Changing Coastlines GLY 4734 Syllabus Fall2016 (1)...coastlines. At the same time there is a...

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GLY4734ChangingCoastlines

FloridaInternationalUniversity

DepartmentofEarthandEnvironment

Instructor:Dr.StephenLeatherman;Office:AHC-5,Room385;Phone:305-348-8364;Email:[email protected].

Classroom:

RequiredTextbook:BeachesandCoasts,2004,BlackwellPublishers(availableatFIUReserveDesk,GreenLibrary)

ReferenceTextonReserveatGreenLibrary:

• CoastalErosionandProtectioninEurope,2013,RoutledgePublishers• BarrierIslandHandbook,1988,CoastalPublications

DiscussionPapers(AvailableinDropBox):

• D1:BeachDewateringasaSoftEngineeringSolutiontoCoastalErosion,1997,JournalofCoastalResearch,V.13,p.1050-1063.

• D2:NorthCarolina’sCoastinCrisis:AVisionfortheFuture,2008,InstituteforCoastalScience&Policy,26p.

• D3:TimeFramesforBarrierIslandMigration,1987,ShoreandBeach,V.55,p.82-86.• D4:SandThievesofLongIsland’sSouthShore,1997,ShoreandBeach,

V. 65,p.4-12.• D5:BeachErosion,TidalInletsandPolitics,1999,ShoreandBeach,V.67,p.26-32.• D6:BeachWars,2015,SaturdayEveningPost,8p.

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LiteratureReview:

• Wave-GeneratedEnergyinIsraelandMicronesia• HurricaneModificationProposalbyBillionaireBillGates• ProjectStormfuryinCaribbeanSeaandAtlanticOcean• CaseStudyofSyltIsland,GermanBight• VanishingSeasideTownofDunwich,England

CourseJustification:

Eightypercentoftheworld’spopulationresidesinthecoastalzone,andbeachfrontpropertyissomeofthemostdesirableandexpensiverealestateintheUnitedStatesandindeedworldwide.Thiscourseinvolvestheevolutionofcoastallandscapeswithemphasisonshorelinechangesanddevelopmentpatterns.About70percentoftheworld’sbeachesarepresentlyeroding;thenumberapproaches90percentforthebetter-studiedUnitedStatessandycoastlines.Atthesametimethereisashorewardmigrationofthepopulationandincreaseddevelopment—thisistheclassicdefinitionofacollisioncourse.

Incoastalregionsworldwide,settlements,agriculture,industry,transportation,andtourismthrive.Humanimpactviautilizationofthecoastalzoneforlandreclamation,extractionofnaturalresources,constructionofstructuressuchasriverdamsandinletjetties,canimpactnaturalprocessesandlimitsedimentsupply,resultinginprofoundimpactsontheshore,suchasacceleratingcoastalerosionandlandloss.Minimizinghumanimpactsdependsuponaclearunderstandingofnaturalandanthropogenicprocessesaswellassocialnorms,economicconstraintsandpressuresforcontinuedurbanization.

CoastaldevelopmentinSouthFloridahasbeenboominginthepastfewdecadesasmid-andhigh-risebuildingsreplaceresidentialhousesandsmallmotelsbecauseofthetremendousdemandandhighvalueofthisproperty.SuchrapidgrowthinSouthFloridaisbeingreplicatedalongmuchofthedevelopedworld’sshorelines,suchtheMediterraneancoastofSpainandFrance,andindeedinmanydevelopingcountries,includingBrazil,China,andMalaysia.Theresponsetocoastalerosionasdrivenbystormimpacts,sealevelriseandotherfactorshasoftenbeentohardentheshorewithcoastalengineeringstructures,especiallyseawalls,groinsandjetties.Suchattemptstoprotectbeachfrontdevelopmentandinfrastructure,especiallyroadsandutilities,havesometimesledtothelossofthebeachitself.IntheUnitedStates,thetrendisawayfromthesemassiveconcretestructuresandtowardasoftsolution—beachnourishment.

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Beachnourishmentisconsideredbymanycoastalcommunitiesastheirsalvationtotheonslaughtofstormsandprogressivecoastalerosion.Generally,sandispumpedfromoffshoreareastonourishthebeachatacostofmillionsofdollarspermileofshorewith65percentofthecostbornebytaxpayersthroughthesemassiveU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineersprojects.Whilesomeprojectshavebeenverysuccessful,especiallytheMiamiBeachprojectthatcost$65milliontorestore10milesofbeachintheearly1980s,othershavelastedonlyafewyearsoruntiltheadventofthenextcoastalstorm.Whatisnotrealizedbythegeneralpublicandmanygovernmentofficialsisthattheartificially-builtbeachissacrificial—beachnourishmentonlytreatsthesymptom(e.g.,beachretreat);itdoesnotcurethedisease(causesoferosion).Therefore,beachnourishmentmerelysetsbacktheerosionclockandbuysbeachfrontareassometimethatvariesgreatlyaccordingtolocal,regionalandglobalfactors.

