Beach erosion and beach nourishment, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Dolan R. 1972. Beach erosion and beach nourishment, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Natural Resource Report No. 4. National Park Service. Washington, D.C.
Explains beach erosion processes and beach nourishment activities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, using black and white photographs and drawings. Beach erosion in the United States has become a serious national problem. Of our more than 100,000 miles of shoreline, about half are subject to erosion and several large areas require extensive and continuous restoration programs. Nevertheless, the zone where land and sea meet remains one of the most desirable settings for recreation, residence, and commercial development, so competition for the undeveloped beachfront property has increased dramatically. Areas of the mid-Atlantic coast have lost vast quantities of land during the past two decades. Erosion along coastal North Carolina and Virginia is severe because the processes responsible for sand movement are especially strong. Hurricanes and winter "northeasters," such as the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, contribute to the vulnerability of the region.