Reflection on EOS 115: Waves, Beaches and Coastline Dynamics
This course, taught by Professor Brad Murray, provided an introduction to coastal geological processes with an emphasis on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The course covered topics including: storms, waves, sediment transport, barrier island migration, shoreface evolution, wetlands, and human impacts on coastal processes. Also, although the course had a strong bias towards the Outer Banks, we also spent some time comparing and contrasting coastal processes on the east coast of the U.S. with those on the west coast.
The highlight of this course was a four day field trip to the Outer Banks in November 2006. On this field trip we traveled practically the entire length of the Outer Banks, from Duck in the north to Cedar Island in the south. In the town of Duck, we toured the Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility. There, we walked to the end of a huge 1840 foot long pier. It was interesting to see the different types of waves that were visible so far off shore: recently formed short period waves moving alongshore with the wind and long period waves that were already refracting towards shore. I also enjoyed seeing the CRAB (Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy) which can be taken far out into the waves to collect data, even during large storms.
Another stop on our trip was Ocracoke Island where we listened to a talk by Alton Balance, who is involved with local government and is also a former teacher on the island. For me, this talk was interesting for two main reasons. First, Mr. Balance provided an interesting perspective of life on an island and the challenges faced by the people living there. In addition, as a MAT student, I was intrigued by his stories of being the sole English teacher at the small Ocracoke Island high school, where he once taught a class that contained only one student.
Some of the contrast we were exposed to on this trip was also striking. For example, one evening we watched the sun set over the water from the beautiful, natural Run Hill dune, surrounded by pristine maritime forest. Then, the next day we observed homes and hotels at risk of falling into the ocean, protected by piles of unattractive sand bags. We were accompanied on our trip by Dr. Orrin Pilkey, a coastal geologist and strong opponent of coastal development. He provided us with lots of interesting stories about how the Outer Banks has changed over the past few decades.
My primary reason for taking this course was that I wanted to strengthen my knowledge of earth sciences. In addition, I have always found beaches fascinating, and I was excited about increasing my understanding of this dynamic environment. I feel that the course definitely accomplished these goals. Furthermore, as someone who hopes to teach in North Carolina, I feel that I have gained a greater appreciation for a unique and beautiful part of this state. I hope I can share this knowledge and appreciation with my students.