Background Information
Sediment is a naturally occurring material broken down by weather and erosion. Sediment formation begins when igneous or metamorphic rocks are exposed to the earth's surface. The long process starts with erosion. The first thing to happen to a igneous or metamorphic rock when exposed to the earth's surface is weathering. All rocks regardless of type are susceptible to weathering. Weathering is a part of erosion and consists of anything or any process that breaks down rocks. Some examples, called agents of erosion, are water, wind, ice, and gravity. Weathering breaks the rocks into sediments. The sediments formed are usually carried to other places by water, wind, ice, or gravity. This action is called deposition. The three most important ways of transport in Long Island history is fluvial (water), coastal, and glacial. Sediment moved by water can be much larger than those moved by air. Motions of the waves transport the sediments onto the shore and deposit them.
Deposition is the settling or placement of sediments. Deposition occurs when the energy causing the transportation of sediments becomes unable to move the sediments any more due to the sediments wight, other particles, or friction. This means that sediment is deposited in order of weight or size. The biggest sediment gets deposited first. You will generally see a gradual change in sediment size from biggest (being farthest in the ocean) to smallest (being furthest away). Sediment size is measured on a scale called he “Phi” scale that measure from colloid (the smallest sediment) at >10φ to the boulder (the largest possible sediment) at <-8φ. The symbol for the measurement Phi is φ. From smallest to largest, the scale goes colloid, clay, silt, ve...
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...on the dune to keep the sand together. This helps the beach withstand detrimental erosion form storms and prevents the sand from washing away. One example of a beach in a barrier island is Jones Beach. This explains the dunes in the background and the round, fine, powdery sand.
Using all the information collected, I can conclude that North Shore and South Shore beaches are very different. North Shore beaches are rocky, unorganized, jagged, and coarse. South Shore beaches are smooth, fine, uniform, and have dunes. I conclude that this is because of the geography of the two shores. The North Shore was heavily affected by glaciers that deposited rocks and eroded the land. The South Shore was heavily eroded by coastal and wind erosion. This is due to its location in barrier islands and the Atlantic Ocean. North Shore and South shore beaches are very different.
An increase in pebble roundness in the direction of long shore drift. The process of attrition will erode the pebbles. c) A decrease of pebble size in the direction of long shore drift, again attrition is involved. d) Undercutting (active erosion of the cliffs at one end of the bay).
Investigating the Geographical Processes that are Affecting the Physical and Built Coastal Environment There are three geographical processes that are affecting the physical and built coastal environment, they are; erosion, deposition, and transportation. Erosion is the group of natural processes, including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation, by which material is worn away from the earth’s surface, this is mainly caused by wind, running water, and waves breaking on the coast. Deposition is the depositing something or the laying down of matter by a natural process. Transportation is when sand is moved along the coast by long shore drift. At North Cronulla beach erosion is evident.
We saw that there was vegetation, which had been planted on the sand dunes near Dunwich Heath. There is also fencing around the dunes to stop them being eroded through people walking on them. Coastal Protection At Aldeburgh Text Box: Fig 4.1Text Box: In Aldeburgh however, the types of protection involve 'hard' protection. These are man-made objects. At Aldeburgh, three hard protection methods have been employed, and one soft method.
The whole island is in the shape of a giant square with white sandy beaches full of people sunbathing, swimming and fishing right on the shoreline. From the end of the hot pavement parking lot to shore of the beach is an ocean of soft white sand. The pearlescent white sand seems to know how to invade every nook and cranny almost as if it enjoys it. Walking around the beach on the fluffy whiteness surrounding the parking lot, the seagulls are fighting over scraps of food on the ground. “Sandy beach ecosystems provide invaluable services to humankind. Their functions have been exploited through history, with significant anthropogenic effects (Lucrezi, 2015)”. This white sandy beach is a beautiful refuge from the mundane grind of everyday life. The smell of the misty ocean air mixed with the sound of seagulls hovering above and kids playing is a tonic for the mind. The feel of the sand between their toes and the waves crashing over them as people swim in the water, or the jerk of a fishing pole when someone is catching a fish makes Fred Howard Park one of the best places to relax. Standing on the beach looking out on the water, people are kayaking and windsurfing. The lifeguards watching vigilantly in their bright red shirt and shorts, blowing their whistles when they see someone being unsafe. After a long day of swimming and laying around visitors head back over the soft white sand to the showers, in order to rinse off the menacing sand that clings to everything like a bad habit. Everyone rushes over the hot pavement burning their feet to reach their cars so they can put away their beach paraphernalia which is still covered in the white sand, nearly impossible to completely leave behind, so when they get home it serves as a reminder of where they were that
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.
