14. ABSTRACT (Concluded)
Given their significant differences, it is remarkable that Mattituck Inlet and Goldsmith Inlet have remained open
for more than two centuries and likely much longer. The stability of inlets on the north shore derives in part from a
relatively steep inner shore face, presence of geologic controls such as glacial erratics or hard points on shore,
origins of ponds as low-lying areas created after glaciation, and relatively weak longshore sediment transport that is
about an order of magnitude less than that on the south shore of Long Island. However, other factors enter in
controlling stability, in particular, commercial mining of sediment, such as at Mattituck Inlet.
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