The "Peatches" of Hampton, VA EarthCache
The "Peatches" of Hampton, VA
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Grandview Nature Preserve is a hidden beach gem squirreled away in the very northeastern corner of the City of Hampton. Most people who hang out there stay on the traditional, sandy beach, but our 5-mile roundtrip journey will bring you to a beach made of peat.
Peat is formed in wetlands as plants die, but don't fully decay. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration explains peat this way: "Peat is made of decomposing plant matter that is often several feet thick. Peat is waterlogged, root-filled, and very spongy. Because salt marshes are frequently submerged by the tides and contain a lot of decomposing plant material, oxygen levels in the peat can be extremely low—a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia is caused by the growth of bacteria which produce the sulfurous rotten-egg smell that is often associated with marshes and mud flats."
Peat and the sea level: According to a Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) article, typical salt marsh peats accumulate at 2.5 mm per year (or an inch every 10 years). In the same report, VIMS notes that the sea level is rising at a rate of 3mm per year, and that sea level rise might increase to 5-10mm per year. This means that the sea level is rising faster than salt marshes can keep up.
Dunes are a natural barrier built up at the sea-land interface. As currents transport and deposit sand along the land, onshore wind carries the sand up and inland, creating a dune, the sandy buffer between the sea and things inland, which is saltwater marsh in this case. Of coures, the same processes that build the dunes can tear them down. In heavy winds and significant storm events, dunes can be breached, overtopped, or simply carried away. You can read more about dune formation from the US Geologic Survey.
So, what's happening at GZ?
From the sea (Chesapeake Bay) in the northeast working inland to the southwest, you can see that the land characteristics change from peat to sand beach to dune to salt marsh until you reach the Back River. As the sea level rises, waves deposit sand on the beach at continuously higher locations. Prevailing wind slowly migrates the dune further into the marsh. As each section of marsh gets buried by the dune, the marsh's cycle of growing, dying and accumlulating peat stops. The peat simply sits buried. As the dune pushes further inland, wind carries the sand inland and wave action carries the sand closest to the water away, exposing the once buried peat.
Stage 1 - When you first reach the beach is when you emerge from the gravel/sand trail through the wetland. I hope you enjoyed the stroll! Welcome to the beach. Walk toward the Chesapeake Bay and survey what it looks like where water meets the land. Note whether the beach has a smooth slope upward or if it is more jagged and cliff-like.
Stage 2 - GZ (the cache coordinates) is over a mile and a half up the beach. You can make it - the peatches await! As you walk, notice when you first start seeing irregular forms along the water-land interface. Depending on how low the tide is, you might see peat at the waterline early. If the tide is higher than usual, you might have to go past GZ to find exposed peat. I use the Messick Point tide station when checking the tides at GZ.
Questions to answer:
1. Describe what it looks like where the water meets the land at GZ. Is it smooth or jagged and abrupt? How does that compare to the shape of the beach at stage one?
2. What might make peat and sand respond differently to the force of the waves?
3. What's higher in elevation, the peat at GZ or the level of the ground in the salt marsh behind you? Why?
4. If the sea level keeps rising at a rate of 3mm per year or faster, what eventually will happen to the salt marsh?
Bonus: Use the link to the Messick Point Tidal Station to see how high the tide is while you're visiting GZ. Watch the waves come and go. The tide level will correspond with the average of (the half way point between) the highest level when the waves hit the peat and the lowest level when the waves recede.
a. What's the height of the tide during your visit?
b. How high is the peat above the water?
c. How many years did it take to form the peat that was exposed during your visit?
OK - send me your answers!
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The fine print - notices, caveats, and certain explanations about the attributes:
1. No bikes allowed ever. This is too bad because The Everplaids have one of those sweet fat tired bikes specifically designed for beaches, but rules are rules. And really, the actual rule is "no wheeled vehicles."
2. No night caching. The Nature Preserve is open year round from sunrise to sunset daily.
3. There are no restrooms or water fountains along the way. Six miles - highly recommend bringing a water bottle.
4. Pets are banned on the main beach April 15th - September 15th and on Factory Point April 1st – September 15th, all other times pets must remain on leash.
5. There actually aren't ticks. BUT there are some seriously tenacious biting black flies and other critters that find humans tasty. USE BUG SPRAY. You know what, carry it with you during the summer, even if you doused yourself with it at the car. Personal experience... Also, bring sun screen.
6. If the tide is higher than 2.8 feet during your visit, you might have to wade. This is the path: pavement, soft sinking gravel, maybe wading, more sinking gravel, paked sand, soft sand, packed sand, maybe wading, dodging cordgrass and spiky seed pods, dodging collections of seaweeds, peat, and other decaying seathings. Pick your footwear wisely.
7. The views are very cool. So are the threatened or endangered seabirds. Stay off the dune, unless you are at allowed access points.
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