Erosion is when the elements such as wind, water, and ice remove pieces of land. (“What is Coastal Erosion?”) Coastal Erosion takes place when destructive waves wear parts of the coast away. Four ways in which this takes place are corrasion/abrasion, hydraulic action, attrition, and corrosion/solution. (“Internet Geography”) Corrasion/abrasion is when materials are hurled at the base of cliffs through waves. Hydraulic action is when waves hit the base of a cliff and air is compacted, when the wave leaves air is rushed out and often this causes the material to break. Attrition is when the waves cause rocks and pebbles to smash into each other and eventually break into pieces. Finally, Corrosion/solution is when certain types of cliff erode from the result of acids in the sea. (“Internet Geography”) Coastal Erosion is the natural process of taking land away permanently from one place to put it somewhere else. (“What is Coastal Erosion?”) Eroding coastlines are an abundant and important topic because it can change people’s surroundings in a negative way. I would like to address the questions surrounding Coastal Erosion. All coastlines are not eroding because coastal land and sediments are constantly changing. The waves that move sand on the coast can sometimes erode sand in one place while disposing it onto a different beach. That beach would not be directly experiencing erosion therefore not all coastlines are eroding. (“Coasts in Crisis”) In this way geologists can tell if a beach is truly eroding by taking notice of the mass of the beach. When erosion is taking place it is clear to see that the beach is continually getting smaller due to the fact that the sand is being taken away and never being replenished. There are various n... ... middle of paper ... .... 2012. . "Coastal Change." Coasts in Crisis,. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . "Coastal Processes." Internet Geography. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . "Erosion." - Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . Garrison, Tom. "Chapter 12: Coasts." Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science. 7th ed. Cengage Learning, 2010. 319+. Print. Photograph. Science Direct. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. . "What Is Coastal Erosion?" Web. 23 Mar. 2012. .
coast (as shown in pictures 1 & 2). The area of sea is subject to the
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.
Predicted By Probability Distribution Tendency." Journal Of Coastal Research 28.5 (2012): 1020-1031. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Joe, Brancatelli. "What Is Polluting Our Beaches?" Popular Science 1 Mar. 2003. Database. 23 Oct. 2005.
United States v. Smiley, et al.. (n.d) retrieved February 17 2014, from NOAA Coastal Services Center Web Site: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/data/Documents/OceanLawSearch/U.S.v.Smiley_CaseSummary_PDF.pdf
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
There are many different types of coasts; beaches are just one type. Coasts are divided into two categories: primary coasts, which were created by non-marine processes, and secondary coasts, which were formed by marine action. Primary coasts happen because of changes in the land, such as river deltas or lava flows. Primary coasts are created by erosion, deposition, or tectonic activity. Many of these coastlines were formed as the sea level rose during the last 18,000 years, submerging river and glacial valleys to form bays and fjords. River deltas are an example of a primary coast. They form where a river deposits soil and other material as it enters the sea.
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.
This paper introduces the environmental concerns of the loss of coastal wetlands. The paper will discuss the significance of wetlands and the devastation that is occurring because of human activity. Wetlands are an essential element of our environment both ecological and societal; conservation will be essential for the preservation of these precious ecosystems.
Cousteau, J. Y. 1985. The Ocean World. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 174-175.
The question that I will be answering for my coursework is which is best at protecting the Northumberland coastline – groynes or beach nourishment. I will be going to Blyth beach also I will be visiting Newbiggen beach I am investigating the Northumberland coastline as part of my geography coursework also because I live in the UK and I want to see how safe the people of the UK are with the safety of the coastline and its defences against coastal erosion. We will be visiting the Northumberland coastline on Thursday the 15th of May 2014.
and the effect it will have on the coast before they are allowed to be
...li, Brita. "Defender of the Seas." E: The Environmental Magazine 23.1 (2012): 18-25. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
Located in tropical ocean waters, coral reefs provide priceless resources to both human and marine life. The leading natural cause of destruction among the coral reefs is global warming. Other natural causes are earthquakes, hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons. The destruction to the coral reefs from these natural disasters is minimal compared to the dangers caused by man. Man-made destruction has a much wider impact on the health of the coral reefs. This destruction includes over-fishing, damage from anchors, aquarium industry, overgrowth of seaweed, and being smothered by sediments.