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human influence coastal erosion
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Costal erosion, especially on barrier islands, is a major concern throughout the world. The issue represents a serious concern for many vulnerable coastlines throughout the coastal regions of the world. This issue must be studied for root causes so it can, if at all possible, be brought under some semblance of control before it is too late. The cost of ignoring this issue would be catastrophic to both communities on the beach and the marine life that depend on the coastal areas for their very survival.
Coastal erosion is a diverse issue with many different causes. However, it is basically defined as a situation that for some reason or another causes the amount of coastline in a given area to decrease. The causes behind coastal erosion are varied. They are often the result of manmade problems, such as pollution (Williams). However, the erosion of some coastlines is a natural process that occurs without human interaction (Internet Geography).
Just as important as understanding the definition of coastal erosion, is appreciating where the phenomenon it is happening. It is important to recognize that coastal erosion does not affect every beach and coastal area in the world. In fact, there are many areas of the world’s coasts that are actually growing from sediment deposits. Whether a particular costal area is growing or eroding is the result of complex natural (and sometime unnatural) process (Williams). Furthermore, the ability of scientists to find out exactly if a coast is eroding (and if it is, by how much) is critical for science to better understand the issue of coastal erosion. Scientists are able to look at geological data and take specific measurements of coastlines at different times of day and at different tida...
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...he line like so many other pressing environmental concerns of our day.
Works Cited
"Coastal Processes." Internet Geography. Learn on the Internet, 2009. Web. 19 Mar 2012.
List, Dr. Jeffrey. "Louisiana's Barrier Islands: A Vanishing Resource." U.S. Geological Survey Marine and
Coastal Geology Program. U.S. Geological Survey, 03 Nov 1995. Web. 21 Mar 2012.
Malory, Jonathan. "Coastal Accretion." Earth Facts. N.p., 2012. Web. 19 Mar 2012.
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Stewart, Robert. "Coastal Erosion." Oceanography in the 21st Century. N.p., 05 Sept 2011. Web. 19 Mar
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Williams, S. Jeffress. "Coasts in Crisis." U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1075. U.S. Geological Survey, 13
Nov 1997. Web. 19 Mar 2012. .
There are many different types of coasts that exist throughout the United States. The south shore of Long Island has a unique types of coast known as a barrier beach. Barrier beaches are long narrow land forms that are composed of sand and other lose sediments. These sediments are brought together by the actions of waves, currents and storm surges. Barrier beaches are subject to constant changes by the same forces. Sand is constantly eroded in one area an deposited in another. Barrier coasts are important for a number of reasons; they protect the mainland of Long Island from the open ocean and flooding during storms, for recreational use and the unique ecosystems which exist on barrier beaches.
... consider some ideas of what can be done to further enhance the management of the coastal issue. Using the research action plan, I aim to acquire a sophisticated understanding of longshore drift, coastal management and implementations of coastal issues, through the research action plan. Most importantly, I will include various diagrams explaining how the process of longshore drift occurs and what implementations it has on coastal environments, accompanied by an explanation of how the issue is being managed, a detailed outline of the geographical processes involved and a discussion of the impacts of the issue and why it is important.
3. Etnoyer, Peter, Nelsen, Chad, Ranker, Kevin. “Beach Sand at the Base of the Food Chain.” “Surfrider Foundation.” 2 December 2004.
Predicted By Probability Distribution Tendency." Journal Of Coastal Research 28.5 (2012): 1020-1031. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Semaphore Beach is affected by many factors such as natural processes and human impacts including marine litter and the discharge of stormwater. Therefore, several plans have been employed to ensure that the coast is supported through the method of counteracting erosion. However in the future, many management strategies have been put into consideration as well as the environmental, economic and social impacts as well as the predicted consequences. These impacts include traffic related incidents, noises and air pollution and the disruption of wildlife and the erosion of dunes. A method that should be considered for future management of the beach is the use of a concave sea wall, although efficient, this structure would be quite costly. Without the use of coastal management, Semaphore Beach would be unsupported, therefore negatively being affected by a variety of
Joe, Brancatelli. "What Is Polluting Our Beaches?" Popular Science 1 Mar. 2003. Database. 23 Oct. 2005.
Galveston Island is a barrier island formed during the Holocene after a major glacial melt. Since that time, the island has changed in size and geographic location based on numerous factors including sediment availability and various hydrodynamic reasons. The island also suffers from erosion due to major storms, like hurricanes, as well as other natural disasters. Much effort has been put in place to reduce the amount of erosion and/or migration, including a seawall and jetties. These efforts are not 100% effective and while the island will continue to transform; with human intervention, we hope to mitigate this change to a minimum.