I have been to Florida a billion times, but there are only two places that I normally visit. Sanibel Island and Destin. Traveling to Sanibel Island is almost like a tradition for my family because every year we try to go down there. My grandparents first went to Sanibel with my whole family (cousins and all) about 15 years ago and ever since then, it has been our family’s main “vacation spot”. I have gone to Sanibel almost every year, but last year I also went to Destin. Now the main reason we decided to go there as well is because we wanted to travel somewhere nearby the panhandle of Florida. The water and beaches are also very contrasting in comparison to Sanibel. Sanibel’s beaches even had heaps of sea shells going out into the water. The sand is also more dense than that of Destin. Even Sanibel’s water is darker and more cloudy, so it was crazy to see Destin’s water so clear! The beach (which is called Emerald Cove, where I stayed at) had sand that was so white and soft it
Longshore drift influences the deposition and erosion of sediments. Waves erode the coast and transport the eroded material along the coastline. Over a period of time, the material will be deposited on a beach or form a larger feature such as a spit. Groynes are structures built at equal intervals along the coastline. Their purpose is to restrict longshore drift, preventing coastal erosion.
be some feature at the head of the beach to trap the sand being driven
The hypothesis presented in a paper titled, “Barrier Island Formation”(Hoyt 1130), is as follows: Along a sand shoreline, wind will form dunes or ridges (depending on the type of material the beach is composed of). If there is a relative submergence, the area landward of the dune/ridge will be flooded to form a lagoon and the ridge/dune then becomes a barrier island. This would most likely occur when a stable shoreline with a well-developed ridge is engulfed by a relatively sudden transgression that does not erode or push the ridge landward (Ot...
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
The Don Valley Brickwork consists of many different layers of geological deposits, allowing us to observe and have a better understanding of how the sediments we see today are formed. The most bottom layer in the Brickworks are from the Georgian Bay Formation, and consists of grey- shale bedrocks. Fossils are often found in this layer and it is estimated that this deposit of sediments is around 445 million years old. Above the bedrocks is a thin layer of grey clay sand and gavels left behind by the Illinoian Glacier. This layer is called the York Till and occurred around 135,000 years ago. The next layer consists of a sandy deposit called the Don Formation, which is formed by the Sangamonian Interglacial Stage. Many plant and animal fossils are found in this layer due to warmer climate around 120,000 years ago. Above it lies the Scarborough Formation, which consist of clay and sand. This sediment likely occurred 115 - 106,000 years ago. The next layer above is the Poetry Road Formation, and consist of sand and gravel. This layer is likely formed during the early Wisconsin glacial substage around 106- 75,000 years ago. Higher is the Sunnybrook Drift which was formed 60 – 75,000 years ago. And on the surface, is the Halton Till, which was left behind by the final push of the Wisconsin Glacier.
As mountain ranges began to reappear, streams and rivers became more vibrant with rushing waters transferring boulders and gravels to different places on the surface of Earth. Water is known to be one of the most significant factors of the Exhumation of the Rockies; however wind is thought to have played an important role in the removal of the mountains from the depths of debris as well. As John David Love has said, “Wind erosion has tremendous significance in this part of the Rocky Mountain region” (McPhee 60). Consistent southwest winds, blowing in the same direction throughout each time period of the Earth’s history, picked up thousands of feet of debris from the surface of the Earth and carried it away into the Atlantic Ocean. The work of erosion through water and wind has given the landscape its
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.
In a marine environment, different types of sediments are associated with varying depths of ocean water. Sediments accumulate over time and are deposited by water, air, or both. ...