scholarly journals Environmental signal shredding on sandy coastlines

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli D. Lazarus ◽  
Mitchell D. Harley ◽  
Chris E. Blenkinsopp ◽  
Ian L. Turner

Abstract. How storm events contribute to long-term shoreline change over decades to centuries remains an open question in coastal research. Sand and gravel coasts exhibit remarkable resilience to event-driven disturbances, and, in settings where sea level is rising, shorelines retain almost no detailed information about their own past positions. Here, we use a high-frequency, multi-decadal observational record of shoreline position to demonstrate quantitative indications of morphodynamic turbulence – “signal shredding” – in a sandy beach system. We find that, much as in other dynamic sedimentary systems, processes of sediment transport that affect shoreline position at relatively short timescales may obscure or erase evidence of external forcing. This suggests that the physical effects of annual (or intra-annual) forcing events, including major storms, may convey less about the dynamics of long-term shoreline change – and vice versa – than coastal researchers might wish.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli D. Lazarus ◽  
Mitchell D. Harley ◽  
Chris E. Blenkinsopp ◽  
Ian L. Turner

Abstract. How storm events contribute to long-term shoreline change over decades to centuries remains an open question in coastal research. Sand and gravel coasts exhibit remarkable resilience to event-driven disturbances, and, in settings where sea level is rising, shorelines retain almost no detailed information about their own past positions. Here, we use a detailed, multi-decadal observational record of shoreline position to demonstrate quantitative indications of morphodynamic turbulence – signal shredding – in a sandy beach system. We find that, much like other dynamic sedimentary systems, processes of sediment transport that affect shoreline position at relatively short time-scales obscure or erase physical evidence of external forcing. This suggests that large forcing events like major coastal storms, even when their effects are recorded, may convey less about the dynamics of long-term shoreline change – and vice versa – than coastal researchers might wish.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1513-1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Cunliffe ◽  
George Tanski ◽  
Boris Radosavljevic ◽  
William F. Palmer ◽  
Torsten Sachs ◽  
...  

Abstract. Permafrost landscapes are changing around the Arctic in response to climate warming, with coastal erosion being one of the most prominent and hazardous features. Using drone platforms, satellite images, and historic aerial photographs, we observed the rapid retreat of a permafrost coastline on Qikiqtaruk – Herschel Island, Yukon Territory, in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. This coastline is adjacent to a gravel spit accommodating several culturally significant sites and is the logistical base for the Qikiqtaruk – Herschel Island Territorial Park operations. In this study we sought to (i) assess short-term coastal erosion dynamics over fine temporal resolution, (ii) evaluate short-term shoreline change in the context of long-term observations, and (iii) demonstrate the potential of low-cost lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”) to inform coastline studies and management decisions. We resurveyed a 500 m permafrost coastal reach at high temporal frequency (seven surveys over 40 d in 2017). Intra-seasonal shoreline changes were related to meteorological and oceanographic variables to understand controls on intra-seasonal erosion patterns. To put our short-term observations into historical context, we combined our analysis of shoreline positions in 2016 and 2017 with historical observations from 1952, 1970, 2000, and 2011. In just the summer of 2017, we observed coastal retreat of 14.5 m, more than 6 times faster than the long-term average rate of 2.2±0.1 m a−1 (1952–2017). Coastline retreat rates exceeded 1.0±0.1 m d−1 over a single 4 d period. Over 40 d, we estimated removal of ca. 0.96 m3 m−1 d−1. These findings highlight the episodic nature of shoreline change and the important role of storm events, which are poorly understood along permafrost coastlines. We found drone surveys combined with image-based modelling yield fine spatial resolution and accurately geolocated observations that are highly suitable to observe intra-seasonal erosion dynamics in rapidly changing Arctic landscapes.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1566
Author(s):  
Barbara Proença ◽  
Florian Ganthy ◽  
Richard Michalet ◽  
Aldo Sottolichio

Field measurements of bed elevation and related wave events were performed within a tidal marsh, on two cordgrass species, Spartina anglica (exotic) and Spartina maritima (native), in the Bay of Arcachon (SW France). Bed- and water-level time series were used to infer on the sediment behavior patterns from short to long term. A consistent response was found between the bed-level variation and the wave forcing, with erosion occurring during storms and accretion during low energy periods. Such behavior was observed within the two species, but the magnitude of bed-level variation was higher within the native than the exotic Spartina. These differences, in the order of millimeters, were explained by the opposite allocation of biomass of the two species. On the long term, the sedimentation/erosion patterns were dominated by episodic storm events. A general sediment deficit was observed on the site, suggested by an overall bed-level decrease registered within both species. However, further verification of within species variation needs to be considered when drawing conclusions. Despite possible qualitative limitations of the experimental design, due to single point survey, this work provides original and considerable field data to the understanding the different species ability to influence bed sediment stabilization and their potential to build marsh from the mudflat pioneer stage. Such information is valuable for coastal management in the context of global change.


