Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Geography sba on coastal processes
Coastal processes and coastal erosion summary and conclusion articles
Coastal processes and coastal erosion summary and conclusion articles
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Geography sba on coastal processes
The Effects of Human Activity on Coastal Landforms
Human activities add another layer of complexity to the natural
processes of coastal lands and materials. These activities may have
direct or indirect effects on our changing coastlines. They may effect
sources of new sediment to the coast and the movement of sediment
within the coastal environment.
Sediment starvation caused by river and coastal management is one
effect of human activities on the coast. For some coastal regions,
such as the Pacific coast, a large part of their sediment is supplied
by rivers. Dams built for flood control and water catchment along the
rivers leading to these coasts inhibit the transport of large grained
sediment, The coasts lack new material so erode and move inland. For
instance damming of the tributary rivers to the Mississippi River over
the past 60 years has reduced the movement of sediment. Studies in
recent years have demonstrated that the amount of sediment carried by
the Mississippi has been cut in half, aggravating the deterioration of
Louisiana's wetlands. An important source of sediment to Louisiana's
delta wetlands was periodic flooding of the Mississippi River, which
deposits new material on the flood plain. Massive levees built along
the river bans now contain these floods and eliminate the supply of
sediment to the wetlands. As a results, the natural compaction and
subsidence of the delta are no longer balanced by the deposition of
new sediments, and the local relative sea level is rising as much as
1cm per year.
Human actions can also lead to the destruction of dune grasses and the
disturbance of coastal landforms promotes inc...
... middle of paper ...
... 7000 containers. However, if this proposal is
to go ahead, it will lead to the total loss of the foreshore mudflats
and grazing marsh. There will also need to be dredging of the channel,
which will cause coastal erosion, redistribution of sediments and
variation of the channel's usual flow.
The main problem with human activity and the coasts is that human
activities often conducted without an adequate understanding of
coastal geology and process. The effects of damming the Mississippi is
a good example. So that even human activities intended to save or
improve the coast may inadvertently cause erosion. More investigations
need to be carried out on proposed developments such as Dibden Port
and the effect it will have on the coast before they are allowed to be
carried out to stop such problems occurring in the future.
Text Box: 6) Paths meet- 174 552 Text Box: 7) Stepping stones - 173 553 Text Box: 8) Near Burford Lodge – 174 555 Text Box: 9) Back to the start- 172 560 Dip
cut back on the problems in the Bay. Scientists have given an unthinkable amount of attention to the Bay of the past several years and researchers from countless numbers of agencies and institutions have dove deep into the issues and studying every nook and cranny to create answers to every politicians’ questions. The biggest concern with the Bay, and the most concentrated ...
Nature designed Florida to be one large marine ecosystem. Florida is one big sand peninsula located below the 40th longitudinal North American line. Three bodies of salt water (Gulf of Mexico, Strait of Florida and Atlantic Ocean) surround three out of four directions of Florida. Man-made canals, natural lakes, rivers and estuaries are confined within the State of Florida’s physical boundaries. All of these form an interlocking system of waterways that impact the interconnected marine environment (marine ecosystem). All of Florida’s waterways are connected back to the surrounding bodies of water while passing through Florida’s sub-tropical and temperate zones and impact the delicate marine ecosystem balance. Man and nature are causing a negative impact to this region like never before. Hurricanes, lack of green initiatives, garbage, pollution and the stripping of natural resources for population growth are decimating Florida’s natural ecosystems.
I live in the city of Huntington Beach, a city where the waves and beaches are famous and known all around the world for it 's surfing and one of the best places to be able to take your four legged babes to run and romp around in the sand and waves. A place that can seem like a piece of heaven to those that like to surf. But did you know that Huntington Beach has a dark side to it, one that many of it 's citizens do not like to talk about or don 't know about.
Geologically speaking, Louisiana is a very young state. Environmentally speaking, Louisiana is a very fragile state. Louisiana has always been dependent upon the nutrient rich deposits from the Mississippi River to build up the land. Centuries ago the Mississippi River periodically changed its course, building up Louisiana one delta at a time. The erosional forces of the Gulf of Mexico and annual hurricanes depleted Louisiana’s coastline, but the mighty Mississippi River would replenish the land losses. Such is the relationship that forces of nature have with one another. Place mankind in the mix, and the relationship becomes stressed and dysfunctional. The present day Louisiana coastline is a mere shadow of its former self. Let’s look at how Louisiana came to its current demise and what is being done to rectify the situation.
