Corpus Christi Barrier Islands EarthCache
Corpus Christi Barrier Islands
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(not chosen)
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Barrier islands, sometimes called barrier spits, are found
on coastlines all over the world, but are most noticeable along the
eastern coast of North America, where they extend from New England
down the Atlantic Coast, around the Gulf of Mexico and south to
Mexico.
Barrier islands are popular vacation spots. Many people own
vacation homes or condominiums on barrier islands, and more barrier
islands are being developed for tourism. However, barrier islands
are fragile, constantly changing ecosystems that are important for
coastal geology and ecology. Development has posed dangers to these
ecosystems and has also increased the risk of property damage every
year from hurricanes and Nor'easters.
Barrier islands are long, narrow, offshore deposits of sand
or sediments that parallel the coast line. Some barrier islands can
extend for 100 miles (160 km) or more. The islands are separated
from the main land by a shallow sound, bay or lagoon. Barrier
islands are often found in chains along the coast line and are
separated from each other by narrow tidal inlets.
The formation of barrier islands is complex and not completely
understood. The current theory is that barrier islands were formed
about 18,000 years ago when the last Ice Age ended. As the glaciers
melted and receded, the sea levels began to rise, and flooded areas
behind the beach ridges at that time. The rising waters carried
sediments from those beach ridges and deposited them along shallow
areas just off the new coast lines. Waves and currents continued to
bring in sediments that built up, forming the barrier islands. In
addition, rivers washed sediments from the mainland that settled
behind the islands and helped build them up.
To log this cache:
1. Take a picture of your group somewhere on the barrier
island.
2. Estimate the width of the barrier island at the
coordinates.
3. There use to be a sign at these coordinates (it looks like
someone hit it and knocked it down recently), what does the sign
say if you find it, or if it is still gone, what do you see across
the street from the sign?
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)