Assn 4
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Broward College *
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Geology
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Jul 2, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by Sanjay21
Physical Geology
4/04/2020
Assn 4.3 Beachfront Resort
A.)For each of the conditions listed below, respond to the following items:
1.) List and describe an event or process that could be eroding your beach. Consider the many ways sand can be moved along the beach
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Onshore event/process: Longshore drift, the carriage of sand and pebbles along
the coast is natural event that could affect the beach and erode the sand. The prevailing wind causes the waves to approach the coast and carries the sand away.
Eventually, if sand and pebbles are in the water, the waves would carry along the coastline in zig-zag motion. As this sheet of water move on and offshore, it can transport beach sediments to the sea, which can cause beach erosion
-Offshore event/process: Submarine canyons could be a potential reason for beach erosion. Submarine canyons are steep-sided valley that cut into continental slopes and continental rises in the ocean. Submarine canyons acts as conduits to bring beach sediments from the continental margins to the deep sea. Because of deep canyon that is close to the shore, sand may be lost into the canyon by littoral drift
-Anthropogenic event/process: Manmade structures such as dams, jetties, breakwaters alter the natural flow of sand. Even though these structures’ purposes are to prevent erosion, flooding but also these trap sediments under hardened surfaces so it no longer flows black to the ocean, which leads to the loss of beach habitat and sand supply on the beach
2.) Is the erosional process ongoing and severe or do you have a couple years before it becomes a real concern?
I believe the erosion process is ongoing along the shore and it can be very severe depends on the location, and since global warming the sea level rises, brings frequency storm surges and beach erosion, as of right now some roads have to get relocated due to splash of saltwater onto the road. The erosion can be temporarily slowdown by beach nourishment. There are studies have shown that Southern California beaches are missing 50% of their historical sand supply because of beach erosion. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that between 80 and 90% of sand supply on the beach have been eroding for decades. I also think that artificial (manmade) structures have been speed up the process of erosion on the shore and these structures won’t be able to hold any flooding or support against
erosion in the future since the process will be very destructive if it is not managed rightly.
3.) List and describe an event or process that could restore your beach.
We can restore the beach by practicing beach nourishment for both Offshore and onshore processes. By reducing the greenhouse emission, we can be able to reduce the loss of sand from erosion by slowing down the global warming effect that is happening on the Earth. We also need to restore environment, protect wetland and stabilize mound with fences and vegetation and even buffer storm surges, seize carbon and other pollutants, which are all long-term solution for erosion and the whole environment as well
4.) Would this restoration process help restore the beach quickly or over months
and years?
By practicing beach nourishment activities, we can help to reduce the sand loss quickly in months or within a year. Even though it’s only a temporary solution. It will be very quick and doesn’t cost too much. Yet as the waves actions will still chew on the sand and erodes the sand away. By constructing seawalls, which still have some negative consequences, but it is still a quick solution for erosion, and it doesn’t cost too much, we will just have to track and managed these
process that we imply. If we restore the beach with long term solution like what is stated above, it will be very slow, maybe years or even decades but the Earth’s environment will thank us and so will the beach, and our future generation would be thankful. B.)Select an anthropogenic event or process that can be used to restore or renourish your beach. Describe it and list two negative side effects it will have to your beach.
Beach nourishment, beach filling, is the practice of adding large quantities of sediment to beaches to protect against erosion and, also to widen the beach for recreational purposes. Nourishment is a short-term solution for erosion because waves actions are still washing the sand away, moving the sand down the coast and
offshore. Beach nourishment can help widen the beach and defend the coastal structures, such as seawalls, until the sand is eroded away. Beach nourishment helps us alot to combat with erosion, but it comes with several disadvantages. The sudden input of such large amount of sand can kill the animals that are living on the beach; the grain in the sand can be different from native sand that could change
the beach shape, alter the flow of the water, and disrupts the habitat of living animals such as sand crabs, etc but with careful examination of the product we use,
Beach nourishment can be effective if it is managed carefully and in well maintenance. If nourishment must be performed, it should be done with experts from different field of expertise to make sure no harm less harm may occur and
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