Late Holocene evolution of a retrograding barrier : Hutaff Island, North Carolina
- UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Benjamin Adam McGinnis (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
- Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
- Advisor
- William Cleary
Abstract: Hutaff Island is a 6.0-km (3.7-mile) long undeveloped barrier located in southwestern
Onslow Bay, North Carolina. The barrier is bordered by New Topsail Inlet to the northeast and
Rich Inlet to the southwest, and has historically been influenced by several adjacent tidal inlets
with contrasting behaviors. Severe storm events have frequently impacted the barrier throughout
the 1938 – 2002 study period, resulting in dramatic erosion and overtopping of the barrier. The
development of major washover terraces coupled with storm-induced dune erosion has
dramatically lowered the barrier’s topography. Consequently, the island is poised to migrate
landward at accelerated rates during future high-energy storm events.
The shoreface that fronts the barrier consists of a thin veneer of modern sand and gravelly
sand. The mobile surface veneer is generally less than 1.0 m thick and overlies an easily eroded
Oligocene siltstone unit that frequently crops out on the inner shoreface forming low-relief
hardbottoms. Vibracore sequences recovered from the estuary contain inter-bedded clean and
muddy sand units. The sand-rich intertidal and shallow subtidal sequences recovered near the
barrier reflect the role of the numerous inlets that have cycled trough the area.
Long-term shoreline change rates showed that Hutaff Island had experienced an average
net loss of ~ 2.1 m/year (7.0 ft/year) between 1938 and 2002. A dramatic lowering of the barrier
profile accompanied this landward translation. The relatively high erosion rates and increased
washover susceptibility appear to be attributable to a combination of variables, including the
region’s low sediment supply and the persistent presence of unstable inlets. An understanding of
the processes influencing Hutaff Island’s evolution can be used as a model in formulating
management decisions on nearby barriers where it is often difficult to assess the active processes and changes taking place as a result of dense coastal development and its associated
anthropogenic effects.
Late Holocene evolution of a retrograding barrier : Hutaff Island, North Carolina
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Created on 1/1/2009
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
- Language: English
- Date: 2009
- Keywords
- Barrier islands--North Carolina, Beach erosion--North Carolina--Hutaff Island, Coastal zone management--North Carolina, Erosion--North Carolina--Hutaff Island, Geology, stratigraphic--Holocene, Geology, Stratigraphic--Oligocene, Shore protection--North Carolina--Hutaff Island
- Subjects
- Geology, Stratigraphic -- Oligocene
- Erosion -- North Carolina -- Hutaff Island
- Barrier islands -- North Carolina
- Geology, stratigraphic -- Holocene
- Beach erosion -- North Carolina -- Hutaff Island
- Shore protection -- North Carolina -- Hutaff Island
- Coastal zone management -- North Carolina