Beach Erosion

jabejuventus

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Feb 15, 2013
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Over the last couple to three weeks its been quite a phenomenon watching the erosion of beach sand by the sea and it leaving a wall of sand about two feet high that day-by-day moves closer to the real property along the east coast strip. I asked a seaweed remover about this and he returned that it was seasonal and that the sea would return the sand in a couple of months. I'm skeptical in light of my awareness of the affects of global warming. What gives?
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Many beaches have a tendency to erode/evolve whether or not "GW" is a factor or not. If the underlying material is coral the erosion will slow to an imperceptible level.

BTW, by all accounts IF CO2 levels are indeed the CAUSE of GW we should be thankful for the high amounts of CO2 given that we are apparently overdue for a glacial period. See my other thread with information from NOAA regarding said:

http://dr1.com/forums/off-topic/144102-global-warming-science.html
 

jabejuventus

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Feb 15, 2013
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Many beaches have a tendency to erode/evolve whether or not "GW" is a factor or not. If the underlying material is coral the erosion will slow to an imperceptible level.

BTW, by all accounts IF CO2 levels are indeed the CAUSE of GW we should be thankful for the high amounts of CO2 given that we are apparently overdue for a glacial period. See my other thread with information from NOAA regarding said:

http://dr1.com/forums/off-topic/144102-global-warming-science.html

I missed that thread. Better late than never. I like your passion for science. Give me science and math any hour/day of he week. I make scientific sense of it all from my understanding of freezing point. Fresh water freezes at 32 degrees F. Salt water has a much lower freezing point that varies w/salinity. And so, as more fresh water from break-off polar ice is introduced into the seas, the salinity of the seas decrease, and as a result the freezing point of the sea increases. This means that sea will be more apt to freeze making a resulting glacial phenomenon scientific-based.

In my mind, CO2 has less to do with the GW being espoused. The Ice Age Cometh, no matter what. In the meanwhile we may still enjoy our beaches even if its as we talk too of ominous beach erosion.
 
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May 29, 2006
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If there's been a breakwater built on either side or if there have been mangroves cut down somewhere nearby. Coral reefs need mangroves to filter organic compounds out of river water or the reefs get taken over by algae and die. It also simply be seasonal currents. Dredging in a bay to make for better swimming or boating can also disrupt currents.
 

jabejuventus

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Feb 15, 2013
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If there's been a breakwater built on either side or if there have been mangroves cut down somewhere nearby. Coral reefs need mangroves to filter organic compounds out of river water or the reefs get taken over by algae and die. It also simply be seasonal currents. Dredging in a bay to make for better swimming or boating can also disrupt currents.

Negative to both breakwater and mangrove theses. Seasonality seems to fit. I kind of like the new landscape. It delineates a beach walk path from the rest of the beach.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I missed that thread. Better late than never. I like your passion for science. Give me science and math any hour/day of he week. I make scientific sense of it all from my understanding of freezing point. Fresh water freezes at 32 degrees F. Salt water has a much lower freezing point that varies w/salinity. And so, as more fresh water from break-off polar ice is introduced into the seas, the salinity of the seas decrease, and as a result the freezing point of the sea increases. This means that sea will be more apt to freeze making a resulting glacial phenomenon scientific-based.

In my mind, CO2 has less to do with the GW being espoused. The Ice Age Cometh, no matter what. In the meanwhile we may still enjoy our beaches even if its as we talk too of ominous beach erosion.

We should continue this conversation on the other thread. I also wasn't aware many people were aware of the fact that we are past the historical interglacial average period.
 

flyinroom

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Aug 26, 2012
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If there's been a breakwater built on either side or if there have been mangroves cut down somewhere nearby. Coral reefs need mangroves to filter organic compounds out of river water or the reefs get taken over by algae and die. It also simply be seasonal currents. Dredging in a bay to make for better swimming or boating can also disrupt currents.

Many years ago (early nineties) the beach in Bavaro/Punta Cana was still pristine, beautiful and BROAD.
There was a substantial coral reef that ran parallel to the beach and ensured calm and crystal waters. Then came the
onslaught of construction for all the new hotel complexes.
Although lip-service was paid to the idea that mangroves must be protected......Back in those days the foreign owners
paid little or no attention to any government demands.
What I would consider to be the most devastating memory of my time in the D.R. was the morning that we woke up to
the spectacle of the entire bay of the Bavaro Beach Resort a horrible brown, brackish colour. It lasted for a couple of weeks
and ended up drifting and affecting the beaches further north.
Work had been progressing at a furious pace on the construction of Bavaro's 18 hole golf course.
We had a week of non-stop rain....serious Noah's Ark type stuff. Everything was soaked and water logged.
The entire village of Juanillo was under about three feet of water, more in some places and FINALLY the government
stepped in and forced the powers that be in Bavaro to open up the flood gates that they had been damming to protect their
beach from overflow from the Bavaro Lagoon.
DISASTER.
It was a huge river of dirty, brackish, filthy water that rushed into the bay.
It was to break a few hearts, including mine, that day.

The beach all along the hotel strip in the area of Bavaro has been slowly disappearing and while some of the erosion
can be put down to natural weather events/cycles.....The loss is irrevocable.
The shortsightedness is unbelievable.
 
