Man vs. Nature at Mason Inlet EarthCache
Hidden : 12/23/2011
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Welcome to Wrightsville Beach, and a little lesson in coastal geology!

The town of Wrightsville Beach occupies one of the chain of barrier islands along North Carolina's southeastern coast. These islands, formed by natural forces approximately 18,000 years ago, serve many functions – they protect the mainland coastline from direct impact from the sea, they serve as a valuable nesting area and refuge for a variety of animals, and yes…many play host to both year-round and seasonal human inhabitants and the development that comes with them. Thanks to both natural and human-generated forces, this island is in a constant state of transition and migration – and we are asking YOU, the Citizen-Scientist-Earthcacher, to help us track this movement.

The listed coordinates will take you to the north end of Wrightsville Beach, a site of great local geologic drama and interest over the years. From this spot, you should have an excellent view of Mason Inlet – that’s the narrow body of water running between the island upon which you’re standing and the next one to the north. (Please note that the current in the inlet is much stronger and more turbulent than it looks. THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR WADING OR SWIMMING.) Mason Inlet has played (and continues to play) an interesting and active role in this area. Over the years the inlet’s natural tendency to migrate southward brought about severe erosion along the island’s north end, causing imminent threat of destruction to the Shell Island resort (the last structure you passed from the parking lot) and other infrastructure.


In 2002 a combination of dredging and beach renourishment and stabilization served to relocate the inlet 3000 feet north and away from local real estate interests. This man-made solution to the course of natural forces came at great financial cost and possible habitat disturbance and, looking at the aggressive current of the inlet, it’s easy to wonder if it will stand the test of time.

That’s where every visitor to this Earthcache comes in. We thought it would be interesting to have visitors come to this spot at low tide and send us the coordinates that they capture while standing near the waterline. Will the inlet remain contained in its new designated corridor, or not? Over time, we expect to see a collection of coordinates that reflect a gradual march of Mason Inlet to the south. That’s our hypothesis, anyway…let’s see if the data agrees!

TO LOG THIS EARTHCACHE:

1. Visit the posted coordinates at low tide and make your way to the waterline. Straight across the inlet, you should see the southern end of Figure Eight Island. Send us the coordinates that you capture while standing at this spot.
2. Now take a look around you. Do you see any signs of inlet-based erosion here on the northern end of Wrightsville Beach? Let us know what signs of erosion you see in the area. If you don’t see any, be sure to let us know about that, too!
3. OPTIONAL: Feel free to post pictures of any signs of erosion that you see, of you and your GPSr at Mason Inlet, etc. This spot isn't just a good place to see the battle between man-made and natural forces - the scenery here is amazing, too!

We’re very curious to see what sort of story the data that we all collect will tell – will the inlet relocation hold, or was it an exercise in human folly? We hope you enjoy your visit to this beautiful and volatile area, and thank you for participating in our little research project!

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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