Understandingthecausesofcoastalerosionandvariousstrategiesformitigationoftheirimpactsonhumandevelopmentandthenaturalenvironmentrequiresanunderstandingoftheirinter-disciplinarydimensions.Thenatureofthisproblemspansthetechnicalaspectstotheeconomic,politicalandlegalchallenges.Thiscourseexaminescoastalerosionanddevelopmentpatternsonaworldwidebasisandassessestheglobalandsite-specificsusceptibilitiesanddifferingapproachesformitigation.Someareasareespeciallypronetoerosion,suchasLouisiana--theerosionhotspotintheUnitedStateswithlossratesashighas50feetperyear.Elsewhereerosionratesarefairlylow,suchasEastHampton,NewYorkwhereratesaverageaboutafootperyear,probablybecauseoftheonshoreflowofsedimentsleftbehindfromthelastIceAgethatformedLongIslanditself.Thecosttomaintainsandybeaches,whicharetheworld’smostpopularrecreationalareasandsomeofthemostexpensiverealestate,ishighandlikelytoincreaseinfutureyearsinresponsetoglobalwarmingandattendantrisingsealevels.

TheUnitedStatesistheworldleaderincoastalscienceandengineering--weareontheforefrontoftheissuesinvolvingcoastalerosionandmitigationaswellaslitigationthatarenowproblematicinotherdevelopedcountriesandunder-developedcountries.

GlobalLearningCourseOutcomes:

GlobalAwareness—Studentswillbeabletodemonstrateanunderstandingoftheinterconnectionofcoastalerosionandprotectionstrategiesonaglobalbasis,thattheseproblemshavenonationalborders,andthattheseproblemsareaffectedbygeological,

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meteorologicalandoceanographicfactorsaswellassocioeconomic,technologicalandculturalconditions.

GlobalPerspective—Studentswillbeabletoconductanalysesoftheimpactandmitigationofcoastalerosioninasite-specificandglobalcontext,andtheextenttowhichmultiplefactors,suchastechnicalapproaches,economics,andsocialnorms,contributetoorhelpsolvetheproblem.

GlobalEngagement—Studentswillcollaborateingroupstodevisesolutionstoproblemsofmitigatingcoastalerosion,whichareappropriatewithintheframeworkoftechnological,economic,legalandsocietalfactorsatlocal,regional,nationalandgloballevels.

ActiveLearningStrategies(pleasebringyourlaptopcomputertoclass):

Studentswillparticipateinanumberofactivitiesincluding:

• ClassDiscussions• DiscussionGroups• SocraticCircles• ClassDebate• FieldTrip• Co-CurricularActivities(extracredit)

Co-CurricularActivities:

Studentswillbeabletoparticipateinvariousonandoff-campusco-curricularactivities,whichareavailableatgoglobal.fiu.edu.Documentedattendanceofatleastthreeoftheseactivitiesandsubmissionofathree-pagesummaryoftheactivities(onepageperactivity)willcountasextracreditinthecourse.

GradingPolicy:

Gradeswillbebasedonthefollowingscores:

• Classdiscussions,presentationsanddebates20%• Weeklywrite-upsofassignedreadingsand20%

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literaturereview(usebulletpointsformainpointsandthreethought-provokingquestionsand/orpro-activemitigationapproaches;limitonepageperassignmentwithsecondpageforatleastthreereferencesexceptforassignedchapterstobereviewed)

• PopQuizzes10%• Mid-TermExam25%• FinalExam25%

GradingScale:

A93-100B83-86C70-76D60-69F<60

A-90-92B-80-82

B+87-89C+77-79

EarlyAlert:

Inanefforttohelpyousucceedinyouracademiccourses,FIUutilizesanEarlyAlertsystem.

Instructorsarenowabletonotifystudents’academicadvisorsifthereareconcernsaboutclass

performance.Ifanalertissubmitted,youracademicadvisorwillsendyouamessageviayour

StudentDashboard(accessedviayourMYFIUpage)todiscusswaystoimproveyour

performance.Pleaserespondtoanycommunicationyoureceivefromyouracademicadvisor

aboutanearlyalert.Ourgoalwiththisprogramistohelpyoutobesuccessfulbyidentifying

anyissuesasearlyonaspossibleandworkingtoaddressthem.

