Barrier Island Processes

Assignment 1: (To do first thing) Write a paragraph about each of these pictures. First think about what you see. Where are the structures in the picture? Is the water closer to, or farther from the structures than you might expect? Is there more or less sand than you might expect? Do you see evidence of sand or water moving? You may refer to the appropriate links for details if you wish, but the observation is most important.

Hatteras Light October 1999 ASCE	Jockey's Ridge State Park March 2006 photo by Dr C	Isabel Inlet November, 2003 National Geographic	Shell Island Hotel, 1998 Carolina Coastal Science	Wrightsville Beach, 2002 Wrightsville.com

Topics

1. Beach Processes in General
   • Read about depositional coasts in your text (Garrison's Essentials text: 11.9-11.13)
   • in class movie, "The Beach: a River of Sand"
   • Dr C's lecture
   • Print out the study questions to answer from movie or text
   • Longshore Drift at Folly Beach, SC
   
   
2. Effects of Human Interventions
   • Read Garrison, Section 11.27 or Trujillo & Thurman 10.6-10.7
   • Summary of Key Processes written to help New Zealand make decisions
   • Answer these study questions
   • South Carolina Coast
   
   
3. Processes Specific to Barrier Islands
   • Read about barrier islands in your text (Garrison's Essentials: 11.16)
   • Natural and Human Impacts on the Northern Outer Banks
   • Article by Orrin Pilkey
   • Website: Howstuffworks,
   • Website: Salem State .
   • Answer these study questions using the websites
   
   Assignment 2: (To do after watching the beach movie). Which way is the longshore drift in the first two pictures below? How can you tell?
   
   Assignment 3: (To do after Dr C's lecture) What process is illustrated below, right? Is it creating or destroying the island? Could this process occur on a steep continental slope, such as in California? Would it be accurate to describe a barrier island as "thin and steep, like a fence"?
   
   

   Cape May, New Jersey Copyright John Shelton	Cape Lookout, North Carolina Copyright Allen Glazner, UNC	Howstuffworks

   
   
4. Human Interventions: North Carolina Case Studies
   • Moving Hatteras Light: Parks Service, and article by the NC CoastKeeper
   • Burial and re-emergence of mini-golf course at Jockey's Ridge
   • Creation and refilling of Isabel Inlet
   • Shell Island Hotel: news article, and educational web page
   • Wrightsville Beach Renourishment: pros and cons
   • Topsail Island Homes
   • Oregon Inlet Jetties (lots of refs on Google; also compare Assateague Island )
   
   
5. Orrin Pilkey, Beach Crusader
   • Summary of Key Processes written to help New Zealand make decisions
   • Call to Action: We're Killing Our Beaches ,
   • Articles about Dr Pilkey Making Waves, and The Sandkeeper
   • Dr Pilkey's Home Page, and BeachBrowser
   • Study Questions

Some questions you might ask include:

• should we build jetties to protect Oregon Inlet?
• should we shore up the walls around Hatteras Light?
• should we re-fill Isabel Inlet?
• should the federal government pay to re-nourish Wrightsville Beach?
• should Shell Island Hotel be allowed to build a seawall?
• should homeowners be able to build walls out of sandbags?
• should houses be relocated, and if so, who should pay?
• what could be done to avoid the problem faced by homeowners on Topsail Island?

  This is sand. This is your house on sand. Any questions? *