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Geologic controls on regional and local erosion rates of three northern Gulf of Mexico barrier-island systems

Journal of Coastal Research
By: , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.2112/SI63-004.1

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Abstract

The stratigraphy of sections of three barrier island systems in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Apalachicola, Mississippi, and Chandeleur) have been mapped using geophysical and coring techniques to assess the influence of geologic variations in barrier lithosomes and adjoining inner shelf deposits on long-term rates of shoreline change at regional and local scales. Regional scale was addressed by comparing average geologic characteristics of the three areas with mean shoreline-change rates for each area. Regionally, differences in sand volume contained within the part of the barrier lithosome above sea level, sand volume on the inner shelf, and to a lesser extent, sediment grain size correlate with shoreline change rates. Larger sand volumes and coarser grain sizes are found where erosion rates are lower. Local scale was addressed by comparing alongshore variations in barrier island and inner shelf geology with alongshore variations in shoreline change. Locally, long-term shoreline change rates are highest directly shoreward of paleovalleys exposed on the inner shelf. While geology is not the sole explanation for observed differences in shoreline change along these three coastal regions, it is a significant contributor to change variability.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Geologic controls on regional and local erosion rates of three northern Gulf of Mexico barrier-island systems
Series title Journal of Coastal Research
DOI 10.2112/SI63-004.1
Issue 63
Year Published 2013
Language English
Publisher Coastal Education and Research Foundation
Contributing office(s) Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description 14 p.
First page 32
Last page 45
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