PHY 105 Module Six Google Earth Exercise- Shoreline Features and Storm Impacts
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Geography
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Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Melissa Sanchez
Google Earth Assignment
PHY 105
June 9, 2023
Activity:
Slowly drag the arrow from the left to the right, going month to month through time, watching
the barrier island system. Stop when you see the first major change occur.
Very slowly drag the arrow back and forth until you figure out the time range when that major
change occurred (you should be able to get it down to a specific two-month range within one
year; for example, May–June 2013).
● What kind of event could have caused this big of a change?
-
A strong storm event like a hurricane could have led to a substantial change in the
shoreline.
● What happened in the middle of the upper barrier island? Where did the sediment move to?
-
The top barrier island appears to have been split in half, which caused silt to spread out
on both sides and water to flow between the two places where sediment has accumulated.
● What happened over this three-month period? What does this tell you about the energy and
sediment supply in this region?
-
During this time, the sediment in this area has undergone two full changes. Additionally,
after the second alteration, the landscape had transformed and returned to its previous
state. Like the powerful Atlantic Ocean waves battering the coast and the fluctuating tides
producing changes to the beach, this area is prone to a lot of high energy.
● Which direction is the longshore current running in this area? Look for the migration of
sediment and structures in one direction, and make sure north is facing towards the top of the
screen (if you click on the N on the compass, it will reorient the map, so it is correctly aligned).
Give your answer in a compass direction (e.g., northeast, south-southeast).
- I came to the conclusion that the current is traveling south-southwest since the sediment
appeared to be moving downhill and occasionally being driven onto the ground before gradually
splitting off again.
Questions:
● Based on what you have seen in this timeline, when do the largest amounts of change occur in
this area? Is it during the summer or the winter? Why might that be?
-
The most significant changes occur in the winter when powerful winter storms called
"nor'easters" frequently pummel the shore. While hurricanes can affect this region, they
do so less frequently than severe winter storms.
● If a large hurricane was to come through this region, what might be the impact to the barrier
island system? What about the mainland behind the barrier island?
-
A powerful hurricane would destroy the barrier island area. This would cause an
excessively big and powerful storm surge to be produced, which would pass over those
barrier islands and cause flooding on the mainland. If a storm like this ever happened, it
would result in a loss of electricity, and ideally most people would have fled the region.
● If you were in charge of this area, is there anything you would do to help protect both the
people who live here and the natural environment?
-
I would ensure that everyone was fully equipped to handle both winter storms and
summer storms. If this kind of incident did occur, appropriate evacuation routes and
preparations would be developed. People choose to live in these regions while being
aware of the possibility of hazardous weather, therefore they must be prepared to leave if
necessary.
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