Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Shoreline Erosion In Virginia, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Gary L. Anderson

Reports

Virginia has over 5,000 miles of tidal shoreline. Several different shore types occur in the Tidewater region including the low-lying barrier islands of the Eastern Shore, the ocean front headland-barrier spit of southeastern Virginia, and the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries which range from high bluffs to tidal marshes. In order to put shore erosion in proper perspective as a natural phenomenon, one must examine the recent geologic history of the region.

Much of shoreline erosion is a direct product of high energy storms like hurricanes and northeasters. The rate and amount of erosion along a specific …