May 29, 2006
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One of the things I really want to see on a future trip to the DR are the ReefBall projects. They cast artificial reefs out of a special concrete into 4ft high hollow gumdrop shapes with holes for water to flow through them. They abate strong currents and provide a substrate for coral to grow on and they then attract reef fish.

Coastal engineering is a science of its own though so I worry that they may be doing more harm than good in some locations. I think there are at least 20 sites in the DR, mostly around the AIs.

At Playa Sosua, I noticed that they've had to build collars around many of the trees because the sand is slowly being removed simply by people walking on the path and then taking a couple teaspoons at a time with them on the bottoms of their shoes when they leave the beach. It seems to lose maybe an inch a year and it adds up.
 

tommeyers

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Jan 2, 2012
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I missed that thread. Better late than never. I like your passion for science. Give me science and math any hour/day of he week. I make scientific sense of it all from my understanding of freezing point. Fresh water freezes at 32 degrees F. Salt water has a much lower freezing point that varies w/salinity. And so, as more fresh water from break-off polar ice is introduced into the seas, the salinity of the seas decrease, and as a result the freezing point of the sea increases. This means that sea will be more apt to freeze making a resulting glacial phenomenon scientific-based.

In my mind, CO2 has less to do with the GW being espoused. The Ice Age Cometh, no matter what. In the meanwhile we may still enjoy our beaches even if its as we talk too of ominous beach erosion.

Wow, have you had these findings published. This is groundbreaking.
 

tommeyers

On Vacation!
Jan 2, 2012
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I live in Santiago
One of the things I really want to see on a future trip to the DR are the ReefBall projects. They cast artificial reefs out of a special concrete into 4ft high hollow gumdrop shapes with holes for water to flow through them. They abate strong currents and provide a substrate for coral to grow on and they then attract reef fish.

Coastal engineering is a science of its own though so I worry that they may be doing more harm than good in some locations. I think there are at least 20 sites in the DR, mostly around the AIs.

At Playa Sosua, I noticed that they've had to build collars around many of the trees because the sand is slowly being removed simply by people walking on the path and then taking a couple teaspoons at a time with them on the bottoms of their shoes when they leave the beach. It seems to lose maybe an inch a year and it adds up.
OK, more science and math too!

Area in square inches of the beach 100ft x 1000ft x 144 sqin/sqft. X 3.3 tsp / cuin makes about 47,520,000 teaspoons. It would take a lot of traffic to remove that much!

How about wind, water erosion? It is both seasonal, longer periods and related to storms an much more.
 

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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Over the last couple to three weeks its been quite a phenomenon watching the erosion of beach sand by the sea and it leaving a wall of sand about two feet high that day-by-day moves closer to the real property along the east coast strip. I asked a seaweed remover about this and he returned that it was seasonal and that the sea would return the sand in a couple of months. I'm skeptical in light of my awareness of the affects of global warming. What gives?

Beach erosion happens around the world and many times it is necessary to add sand back on the beach. You are now in Hurricane season and many tropical storms, rip tides and wind driven surf will eat at the beach. I am not sure that Global warming is the culpret.
 

tommeyers

On Vacation!
Jan 2, 2012
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I live in Santiago
I missed that thread. Better late than never. I like your passion for science. Give me science and math any hour/day of he week. I make scientific sense of it all from my understanding of freezing point. Fresh water freezes at 32 degrees F. Salt water has a much lower freezing point that varies w/salinity. And so, as more fresh water from break-off polar ice is introduced into the seas, the salinity of the seas decrease, and as a result the freezing point of the sea increases. This means that sea will be more apt to freeze making a resulting glacial phenomenon scientific-based.

In my mind, CO2 has less to do with the GW being espoused. The Ice Age Cometh, no matter what. In the meanwhile we may still enjoy our beaches even if its as we talk too of ominous beach erosion.

This is not science this is baseless speculation and contrary to the predictions of most scientists. It is an interesting hypothesis but it appears to be disproved by most research.

Your concerns about beach erosion is valid. The beaches are important for tourism. There have been attempts to protect and even restore them on the US coasts. Besides for recreation they are the buffer between the water and buildings. Another reason to be concerned.
 
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jabejuventus

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Feb 15, 2013
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This is not science this is baseless speculation and contrary to the predictions of most scientists. It is an interesting hypothesis but it appears to be disproved by most research.

Your concerns about beach erosion is valid. The beaches are important for tourism. There have been attempts to protect and even restore them on the US coasts. Besides for recreation they are the buffer between the water and buildings. Another reason to be concerned.

Salinity - NASA Science
 

jabejuventus

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Feb 15, 2013
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Really, that is interesting.Thanks.

Now, about that hypothesis of ice age coming. What can you tell me?

I'm having a difficult time w/your condescending tone; however, I'll play. "Ice Age Coming" ascribes to the cyclicality theory/statistics brought to bear in Chip's thread (where we should both be now), i.e., while CO2 may be seen as forestalling a cyclical glacial turn, salinity in the oceans are negating that phenomenon and will eventually assert the natural course of cyclicality.

It's really straightforward. Are you challenged by science and math? Scholarly dialectic?