Carolina Environmental Diversity Explorations

The northern Outer Banks · By Dirk Frankenberg and Blair Tormey

The northern Outer Banks

Satellite image and map of the North Carolina coast

A map of the locations visited in this field trip. Click the map to see context. (Satellite image from NASA with map drawn over top. More about the map)

The United States is currently experiencing a population boom along its eastern coast, and the development of beaches and coastal areas is taking place at an alarming rate. As humans invade the coastal zone, more and more reports are heard of erosion and property loss due to storms. Not only is the coastal zone economically important, but it is extremely important ecologically. An understanding of the natural processes in barrier island ecosystems is vital if humans are to coexist with these rapidly changing environments.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is an ideal setting to study the impact of humans on the natural processes of the coastal zone. In this field trip, we will visit various localities on the Outer Banks, from Nags Head to Cape Hatteras, in order to gain a better understanding of coastal processes. Along the way we will examine the importance of antecedent topography in modern landscape evolution, the migration of dunes and their role in erosion control, overwash processes, inlet processes and development, longshore transport, and the development strategies that have failed and succeeded as humans struggle to inhabit the coastal zone.

Definitions

barrier island n.
A long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland, built up by the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges.
antecedent adj.
Preceding or existing before someone or something else.
topography n.
The surface features of a place or region; the character, natural features, and configuration of land; terrain.
dune n.
A hill or ridge of wind-blown sand.
overwash n.
The transport of sediment landward of the active beach by coastal flooding during a tsunami, hurricane, or other event with extreme waves.
inlet n.
A recess, such as a bay or cove, along a coast; a stream or bay leading inland, as from the ocean; an estuary; a narrow passage of water, as between two islands; a drainage passage.
longshore transport n.
The process by which sediments move along a beach shore by the action of winds and waves hitting the shoreline at an angle; also called shore drift or littoral drift.