2021 ◽  
Vol 775 ◽  
pp. 145689
Author(s):  
Gabriela Jorge-Romero ◽  
Eleonora Celentano ◽  
Diego Lercari ◽  
Leonardo Ortega ◽  
Juan A. Licandro ◽  
...  

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 330
Author(s):  
Bryan A. Oakley

Napatree Point, an isolated barrier in southern Rhode Island, provides a case study of barrier spit migration via storm driven overwash and washover fan migration. Documented shoreline changes using historical surveys and vertical aerial photographs show that the barrier had little in the way of net change in position between 1883 and 1939, including the impact of the 1938 hurricane. The barrier retreated rapidly between 1945 and 1975, driven by both tropical and extra-tropical storms. The shoreline position has been largely static since 1975. The removal of the foredune during the 1938 hurricane facilitated landward shoreline migration in subsequent lower intensity storms. Dune recovery following the 1962 Ash Wednesday storm has been allowed due to limited overwash and barrier migration over the last several decades. Shoreline change rates during the period from 1945–1975 were more than double the rate of shoreline change between 1939 and 2014 and triple the rate between 1883 and 2014, exceeding the positional uncertainty of these shoreline pairs. The long-term shoreline change rates used to calculate coastal setbacks in Rhode Island likely underestimate the potential for rapid shoreline retreat over shorter time periods, particularly in a cluster of storm activity. While sea-level rise has increased since 1975, the barrier has not migrated, highlighting the importance of storms in barrier migration.


Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Luis Hamilton Pospissil Garbossa ◽  
Argeu Vanz ◽  
Matias Guilherme Boll ◽  
Hamilton Justino Vieira

The increasing frequency of extreme storm events has implications for the operation of sewer systems, storm water, flood control monitoring and tide level variations. Accurate and continuous monitor water level monitoring is demanded in different environments. Piezoelectric sensors are widely used for water level monitoring and work submerged in waters subject to the presence of solid particles, biological fouling and saltwater oxidation. This work aimed to develop a simple, low-cost methodology to protect sensors over long-term deployment. The results show that simple actions, costing less than 2 EUR, can protect and extend the lifecycle of equipment worth over 2000 EUR, ensuring continuous monitoring and maintaining quality measurements.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 2983-2991 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Métadier ◽  
J. L. Bertrand-Krajewski

Continuous high resolution long term turbidity measurements along with continuous discharge measurements are now recognised as an appropriate technique for the estimation of in sewer total suspended solids (TSS) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) loads during storm events. In the combined system of the Ecully urban catchment (Lyon, France), this technique is implemented since 2003, with more than 200 storm events monitored. This paper presents a method for the estimation of the dry weather (DW) contribution to measured total TSS and COD event loads with special attention devoted to uncertainties assessment. The method accounts for the dynamics of both discharge and turbidity time series at two minutes time step. The study is based on 180 DW days monitored in 2007–2008. Three distinct classes of DW days were evidenced. Variability analysis and quantification showed that no seasonal effect and no trend over the year were detectable. The law of propagation of uncertainties is applicable for uncertainties estimation. The method has then been applied to all measured storm events. This study confirms the interest of long term continuous discharge and turbidity time series in sewer systems, especially in the perspective of wet weather quality modelling.


2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Neil Frazer ◽  
Tiffany R. Anderson ◽  
Charles H. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Baron

In 2018 and 2019 the Southeast Coast Network (SECN), with assistance from park staff, collected long-term shoreline monitoring data at Cape Hatteras National Seashore as part of the National Park Service (NPS) Vital Signs Monitoring Program. Monitoring was conducted following methods developed by the NPS Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network and consisted of mapping the high-tide swash line using a Global Positioning System unit in the spring of each year (Psuty et al. 2010). Shoreline change was calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS; Himmelstoss et al. 2018). Following the same field methods used for monitoring long-term shoreline change, geospatial data were collected as part of the Hurricane Dorian (or Dorian) Incident Response from September 12–16, 2019. This report summarizes the post-Dorian data and the previous two shoreline data collection efforts (spring 2019 and fall 2018).


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (32) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinji Sato ◽  
Shun Kishimoto ◽  
Haruna Hiramatsu

Long-term evolution of Miyazaki Coast was investigated in terms of four aspects, geology and geography, comparison of shoreline in available maps and photographs, sediment retention analysis in watershed scale and sediment size as well as luminescence measurements of foreshore sediments. Geological and geographical analysis revealed steep topography in northern part and fluvial plain on the southern part. The total rate of sediment retention in reservoirs was found to be as much as 1.9 million m3/year. Historical shoreline retreat in the recent 200 years was significant in the northern region whereas severe erosion was developed in the last decades on the southern region close to the rivermouths of the Hitotsuse River and the Ooyodo River. The sand grain size and the thermoluminescence intensity were both found to decrease from north to south, implying the dominant direction of longshore sand transport is from north to south.


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