EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. ... "Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found." (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks)
Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
The National Seashore - Man vs Nature series gives three examples of evidence of Barrier Island Movement.
NOTE: Answers via message -and- log signature picture are required to post a find for this cache.
1. MESSAGE ... Based on the reading - What evidence of Barrier Island movement is represented here?
2a. MESSAGE ... Based on your observations, what biological material is used to pave the parking areas?
2b. MESSAGE ... Based on the reading, why is this material used instead of asphalt?
3. MESSAGE ... Give two construction features of the buildings that make them easy to assemble/disassemble?
4. MESSAGE ... What else can be done about the problem discussed in this article?
5. MESSAGE ... Stand ankle deep in the water. a. Describe what you are experiencing. Include both the water and the sand. b. How does what you are experiencing relate to island rollover?
6. LOG ... Take a picture of you or your signature item at the Visitor Center. This picture is your log signature.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in creating this earthcache by adding A B C to your log.
A. WILDLIFE ... Assateague Island is renowned for its wild horses. They are the size of ponies, their diminutive size imainly attributed to a relatively poor diet of mostly beach grass and cordgrass, as well as exposure to harsh environmental conditions. In Maryland these horses roam free. The horses are wild, so take care to remain a safe distance away. In your log, share your encounters.
AMAZING EXPERIENCE!
B. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Walk to any place you choose along the Beach. See Experiencing the Ocean for ways to enjoy and understand the ocean.
C. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
THANK YOU NPS Ranger Heather for permission to share this learning adventure.
BARRIER ISLANDS
Barrier Islands are long, narrow islands that form when a sandbar has built up enough to break through the water's surface. Along the eastern coast in the Atlantic Ocean lie these long narrow islands built from sand. They lie parallel and close to the mainland, protecting it from the powerful forces of wind and water. These islands are constantly being shaped by accretion (sand building up to create new island structures), and erosion (waves, currents, tides, storms).
Currents and storms work to continuously reshape the land. Longshore currents transport sand south along the coast. In the winter, sand is pulled from dunes and beaches depositing it into offshore sand bars thus reducing beach width. This process is reversed during milder summer weather, as gentler wave action acts to restore the shoreline. As land is lost on the front side of the island. it is usually gained on the back side. The combination of these processes continually moves the island southwest.
profile of a typical barrier island
MOVEMENT
The islands move southwest a few feet each year. This is caused by the ever changing actions of wind and water. Barrier islands move and change in response to ocean waves and currents. Over long time scales, barrier islands move slowly landward. This landward migration is called barrier island rollover.
ASSATEAGUE ISLAND
"Assateague is moving westward as a result of sea-level rise and the force of the surf through a process called “island rollover.” During severe storm events, sand is eroded from the ocean beaches and carried across the island by flood waters and re-deposited in marshes along the western shore, steadily narrowing the bay that separates the island from the mainland. These events can break through dunes, spilling sand in fanlike deposits or even carving inlets, such as the one that has separated Assateague and Ocean City since 1933. Long shore currents will eventually deposit sediments and close these gaps unless, like the Ocean City inlet, it is maintained with jetties and dredging."
VISITOR CENTER
The first picture shows the MD Visitor Center located before the bridge leading to Assateague Island. It is a permanent structure. The second picture shows the VA Visitor Center located on Assateague Island. Due to the westward migration of the island, it is a moveable structure. This center has been relocated twice, once in 1991 and again in 1998. The current facilities are intended to have a 25-year lifespan to account for shoreline changes averaging 13 feet per year on Assateague.
NPS SOLUTIONS TO ISLAND ROLLOVER
When natural areas are healthier, they are more resilient and can better withstand the stresses placed on them by climate change. To account for island rollover, park structures are designed so they can be moved. In addition to the Visitor Center, there are light-weight changing rooms, passive-solar vault toilets, and a solar-powered shower at Tom’s Cove, Virginia. Parking areas are made of biological remains that reduce storm runoff and are more sustainable than asphalt.
RESOURCES ... Wikipedia / Accretion Erosion Avulsion / Assateague Island / Barrier Islands Formation / Coasts Shoreline / Diamond Shoals / Overwash / Sandbar / Shoal / Shifting Sands / Storms Hurricanes / Reading the Beach / Reading the Waves / Rip Currents / Trail / Visitor Center / Waste / Wave Terms / Solutions