Evaluation of changes in beach morphology along Louisiana barrier island coast
- Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge (USA)
The Louisiana coast has been documented as the fastest eroding shoreline in the US. Rapid submergence and high beach erosion rates are the dominant responses to the seasonal wave climate, storm impacts, sea level rise, regional subsidence, and human activities. The cumulative impacts from the three hurricanes, which made landfall in Louisiana in 1985, and Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 produced extreme beach erosion. The magnitude of these effects was expressed in the cross-shore morphology, which was transformed from a wide back-barrier marsh, dune terrace or continuous dune, wide back-beach system to a narrow back-barrier marsh, washover sheet or washover terrace, and beach. The effects from Hurricane Gilbert ensured retention of this latter cross-shore morphology. These events, therefore, provided a unique opportunity to monitor the geomorphic response and recovery of the different subenvironments composing these barrier island beaches. A network of 41 beach profile lines was established in 1985 along straight and curved segments of eroding barrier island coast between Isles Dernieres and Sandy Point. The surveys preceded the 1985 hurricanes and were conducted quarterly through 1988. Efforts were made to quantify the cross-shore variability of beach response in each shoreline segment by analyzing linear and volumetric changes of the beach profiles.
- OSTI ID:
- 5112683
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8910221--
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Vol. 73:9; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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