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.
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.
During the time of life and evolution, the land we walk on today has changed and developed into its current position. In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German polar researcher, geophysicist and meteorologist, presented the idea of the world once being a supercontinent called Pangaea. Thenceforward, the landforms have split and drifted apart, known as continental drift. The philosophy that continents might have 'drifted' was first heard from by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. Through the change of physical geography, the land has affected societies, culture, and human beings. Because the land has moved and changed, people have had to adapt to their new style of living in order to survive.
... to accommodate the coastal wetlands, they will likely be threatened by local extinction, along with the services they provide to humans and wildlife (Wetlands are being wedged).
Climate change is one of the biggest concerns for all nations across the globe over centuries. Climate shift refers to changes in patterns of weather which can be indicated through global warming, natural disasters and rise in sea level. There is a group of people, climate change skeptics, argue that climate change is not the result of human activity, meaning that it is naturally occurred. According to Slaght, this refers to internal factors which are the interaction between the atmosphere and ocean, and external factor, such as solar energy variations and volcanic eruption (John Slaght, 2009). However, most scientist claims that human also involve in this process. Consequently, this essay aims to discuss the impacts of greenhouse gases on climate, and then the contribution of human to climate change and lastly, some statistics about the effects of global warming.
the the change in sea level is due to a change in the level of land
One of the major effects of global warming is the rise of sea level due to thermal expansion of the ocean, in addition to the melting of land ice. Now there are dozens of land areas that sit well below sea level and the majority of those land areas are very well populated. At least 40 percent of the world 's population lives within 62 miles of the ocean, putting millions of lives and billions of dollars ' worth of property and infrastructure at risk. (Juliet Christian-Smith, 2011) This means if the sea level rises to the projected level of 25 meters (82 feet) half of the world will retreat back to the ocean. (Rohrer, 2007) Also rising sea levels means higher tides and storm surges riding on ever-higher seas which are more dangerous to people and coastal inf...
Bowermaster, Jon. Oceans: The Threats to Our Seas and What You Can Do to Turn the Tide: A Participant Media Guide. New York: PublicAffairs, 2010. Print.
The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems are suffer and become endangered along with lives of people and of marine life. Surfrider Foundation recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world's coasts because they are truly irreplaceable. There is also historical evidence of ocean pollution being present in the past, but the problem still lingers today. Heal the Bay discovered that,“Did you know there is a DDT and PCB hot spot off the coast of Palos Verdes? This superfund site (which indicates it's one of the most polluted places in the United States), is left over from a 1930's era chemical plant. Because DDT takes so long to break down in the marine environment, it persists to this day, contaminating certain species of fish. There are also highly polluted sediments in the Long Beach area, a sign of the heavy shipping in the port. Heal the Bay works on developing effective capping and removal plans to keep those toxins from spreading” (Heal the Bay). DDT is still highly concentrated in the South Bay area and still contaminating different species of fish. Even after more than 80 years DDT, a toxic insecticide, is still very concentrated and during upwellings, DDT particles come back up and continue to harm marine life. If humans are careless about what is thrown on the floor or sprayed on lawns, it can lead to disastrous affects when it comes to the condition of the ocean's ecosystems, and can endanger life itself leading to a problem that only we can mend.
The problem with contaminated beaches will soon take effect on everyone. The main causes that pollution creates in the beaches are from heavy rainfall, natural disasters, and plant malfunctions. Government agencies cannot control the weather, but they can control what goes into the water. In the United States, the number one reason why beaches are closed down are due to contamination in the water that may be harmful and are left untreated. The arising problem with the beach is that the industries are producing toxic chemicals and tossing the unwanted waste into the ocean. Also, the public are recklessly throwing their trash out into the streets. A prime example to demonstrate this is, if someone was trying to throw a bottle into a street trashcan but missed, he/she is unlikely to pick up after himself/herself if no one was around to see it. This scenario causes pollution to the sidewalks. When mother nature disasters occur, these waste products will end up in the storm drains and into the sewage system. The overflow of debri from the cities can flow into the rivers and if not preserved, it can flow into the ocean. The rivers will then carry these human caused waste into t...