Padre Island National Seashore: A Guide to the Geology, Natural Environments, and History of a Texas Barrier Island
Weise BR and White WA. 1980. Padre Island National Seashore: A Guide to the Geology, Natural Environments, and History of a Texas Barrier Island. Guidebook 17 Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin. University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology. Austin, TX
This guide to Padre Island National Seashore describes and explains island and lagoon environments, the active processes that constantly change the face of Padre, and natural records left by those processes. A road log for a short field trip directs readers to these environments and effects of the active processes. The guide also presents summaries of the geologic origin and history of Padre, as well as the history of human use of the island and interaction with the natural environments. Stretching 113 miles under the South Texas sun is the longest barrier island in the United States. This is Padre Island — where shipwrecked Spaniards were once pursued and massacred by fierce Karankawa Indians; where Pat Dunn's vaqueros herded thousands of cattle in preparation for trips to the market; and where now almost a million visitors every year spread out along the miles of sandy and shelly beaches to enjoy the untamed beauty of Padre Island National Seashore. To those experiencing the serenity and solitude of Padre's primitive stretches, the island may seem forever unchanging. But geologically, Padre is actually a dynamic system of environments that change almost continuously. The face of Padre is shaped by the day-to-day action of the wind, currents, waves, and tides. Even more important, large storms, especially hurricanes, produce dramatic changes on the island. Padre Island can be thought of as a natural laboratory where complex interaction of the wind, land, and sea produces unique features and environments that can be examined and questioned by all who visit the National Seashore.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Weise, Bonnie; White, William
- Date of Issue
- 1980
- Publisher
- University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology
- Units
- HIST , PAIS , WRD
- Keywords
- Barrier Islands, Climate, ehistory, Environment, Establishment, Geology, History, Management, Map, Physiography, Precipitation, Temperature, WRBIB