studies. However, the evolution of these between their time deposition and incorporation into geologic record is poorly understood. To understand how characteristics an overwash deposit can change over time, we analyzed four mangrove islands in southern Florida two to three months twenty-two after Hurricane Irma's landfall region on 10 September 2017. We stratigraphy, mean grain size, organic carbonate contents, stable carbon isotopic signatures, microfossil (foraminifera diatom) assemblages pre-Irma Irma sediments. surge deposited light gray muds sands up 11 cm thick red organic-rich peats throughout Florida. Stratigraphy, loss-on-ignition, foraminifera analyses provided strongest evidence differentiating underlying and, if preserved, expected identify event within record. Mean size showed (5.0 ± 0.8 ɸ) was coarser than (6.7 0.7 ɸ), loss-on-ignition had a lower content (19.8 9.1%) higher (67.8 20.7%) (59.4 14.6% 33.7 11.0%, respectively). The dominated by diverse, abundant assemblage sub-tidal benthic calcareous compared uniform, sparse agglutinated peats. Geochemical indicators were not able provide δ13C or C/N those complex relationship diatoms local environmental factors prevented diatom providing statistically clear distinction sediments By visiting immediately following nearly years post-storm, document deposit's changed time. Continued monitoring scale five ten would further insights preservation