Clifford, Sarah

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Renourishment and Rip Currents

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Seton Hall UniversityeRepository @ Seton HallPetersheim Academic Exposition Petersheim Academic Exposition2019Renourishment and Rip CurrentsSarah CliffordSeton Hall UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/petersheim-expositionRecommended CitationClifford, Sarah, "Renourishment and Rip Currents" (2019). Petersheim Academic Exposition. 69.https://scholarship.shu.edu/petersheim-exposition/69Renourishment and Rip CurrentsSarah CliffordSeton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079IntroductionRenourishment projects around Wrightsville Beach, NC have been followed by an increase in rip currents along the coastline. Could beach renourishment and altering the coastline be the cause of these deadly rip currents? Renourishment on Wrightsville BeachWhat is renourishment? Sand is brought or dredged in to replenish eroded beachfronts. Essentially changing the landscape of the beach. • Wrightsville Beach is “renourished” every 4 years• Renourishment has been the largely preferred method as opposed to hard methods such as sea walls and other solid structures• Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for the renourishment projects• Wrightsville Beach has been renourished 250 times to dateRip currents on Wrightsville BeachRip currents are defined as: concentrated movements of water that flow opposite to the direction of breaking waves• During Summer 2018, 10 people died as a result of rip currents at Wrightsville Beach.• Lifeguards on Wrightsville Beach have recorded a noticeable change in the frequency of rip currents after beach nourishmentAdditional Information:• The Army Corps of Engineers has emphatically claimed that there is no correlation between the beach nourishment and rip currents• They also refuse to study the rip current trend• NOAA has since begun a study that is currently in the early stages to see if the nourishment projects are indeed linked to rip currentsConclusion:• Further research must be done on the correlation between beach nourishment and rip currents• Such research must also  look into other soft methods to prevent erosion – especially with increasing activity during hurricane season• Until then, beach guard and swimmers must remain vigilant and education on rip currents must be providedEmail Address: sarah.clifford1@student.shu.eduWorks cited • Brosseau, C. (n.d.). Is pumping more sand onto NC beaches causing deadly currents? Retrieved from https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article217410085.html• Gares, P. A., Wang, Y., & White, S. A. (2006). Using LIDAR to Monitor a Beach Nourishment Project at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, USA. Journal of Coastal Research, 22(5), 1206–1219. https://doi.org/10.2112/06A-0003.1• Theuerkauf, E. T., & Rodriguez, A. B. (2012). Impacts of Transect Location and Variations in Along-Beach Morphology on Measuring Volume Change. Journal of Coastal Research, 28(3), 707. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=edb&AN=80024873&site=eds-live&authtype=sso&custid=s8475574

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Renourishment and Rip Currents

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