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ClassSchedule

DateTopicReading

Week1GroundRulesandIntroductiontoCourseSyllabus

EngagingQuestion:Isconflictattheshoreinevitable

inresponsetocoastalerosionandcontinueddevelopment?

LearningActivity:PowerPointPresentation

Classdiscussionofbeaches—themostdynamicdeveloped

landscapeonearthandthesocioeconomicimplicationsof

continuedurbanizationandglobalchange.(GlobalAwareness

andPerspective)

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummaryofChapter7

InBeachesandCoaststextbook.

Week2NoClass(Holiday)

Week3Beaches:NotAllBeachesAreAlike

EngagingQuestion:Whatfactorsdifferentiatebeachesbothphysically

andculturally(e.g.,developmentscheme)consideringworld-famousbeaches

suchasCopacabanaBeachinRiodeJaneiro,Brazil,BondiBeach,Sydney,

Australia,SouthBeach,Miami,FloridaandBrightonBeach,England?


Classdiscussionofbeachdynamicsandimplicationsforsustainabledevelopment.

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Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummarybasedonon-linereviewofthe

documentary“SandWars”(availableon-linefromFIUGreenLibrary)thatvividly

portrayscontractorsandsmugglerswhoaredefaminganddestroyingsomeof

themostpristinebeachesworldwide.

Week4Beaches:HereToday,GoneTomorrow?

EngagingQuestion:Arebeachesinperilbecauseofhumanactivitiesthat

Includesandthieveryandclimatechange-inducedsealevelrise?


ClassDebate:Whatpro-activeapproachescanbetakentomaintainthe

mostcherishedrecreationalareasintheworld—sandybeaches?

(GlobalEngagement).

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummaryofChapter6inBeachesandCoasts

textbookandreviewliteratureonenergygenerationfromwavesinIsraeland

Micronesia.

Week5CausesofBeachErosion:WavesandCurrentsI

EngagingQuestion:Whatroledowavesandcurrentsplayincoastal

erosionandhowdotheseprocessesvaryonaglobalbasis?


Classdiscussionofhowwavesactlikelightbybendingand

focusingenergyinshallowwaterandhowthesepropertiescould

possiblybeusedtoreducecoastalerosionandevengenerateelectricity.

(GlobalAwarenessandPerspective)

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Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummaryofD1(BeachDewatering)

article(seeDropBox).

Week6CausesofBeachErosion:WavesandCurrentsII


Beachdewateringisdesignedtoworkwithnaturetomakesandybeaches

morestable.ThistechnologywasdevelopedinDenmarkandisnowbeing

employedatmanybeachesworldwide.Seascape,whichistermedartificial

seaweed,hasbeenusedinNorthCarolinaandseveralCaribbeancountries.

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pageliteraturereviewonhurricane

hurricanemodificationbybillionaireBillGates.Hurricanes,whicharecalled

cyclonesinIndianaOceanandtyphoonsinPacificOcean,impactmanynations

worldwide,especiallythePhilippines.Writethreeshort-answerquestions(with

answers)forpossibleuseinMid-TermExam.

Week7NoClassonFeburary22—Saturday(February27)Classfieldtriptobeachesin

Miami-DadeCounty:HauloverBeachParkandCrandonParkonVirginiaKey.

Week8CausesofBeachErosion:CoastalStorms

EngagingQuestion:Canhurricanesbetamed,andifso,

whataretheenvironmental,politicalandlegalramifications?

Groupdiscussionoftheprosandconsofstormmodification

projects,suchasProjectStormfurybyNOAA.(GlobalAwarenessand

Perspective)

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Assignmentfornextclass:Prepareformid-termexam.

Week9Mid-TermExam

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummaryofChapter4inBeachesand

Coaststextbook.

Week10SpringBreak

Week11CausesofBeachErosion:SeaLevelRise

EngagingQuestion:Isrisingsealevelthe“dipstick”ofclimatechange?

LearningActivity:PowerPointPresentation&VanishingLandsdocumentary.

Groupdiscussionofwhatcausesoceanlevelstoriseworldwide

inresponsetoglobalwarmingandhowitis“hardwired”to

coastalerosion?(GlobalAwarenessandPerspective)

EngagingQuestion:Whatcanbedonetostemtherising

tideandpreventwholesalelossesofbeachesworldwide?

(GlobalEngagement)

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummaryofChapter21inBeachesand

Coaststextbook.

