Galveston Island is a sandy barrier island placed 50 miles southeast of Houston. The island, 30 miles lengthy and up to three miles wide, separates the Gulf of Mexico from West Bay, which is section of the Galveston Bay system. It lies at the japanese give up of a nearly continuous chain of barrier islands that extends higher than 600 miles alongside the Texas and Mexican coasts.
Why?
The formation of Galveston Island has created a range of natural environments vital to Texans today, each on the island and in the sheltered, lower-energy area referred to as Galveston Bay that sits in the back of the island. In Galveston Bay, marshes, tidal flats, and seagrass beds serve as a nursery for many aquatic species, along with shrimp.
An Historical Location
Because of its strategic location, Galveston Island—inhabited on account that the 1500s—has played a key function in Texas history. The island was home to many well-known human beings of history, consisting of Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca and pirate Jean Lafitte. The best natural catastrophe in U.S. records passed off on Galveston Island in 1900 when a massive typhoon devastated the island and killed more than 6,000 people. If you choose to examine extra about the herbal disaster go to Galveston.com
You can get there by driving across either the I-45 bridge that connects the mainland with the island or the bridge spanning San Luis Pass on the west give up of the island or by using taking the ferry from Bolivar Peninsula. The ferry is free and is operated by way of the Texas Department of Transportation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How ancient is the island?
A. Geologists have drilled holes in the island and dated sea shells to determine that Galveston Island started out to shape about 5,300 years ago, when the upward push in sea degree from the melting of ice from the closing Ice Age began to gradual down.
How did the island form?
A. Waves and currents swept sand into ridges that in the end merged and became Galveston Island. Today you can see these early ridges and swales between the ridges on the back side of the island. Large storms reduce channels throughout the early island and deposited sand on the island's bay side. Sand was once introduced to the Gulf aspect of the island, growing a sequence of ridges and swales as the supply of sand changed thru time.
Now here is the fun part!!
Geodetective
Alongshore Sand Transport
When waves strike the beach, sand may additionally go onshore, offshore, or along the beach. If waves hit the seashore at an angle, which is almost constantly the case, then sand will pass alongside the beach. On any given day, the direction on the seashore alongside which the sand strikes depends on the route of the waves. Along Galveston Island, sand can cross in either direction, but averaged over the span of a 12 months or more, extra sand is moved in one course than in another.
Can you tell by looking at the photograph provided and visiting the beach in the long term? Is the direction the same along the whole island ? Are they identical along the complete island? What do your observations say about the route of waves?
Here are some hints:
1.Very little new sand comes to the seashores from rivers, shell-making animals, or offshore. The main source of sand for a area along a Galveston Island seashore is therefore sand that has eroded from the stretch of beach to either aspect of it.
2. Go to the west cease of the seawall or look at the aerial photo and notice shoreline form and position.
3. Go to the east cease of the seawall or seem at the aerial graphic and notice shoreline structure and position.
FINAL STAGE:
After you fiqure out that out that send me a photo of what was asked up above and then you can do the second part. For the 2nd phase u have to dig a little gap inside the sand and inform me what it feels like, what is the texture, size, shape, coloration and then send me a description of all what was asked fo! Such as how the sand feels, coloration, size, shape, and texture with a image then you might also log that you found it! In reality hope that you desired this EarthCache but one thing that I out upon is that you like the most is the facts and the History behind the name of "Galveston Beach" if you loved this EarthCache please grant it a favorite point