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By: Ashlyn Spector Barrier Islands Ask a Geologist:
By: Ashlyn Spector
Barrier IslandsAsk a Geologist:
About Me
Ashlyn Spector● Born and raised in Florida● Graduate student studying
paleoceanography/science communication
● My favorite dinosaur is:
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About Me
Ashlyn Spector● Born and raised in Florida● Graduate student studying
paleoceanography/science communication
● My favorite dinosaur is:
Ask A Geologist Series
What are barrier islands?
A long island made of sand that runs parallel to the mainland shore and is separated from the main shore by a lagoon
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What are barrier islands?
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Cross-section
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Beach
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Dunes
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Maritime Forests
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Marshes
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Types of Barrier Islands
Micro tidal <2 m tidal rangeMeso tidal 2-4 m tidal range
● Wave Dominated coasts○ Long and skinny
islands with few inlets
● Mixed Energy coasts○ ‘Drumstick’ shape
and lots of inlets
What is New Jersey?
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Types of Barrier Islands
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Types of Barrier Islands
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How Do Barrier Islands
Form?
Offshore Bar Theory
Submergence Theory
How Do They Change?● Sea level rise and fall● Sediment movement
○ Longshore Drift○ Storms
● Human influence
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How Do They Change?
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In The Field
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Why Do We Care?
● Sea level rise and storm history preserved in the geologic and ecologic record
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Why Do We Care?
● Humans live on them!● ~1.4 million people in U.S.
Atlantic and Gulf● Economically, socially, and
culturally importance
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Why Do We Care?
● Protect 10% of coastlines globally
● Dunes, mangroves, and salt marshes protect from storms
● Marshes and mangroves store a lot of carbon
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Question Time!