As storms and wave heights, along with a general change in wave and wind direction, surge during the fall and winter months, beach berms and occasionally the dunes erode in reaction, causing the beach to lower as sand is hauled offshore from the upper portions of the beach and deposited in shielding offshore sandbars (Learn More about Beaches & Dunes). The result is typically a flatter, more concave beach shape. The sandbars that form offshore in winter help protect the beach by causing waves to break farther offshore. There tends to be more coarse sediments in beach deposits, and any large storm can...
Over the past 100 years the Louisiana coastline has suffered greatly from biotic, abiotic, and anthropogenic factors. The abiotic factors include things such as hurricanes or overnutrition that influence the surrounding biota. The biotic factors that contribute to coastal erosion are things like the immigration invasive species and the emigration or extinction of local flora and fauna that help preserve the wetlands. Additionally, there are anthropogenic factors such as pollution that can have strong negative influences on the abiotic and biotic factors of the wetlands. Each one of these factors cause ecological disturbances to the wetlands at a frequency and intensity that is unmanageable for the local flora and fauna. There are currently certain measures that are being taken into consideration to slow or stop the erosion of the Louisiana coastline.
Coastal erosion is a growing problem along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana is one of the coastal states most affected by coastal erosion. Ninety percent of wetland loss in the nation occurs in Louisiana, losing 25-35 square miles per year. At that rate, Louisiana will lose 640,000 more acres by 2050. Many factors contribute to this land loss, such as rising sea levels, subsidence, hurricane storm surge, cold fronts, and human interference. Cold fronts and hurricanes can both have detrimental consequences on the coast of Louisiana (Zhang 2004) (Restore or Retreat 2012). This research shows whether cold fronts or hurricanes have a larger effect on coastal erosion. The researcher will describe how historical and current satellite imagery help in determining the changes in the Louisiana coast. Based on previous research, the researcher believes that hurricanes have more of an effect on coastal erosion than cold fronts due to the high winds and storm surge.
Sandy beaches are highly dynamic environments that have many valuable environmental impacts including: providing protection to inland areas, dissipation of wave energy, are important tourist destinations, and serve as a home to a variety of marine and coastal species such as sea turtles and coral reefs (Absalonsen and Dean, 2010). Both of Florida’s coasts have many sandy beaches, and climate change has impacted many species of fauna such as sea turtles and coral reefs, as well as the shoreline position of Florida’s coastline. In order to understand the impacts of climate change on Florida’s coastline, it is important to describe Florida’s geologic and climate settings.
The beaches of South Carolina are a prized quality and possession to the state and its people as it provides beauty, enjoyment and the economic benefits of tourism year round. Due to storms, natural processes of sand movement and development, the beaches of South Carolina, specifically the Grand Strand beaches and local beaches of Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach, are eroding at a rapid rate. Erosion is a natural process effected by sea level rise, storms and currents and many techniques have been used in the past to combat erosion issues that threaten to wash away beaches and homes in the process. Erosion preventative structures used in the past, such as jetties and seawalls, have proven to be even more damaging to beach erosion but Beach Front Management policies and local and state government agencies are working hard to reverse the effects and incorporate new ways to fight erosion. Today new policies are in effect to protect the eroding coastline and beachfront properties in better ways, and new techniques such as beach renourishment are being used, but there is frustration and tension from community members and home owners as the sea inches closer everyday to their homes and threatens the beaches they love. Ultimately, protection of the South Carolina coast has come a long way in terms of policies and regulations, but stricter enforcement of regulations, awareness and responsible development is needed to ensure that property and the beaches are protected from erosion issues so that they are available for all to enjoy far into the future.
The North Carolina coast is a large part of the economy and brings countless people joy each year. Unfortunately, coastal environments are constantly being reshaped by tides and waves by moving and depositing sediment. This reshaping of the coast causes houses and bridges to be undermined as longshore currents move sand away from certain areas to others. Also, channels for boats migrate and fill with sand making industry and travel challenging. Despite efforts to stabilize areas, waves constantly batter the shore erasing all attempts. Due to all the social and economical effects coastal environments have on the state of North Carolina, it is essential to find an effective method to stabilize these areas while reducing the cost.
Longshore drift is a process by which sediments are transported from one place to another. When this process occurs, beaches, spits and sandbars are accreted over time. If the process of longshore drift is altered by factors such as stronger winds and stronger currents, beach erosion begins at a faster rate and this may result in many serious problems. The main stakeholders of longshore drift are resort owners. They rely on people to visit their resorts and enjoy the beach. However, if longshore drift erodes too much sand, it can permanently deprive sand from the area, which can also threaten structures close to the shoreline.
People from all over the world go to beautiful beaches that are filled with water as clear as ice or as beautiful as diamonds. But, what will happen if we do not conserve the appealing sites that draw attraction to the public? Contaminated beaches has become a controversial issue to the public because of the causal problem, the harm to the people and marine animals, the government agencies supporting or opposing pollution, and the industries involved in creating such unlawful decisions. To create and find a solution, we must first find the core to the problem.