This earthcache is located along the shoreline of the only public beach on the Albemarle Sound. You will explore a small portion of the upper region of the Albemarle Sound and the Chowan River in the Coastal Plain Province of eastern North Carolina.
Begin with a walk down a sloping path that may be unstable especially after a heavy rainstorm to the beach and then hike a tenth of a mile for a good view of the coastal plain bluff. If the water level is higher than normal or debris blocks a level access to GZ from recent storms you may have to enter the shallow water of the Sound. Occasionally trash may wash up so be careful of where you step to avoid any possible accident from harmful items on the beach or in the water.
A coastal bluff is defined as a steep shoreline slope of loose compacted material such as clay, sand, and gravel sized rock that has three feet or more of vertical elevation just above the high tide line. Bluffs can overlook a body of water or a flat plain. Often they form on the outside curve of a stream meander. Erosion from wind, sea spray, and wave action form many coastal bluffs. Important ecosystems exist on the summit of bluffs that contribute to the well being of the area's vegetation and wildlife.
Almost 45% of NC's land area is coastal plains formed from millions of years of rising and falling sea levels. A warm shallow sea covered much of the state around 600 million years ago. Geologists who have studied fossil evidence of corals, jellyfish, Pteridinium fossils, and other marine life forms conclude that the shallow seas were stable during the early stages of the Paleozoic era. The bluff you observe at GZ is a unique geological feature formed from ancient shallow seas, sea level rise, wind, and wave action. Interestingly the very strandplain beach here is dependent on the deposition of material eroding from the bluff.
Various factors affect the erosion you witness at GZ. The amount and level of wave action the beach receives, the composition of the shore, and the materials that form the bluff affect the stability and rate of erosion of the bluff. The degree of slope or steepness increases the likelihood of its erosion too. Other factors include rainfall amounts and frequency, the water's freeze/thaw cycle during winter, and the size and magnitude of storms. Landslides occur as the base of the bluff erodes and the hillside becomes increasingly more unstable. Bertie County is undergoing a Bluff/Shoreline Stablization Project to preserve this natural setting by allowing fallen trees to remain. Plans include more vegetation to grow on top of the bluff. Other measures will be developed as more environmental study of this fragile area is conducted.
To claim this earthcache please complete these requirements:
1). Notice the thickness of the various layers of the bluff's sediment. Briefly describe the variations of thickness and color in the layers. What do you think caused the differences you see?
2) Examine the unique strandplain beach. Describe at least two differences of the material making up the beach from the base of the bluff to the water's edge.
3) Where does natural vegetation grow on the bluff? How does this affect the rate of erosion?
4) What has surprised you most about the bluff?
5) Post a picture of you and/or caching name at GZ.
I hope you enjoyed this unique site. CITO is very important here so anything you can do to preserve its natural beauty is appreciated!