Earth and Planetary Sciences
5 years ago

Louisiana's Grand Isle Barrier Island Facing Rapid Evolution Due to Climate Change.

Marine Geology
Geomorphic and temporal evolution of a Mississippi delta flanking barrier island: Grand Isle, LA
Julie Torres, Mark A. Kulp, Duncan M. FitzGerald, Ioannis Y. Georgiou, Kenneth Lepper

Paper Summary

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Barrier islands at risk of drowning due to sea-level rise.

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Engineering
4 years ago

Coastal storms shape sandy shorelines, leading to changing ridge formations.

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Barrier islands like Grand Isle, LA are changing due to rising sea levels and storms. By studying the island's beach ridges, researchers found that Grand Isle began forming around 750 years ago and has been growing towards the northeast. The island's central ridges formed between 370 and 170 years ago at a rate of one ridge every 14.8 years, with a progradation rate of 14.9 meters per year. The island gets its sand from a nearby eroding beach ridge plain, with a high longshore transport rate of 128,625 cubic meters per year. This rapid sand movement is mainly due to hurricane impacts.