Beach Changes at Misquamicut Beach Rhode Island, 1962-1973.
Abstract
Beach profile data were collected at profile lines on Misquamicut Beach between November 1962 and June 1973. The data were examined for temporal and spatial patterns and variability along the beach face, as well as to identify and assess the forces which influence beach behavior. Misquamicut represents a typical barrier beach. It is sheltered from all directions except the south and southeast with wave climate modified by Fisher's Island, Long Island, and Block Island. Nearshore bathymetry and a submarine trough in Block Island Sound also modify the wave pattern and intensity. The focusing of energy varies depending on wave direction, but is generally most intense in the center of the beach. Regression analyses on above mean sea level volume versus time indicate a net accretional trend on the beach. There appears to be a seasonal pattern to erosion/accretion cycles on Misquamicut Beach. In general, erosion is accelerated from late autumn to early spring, principally as a result of winter storm events, while accretion occurs from late spring to early fall. However, nonseasonal storm events frequently interrupt and obscure this pattern. The beach responds in a similar manner to most storms regardless of the direction of the storm track. The average above mean sea level volume changes attributable to storms range from 5 to 10 cubic meters per meter of beach length, which is small in comparison to open ocean beaches (as those studied on Cape Cod) where changes were frequently on the order of 50 cubic meters per meter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA150233
Entities
People
- D. G. Aubrey
- M. C. Miller
- R. W. Morton
- W. F. Bohlen
Organizations
- Coastal Engineering Research Center