Predicting Coastal Erosion Hotspots to Ensure Safe Visitor Access and Natural Resource Protection
Geoffrey S and Mark B. Predicting Coastal Erosion Hotspots to Ensure Safe Visitor Access and Natural Resource Protection. 2023
Coastal erosion at Cape Cod National Seashore is a natural, but a not linear process. It affects areas of the shoreline unevenly and episodically and has led to hazardous slope conditions on recreational beaches at the base of coastal bluffs, some of which are over 30 m (100 ft) in elevation. These changes lead to adverse impacts to habitat for an endangered species, Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), and loss of visitor access and park facilities. This project will quantitatively document past and current erosional patterns along 25 km (16 miles) of shoreline in order to develop a physical model that will inform park staff about probable locations, onset, duration and magnitude of future erosional hotspots. The final deliverable will be an easily accessible GIS-based dataset that will include past and current erosional hotspots, as well as future hotspots underlain with all relevant park resources, including natural, cultural and facility maintenance.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Geoffrey, Sanders; Mark, Borrelli
- Units
- CACO
- Keywords
- coastal geomorphology, coastal processes, erosion, geology, sand, sand bars, sedimentation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Coastal/Oceanographic Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Marine Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Landscape Dynamics | Land Cover and Use