Mid-Atlantic Beach Erosion

Beach erosion is a problem along the east coast of the United States. Shorelines in the mid-Atlantic region have a high erosion rate than shorelines in the New England area. Mid-Atlantic beaches have a higher erosion rate because they have much sandier surfaces that erode more quickly. Reasons for beach erosion that are caused by human activities include seawalls locking up sand dunes, coastal structures like ports and harbors that prevent longshore drift, dams, and other river management structures. Beaches in the New England area consist of a rocky surface which erodes at a slower rate. This is important because as beaches erode more and more they lose their natural ability to recover from storms. A simple solution to this problem is to add more sand to certain beaches with high erosion rates. The solution would not be very affective because the new sand would eventually erode and the same problem would arise again. Researchers are still gathering information through aerial images, light detection, ranging, to measure shoreline drift at more than 21,000 different locations. These results will be used to measure a variety of coastal management decisons. I think more information needs to be gathered before officials can devise a plan that addresses this problem of beach erosion properly.

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