Frequency/Magnitude Analysis of Wave Events at Duck North Carolina

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Stephanie Hill (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Advisor

Paul A. Gares

Abstract: There is a great need for predicting shoreline and beach change due to storms. Firstly shoreline erosion rates along the East Coast are as high as 70%. And more importantly people live along the coast. Between 1980-2003 33 million people moved to the coast. Previous research includes looking at successive before and after storm profiles and the application of the partial duration approach for classifying storms events. Storm scales and indicators are widely created but most are qualitative in nature therefore making them not useful for predicting future events. Frequency/magnitude in geomorphology quantifies events and puts them into context with regards to integrated landscape change. Past research has concluded that events of moderate frequency/magnitude transport the most sediment along a beach profile. Wave data from the USACE Field Research Facility (FRF) at Duck North Carolina are used to perform a partial duration series analysis for determining wave events. The standard energy equation along with a duration component is used to quantify event magnitude and the total event energy is standardized into a storm index based 0-10. Profile data was acquired to determine the beach change associated with these wave events. It was found that events of low magnitude produced the most change on the beach. There was a great amount of volumetric variability between the profiles suggesting the need to incorporate wave angle to account for alongshore transport of sediment. There is also a need to extend profiles past the 8m depth to fully account for total volumetric change. 

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Date: 2011

Keywords

Physical Geography

Subjects

Beach erosion--North Carolina--Duck

Beaches--North Carolina--Duck

Shorelines--North Carolina--Duck

Sediment transport--North Carolina--Duck

Ocean waves--North Carolina--Duck

Storms--North Carolina--Duck

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