Week12CausesofBeachErosion:HumanModificationandStabilization

EngagingQuestion:Considerthebenefitsvs.theeconomic

andenvironmentalcostsofcoastalstabilization:isitworth-

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while,and,ifso,atdifferentspatialscales—regionally,nationally

orglobally?ConsiderthatthemainlandUShasmorethan100,000

milesofshorelineandonemillionmilesofshorelineworldwide.


Classdiscussionofcostandbenefitsofvariouscoastalengineering

projectsandviabilitybasedondifferingoceanographicandsocio-

economicconditionsinEuropeancountriesandtheBahamas

(SocraticCircles).

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummaryofBarrierIsland

Handbook(GreenLibraryReserve).

Week13BarrierIslands—ADynamicLandform

EngagingQuestion:Barrierislandsareoneofthemostdynamicand

vulnerablelandformsonEarth,yetthese“stringsofsand”arehighly

developedrealestate.Coastalstormscangenerateoverwashand

evencauseinletbreaching,cuttinghighways,electricallinesand

water/sewagemains.Barrierbeachesaresomeofthebestinthe

world,andcoastalengineeringprojectsareoftenemployedinefforts

tostabilizetheshoreandprotectvaluablebeachfrontdevelopment,

suchasMiamiBeach,FloridaandBanjul,thecapitaloftheGambia.

LearningActivity:Classdiscussionof“howtolivewithanunstableisland.”

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummarycomparingarticlesD2

andD3,andreviewofliteratureonSylt--abarrierislandinGermany.

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Week14BarrierIslandMigrationorDisintegration?

EngagingQuestion:WilltheOuterBanksofNorthCarolina,

consistingofaworld-classforelandofthreecapesandbarriers,

breakapartintorelativesmallislandsegmentsduringthenext

category5hurricanethatstrikesthisareaasproposedbysome

coastalscientists?Shouldsavvypropertyownersselltheir

housesnow,consideringthattheirpropertymaybethenew

“Atlantis”andoceanbottomisnotdevelopable?


Groupdiscussionofthefundamentalconsiderationsforthe

preservationofbarrierislands,whichhavepersistedforthousands

ofyears(albeitnotinthesamelocation),thatmaynowbevulnerable

todemise.Whatislandshavealreadybeenlostormaydisappear

inthecomingdecades,suchastheChandelierIslandsinLouisiana,

andunderwhatconditionsdoesthiswholesalelossofacoastal

landscapeoccurforbarrierislandsworldwide,suchastheislandof

Sylt,Germany?(GlobalPerspective)

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pagesummarycomparingthefindings

andconclusionsofarticlesD4andD5.Whatarethefacts?

Week15PoliticsofShoreErosion

EngagingQuestion:Isitpossibletomakemapsliesothat

beachescanappearwiderthantheynaturallyare?

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ClassdiscussionofthecaseofFireIslandandVillageofWesthampton

DunesalongtheSouthShoreofLongIsland,NewYorkregarding

theplacementofresponsibilityforerosionproblemsthat

resultedintensofmillionsofdollarscommittedbytheFederal

Governmentinonecaseandthehopesofasimilardecisionbyan

adjacentbeachcommunity.(SocraticCircles).

Assignmentfornextclass:One-pageliteraturereviewofavanishingtown—

Dunwich,EnglandandBeachWarsarticle(D6inDiscussionPapers).

Week16BeachAccessandPublicUsage

EngagingQuestion:Whenisitpropertotakeordenythehighest

economicuseofprivatepropertyforthepublicgood?


ClassdiscussionofbeachaccesstosuchareasastheMalibuColony

wheremoviemogulsandactors/actresseshavebeachfronthouses.

Inothercountries,therearedifferentproblemssuchastheusage

ofthebestbeachesinTheBahamasforresorts,suchasAtlantis

onParadiseIsland,Nassau.InCostaRica,therecanbesquatters

onlargetracksoflandbecauseofweaklandownershiplaws.Still

elsewhere,someofthemostmagnificentcoastlines,suchasNashPoint,

GlamorganHeritageCoastinWales,arelocatedonprivatelands.While

accesspointsandtrailsthroughthepasturesareprovided,thereisscantto

noparkingalongthenarrowlanes(e.g.,trivet-boundedroads)thatdate

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backtoMedievaltimes.InConstanta,Romania,constructionofbarsand

restaurantsonthepublicbeachisunlawfullypermittedbythecitymayor.

Assignmentfornextclass:PrepareforFinalExam.

Week17FinalExam

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Changing Coastlines GLY 4734 Syllabus Fall2016 (1)...coastlines. At the same time there is a...

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