Beaches, Shoreline Processes, and Coastal Oceans

Explore the dynamics of coastal environments in this comprehensive lecture on beaches, shoreline processes, and coastal oceans. Delve into the defining characteristics of coastal regions, including cliffed coasts and beach composition. Examine sand movement patterns along beaches, comparing summertime and wintertime beach profiles. Understand longshore drift, currents, and transport mechanisms along U.S. coasts. Investigate erosional and depositional shores, focusing on features like barrier islands and deltas. Learn about emerging and submerging shorelines, the impact of changing sea levels, and human interference with sand movement. Analyze the effects of coastal engineering structures such as groins, jetties, breakwaters, and seawalls. Discover alternatives to hard stabilization techniques and gain insights into the unique characteristics of coastal waters.