How Do Sand Beaches Affect Coastal Erosion?

How effective are the coastal management strategies used at present in your local beach area?

Wind and waves affect Glenelg as they set up a northward drift of sand along the coast and this type of sand movement is known as littoral drift. During coastal storms, huge quantities of sand are eroded and this does damage to near shore, beach and sand dune areas. Glenelg is not considered to be a stable as beach as many others are. Seagrass loss and seabed instability that affect Glenelg is that a third of seagrass meadows along the coasts of Glenelg has died since 1950 and poor water quality resulting from the stormwater runoff and effluent disposal has most likely been the initial cause. When there are gaps in the seagrass meadows the sand below the meadow edge can be eroded by the waves and this will in turn increase the rate of seagrass loss and make it difficult for plants to recolonise the seafloor, even though the water quality has been improved. Sea levels affect Glenelg as parts of Glenelg are being subsided as a result of climate change and a relative sea level rise of one to two millimetres per year has been recorded for Glenelg. “As a result of the loss of sand from the seabed, the level of the seabed has steadily become up to one metre deeper and the wave energy reaching our beaches has increased.” (Adelaide’s Living Beaches Strategies,

The Effects of Human Activity on Coastal Landforms Human activities add another layer of complexity to the natural processes of coastal lands and materials. These activities may have direct or indirect effects on our changing coastlines. They may effect sources of new sediment to the coast and the movement of sediment within the coastal environment. Sediment starvation caused by river and coastal management is one effect of human activities on the coast. For some coastal regions, such as the Pacific coast, a large part of their sediment is supplied by rivers.

cruising through those small towns with souvenirs shops to each side, seafood restaurants mixed in and public access trails to the beaches spotted along the route you will notice that the buildings directly on the beach are on stilts.

There are 2 types of beaches. One is erosion dominant and the other is deposition

At Nudgee Beach, erosion was found to have occurred on the edges of the mangrove forest and along the mudflat shorelines. Erosion is typically influenced by natural factors and occurs when pieces of weathered rock or soil are moved – typically by wind and water – from one place to another. Shorelines with lots of sediment and sand are more inclined to be effected by erosional progression. Erosion may also be provoked and accelerated by human interference. For example, if the decision to clear trees and plants from an area is made, erosion is likely to occur as the root systems of plants work to hold the soil in place. If these root systems are removed and erosion does occur, environmental conditions – such as; landslides and flooding – are more likely to take place. Erosion may also cause other plants to tip over, have their underground roots exposed and damaged and contribute to the pollution of local waters; as a result of mud and soil runoff [26]. Erosion at Nudgee Beach was likely to have been influenced by natural factors; however, the development and extension of the Kedron Brook golfing course may contribute to the acceleration of erosional processes and further damage the mangrove

tides. There are also many programs which help to ensure the stabilization of dunes, these include the planting of new vegetation to combat erosion, fencing and designated

Long Island is famous for its sandy ocean beaches. Between the barrier beach and the main coast is the Great South Bay. The beaches and dunes have very different characteristics. The sandy beach is the junction of land and ocean. The sandy beach consists of two zones, the swash zone and the drift line. The swash zone is the area of wet sand, caused by the incoming wave. The drift line is formed by the dead seaweed and other aquatic plants. Behind the sandy beach is the primary dune. The primary dune's main function is to absorb the force of the ocean and protect the great south bay and the island's main coast. In some cases secondary dunes form. These dunes are behind the primary dune and are therefor protected from the ocean. This provides the stability necessary for plant growth. Many time a maritime forests will form on secondary dunes.

Sand dunes are mounds of windblown sand, which vary greatly in size, from less than one meter to tens of meters high. The size depends upon the supply of sand. Many of the more recognizable dune forms are ridges or complexes of mounds or crescents. The shape of individual dunes is equally variable. Shape relates to the direction and strength of the wind forming it, as well as to the amount of sand available. The impressive sand dunes along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan were created by the prevailing westerly winds blowing the sand deposited along the beaches into the dune

Humans have adversely affected the South Port sand dunes particularly the biophysical processes occurring in the accretion cycle and on the flora and fauna in the biosphere. People, especially boot campers, are walking or running in the wrong areas causing cliff faces to gradually collapse. There are also people camping in areas that there should not be campers, council has had to remove tents and mattresses as a consequence. (Jock Conlon, 2017)

The latitude and longitude for this given image was 36°22'16.48N121°54'6.15''W therefore by using various location websites it could be determined that it was close to Cabrillo HWY and Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey, CA. Understanding that Monteray, CA is located in the northern position of California's central coast which can affect the type of climate that will be experienced there; there will most likely be moderate to strong winds from the sea with mostly sunny days and a chance of showers. There are many important things to note about this picture which will be later noted in this paper which include the cliffs and the vegetation that grows on top of the rocks.

The erosion of shorelines is a natural process that can have beneficial or adverse impacts on the creation and maintenance of habitats. Sands and gravels eroded from the shores of coastal bays maintain the beach as a natural barrier between the open water and coastal wetlands. Beaches move back and forth onshore, offshore and along shore with changing wave conditions. The finer-grained silts and clays derived from the erosion of shorelines are sorted and carried as far as the waters of wetlands or tidal flats, where benefits are derived from addition of the new material. However, excessively high sediment loads can smother submerged aquatic vegetation beds, cover shellfish beds and tidal flats, fill in riffle

After considering the natural processes, dune profile and human impacts of Peregian Beach it can be concluded that the level of susceptibility is relatively high. Although Peregian Beach exhibits the natural processes of Long Shore Drift and accretion it must be noted that there is substantial erosion along the entirety of the beach. (figure 2) This erosion can also be seen in the dune profile (figure 4) which shows that the incipient, primary and secondary dune have experienced significant erosion when compared to a healthy dune system. Also, it can be seen that the berm has been totally eroded and that there is a steep scarp infront of the primary dune. In addition, the profile shows that the Peregian Beach dune system does not support all

The coast is where the land and sea connect. The protection and use of the ocean in these coastal regions is essential to the survival of all living things. Coasts support many plants, animals, and humans, so the conservation of these areas is imperative. Water is crucial to the recreation, agriculture, and habitats in coastal regions.

The interaction of groundwater with tides in the coastal forest environment is crucial in understanding why coastal forest clearance causes intensive coastal erosion in particular environments.