OOLITIC ARAGONITE AND QUARTZ SAND: LABORATORY COMPARISON UNDER WAVE ACTION,
Abstract
Oolitic aragonite (or oolite) occurs naturally in the Bahama Islands in deposits estimated at 50 billion tons. Because this supply is tremendous and nearby, oolite has been suggested as a material for norishing eroding beaches in the southeastern United States. CERC tested deformation of an oolite beach under laboratory wave conditions, comparing it with deformation of a beach of quartz sand having the same hydraulic size characteristics. CERC's 96-foot tank was split into two parallel flumes so that both beach materials would experience practically the same wave action. Wave heights varied from 0.18 to 0.53 foot; wave periods varied from 1.19 to 5.06 seconds. Early tests indicated that both materials behave similarly under such wave heights and periods. A final test simulated beach norishment; the behavior of the two sediments was almost identical. Since the materials used had prototype size characteristics and were tested in a small-scale laboratory test, no accurate correlation to a prototype wave climate can be projected. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0688877
Entities
People
- Frederick F. Monroe