Beaches and Shoreline Processes: Trujillo and Thurman, 10^th , Chapter 10

Be sure to read Boxes 10.1 (Rip Currents) and 10.2 (Cape Hatteras Lighthouse). Omit section 10.5 on characteristics of US coastlines

Students should be able to

1. discuss the causes of sealevel changes

2. describe types of coastlines

3. very specifically describe the features of a beach and a barrier island

4. discuss how water movements along coastlines affect sediment location

5. discuss selected impacts that humans have had along coastlines

SEA LEVEL CHANGES

Global: eustatic; water volume changes or changes in shape of ocean basins

Local: tectonic changes or isostatic changes

CLASSIFICATION OF COASTS

Submerging (drowned beaches and dunes) vs. emerging (stranded beach deposits)

Erosional (rocky shores as example) vs. depositional (barrier islands and deltas as examples)

BEACHES

Variety of sediments

Physical features: backshore, foreshore, nearshore, offshore; berm, beach face, longshore bars

Erosion vs. deposition on beaches: summer vs. winter; longshore processes

Water circulation: longshore current; rip currents

Human interaction:

Hard structures: dams, groins, jetties, breakwaters, seawalls, jetties, groins, breakwaters

Other approaches: replenishment/renourishment; regulations

BARRIER ISLANDS

Ocean Beach, dunes, barrier flats, salt marsh, creeks or lagoon

Salt Marsh: zoning of salt tolerant plants; unusual sediment; high marsh vs. low marsh

Migration of barrier islands with sea level changes