Erosion of the Long Island Shore Line

In the United States, extensive barrierbeach systems occur along major portions of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. These fragile coast lines are in a continual state of flux. Beach erosion and accretion can result from both natural and manmade causes. Sea level change, storms, and development may all significantly impact these environments. On Long Island, New York, beach stabilization has repeatedly been attempted. Such efforts typically meet with varied success. In fact, many believe that the island's past stabilization projects have actually contributed to its current erosion problems. Geologically, Long Island consists of moraine sediments deposited by glacial drift. This mixture of crystalline gravel and boulders was scraped up in New England, carried several miles, and then dumped along the glacier's frontal margin. The northern coast of the island, which borders on Long Island Sound, consists of long sandy beaches, marshes, and harbors. In contrast, the south shorestretching 120 miles from Mantauk Point to Norton Point, Coney Islandcontains both headlands and beaches. The headlands occur along the island's eastern 30 miles; whereas, the sandy barrier beaches with their lagoons are further south (U.S. Army, 1936, p. 4).

Over the years, the Long Island has undergone considerable erosion. This phenomenon, however, is not restricted to New York. Coastal erosion is generally occurring on a global sca

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t. Erosion of the eastern glacial headlands provides material for the western barrier beaches (U.S. Army, 1936, p. 4). It has been estimated that net littoral transport along the south shore of Long Island ranges in magnitude from 252,000 to 459,000 cubic meters per year. Sediment transport over the longterm, however, tends to be quite variable. The movement of sand may be altered, for example, by the opening and closing of inlets, trapping of sediment by jetties, and loss of sediment to offshore areas. In addition, in more recent years, the groin field built on Westhampton Beach has been a major factor affecting littoral transport (Black, 1989, p. 161). The barrier island at Westhampton is the easternmost of a chain of five barrier beaches along the south shore of Long Island. During the 20th century, this area has experienced a long history of faulty land use practices and mismanaged development. By the 1950s, much of the dune along the midsection of the beach had already been lost. When, in the 1960s, the erosion began to threaten both public and private property, state, county, and Federal governments devised a plan to stabilize the situation. The original project involved the installation of a series of groins. T
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1976
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)