Beach Erosion Facts: Here's What All You Need To Know!

Waves are very strong forces of nature.

They are captivating and surreal when they reach you mildly. But when they have a strong and dramatic look, storm waves can cause severe erosion and change the outlook of the whole place.

Coastal erosion is the removal of beaches or sand dunes by tidal currents, waves, or drainage. Waves that are caused by storms and strong winds cause coastal erosion.

Coastal erosions at times result in dramatic rock formations in certain areas where the coastline is made up of rocky coasts. Softer rock areas get eroded faster than the surfaces that are hard.

As a result, tunnels, bridges, pillars, and columns are created. These can be visible on the beaches or at times in places where even the coastal communities do not visit.

Wave erosion is a continuous process in nature. Materials like sand and stones are constantly being shifted from one place to another.

They are being taken away by the stream, riverbank, or beach. In today's time when the ocean coastlines are being used to develop housing projects, in this situation, the erosion of beaches has turned out to be a larger concern.

Waves can cause erosion to an extent that they may remove the support pillars of a house, which may lead to it tumbling into the ocean. The coastline of the US is around 80,000 mi (128,748 km). So, here beach erosion is a big problem.

Though we know that erosion is a natural process, we humans have accelerated the rate of erosion. Development in the coastal areas is the main cause of this enhanced erosion. When we interfere with nature there are consequences.

There has been severe damage to monuments like the Cabrillo national monument. The beach and the rocks have eroded badly and damaged the rock layers. The winds and waves have caused erosion that is irreversible. Read on to learn more.

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Why does a dam in a river that exits at a beach lead to increased erosion along the shoreline?

Any sort of human activity intervening with the course of water makes a change around it as well. So when we build a dam we create a new physical feature, that comes with its set of side effects.

When we build dams, it affects the shoreline. The overall sediment supply is affected. There is a noticeable increase in coastal erosion as there is reduced sediment availability from the stream. The sediment being supplied by the rivers that was meant for the beaches is now entering the lake.

The dam construction works as a trap for the river sediment even before it could reach the coast. This harms the dams as well. The lower levels rise with time when there are heavy rains in the feeding area.

Three Ways To Prevent Beach Erosion

A beach is required for the nourishment of the coastal areas.

When we need sandy beaches, humans create a wider beach for themselves by artificially adding the sediment on a beach. However, this leads to sediment loss that was actually needed by natural forces. When we try to improve the amenity and its recreational value we destroy the way natural beaches would have dissipated ocean waves' energy.

There are ways for erosion control. Here are some of them:

Hardening is the most commonly known way to protect coastlines. There are artificially created structures so that when a wave crashes there will be less harm done. These are structures such as seawalls, rip-rap, levees, and groins.

There is an understanding that structural solutions that we humans apply may actually cause more problems and not reduce the problem to a larger extent. The structural projects made for human activities interfere with the natural movement of the wave currents.

It prevents sand from being land-covered to shift along coastlines. Other reasons to avoid such structural measures for prevention include the high costs.

There are great investments needed for installation and maintenance. There will be an unintended diversion of the strong storm, wind, and water towards the human settlements close by.

So rather than saving human life, we may put them in harm's way. It also leads to rising sea levels as the sand lost is not able to be pilled again.

The natural state would have allowed the coastal erosion results to be reversed and sand dunes to be created again. Even if we make an artificial rocky layer the sand can not be deposited again.

Beach nourishment is a method used in many states like North Carolina along the coast. There is a way to bring in nature to help nature. This means rather than making artificial structures, greenery is reintroduced.

So when the trees and plants grow, the ability of the coast to replenish enhances automatically. Even the high winds do not harm these beaches as the sand is firmly held by the roots.

After beach nourishment, there are fewer chances of climate change affects when green cover is increased. The storm energy gets dissipated on the outer banks and does not harm inner shore areas. The sea level is also maintained as the sediments from deeper water are absorbed by this area.

Artificially adding sand also seems to be a good idea, but there is no guarantee that it will remain there. Some communities have brought huge volumes of sand to shore but saw it was washed out to sea. Thus rather than sand coming out from the sea, it again fills in there.

Coastal restoration is a cost-effective way of preventing beach erosion. In some regions, there are more intense storms than in others.

Here, the best option is to remove the entire buildings and structures. After all the structures have been removed, the land is left for the native vegetation to take over.

The land is further put under trust for better protection so that other people do not come and make a new town. This method has many hidden benefits such as the reduction of carbon and other pollutants as well as the creation of natural habitat for important fish species.

Upon restoration of open spaces, wildlife also comes back and finds a better place to live.

These places are even used for the promotion of tourism, and cultural activities of coastal communities. Similar methods have been used by Florida for beach erosion problems.

How does beach erosion change the earth?

Cliff erosion is a common result of the meeting of wave energy and shore.

In the United States, it has caused around $500 million per year loss already in the form of coastal property, structures, and land. To prevent this coastal erosion, the government has to spend an average of $150 million. They do it in the form of beach nourishment and erosion control measures.

Coastal erosion affects all regions alike. Erosion rates and potential impacts may vary. The average coastline receded at a rate of 25 ft (7.6 m) per year, in the Southeast, while the rate is higher along the Great Lakes, at 50 ft (15.2 m) per year.

Severe storms can be responsible for removing wide beaches. The presence of sand dunes does not matter. In areas with a high population, even 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) of erosion can turn catastrophic.

With the sea-level rise, there is an increase in coastal erosion. To counter this, if we build hard structures to stabilize the shoreline position stable, we are sure to lose beach area.

However, if we allow the shoreline to migrate naturally, there can be an increase in the erosion rates. This will also result in an enhanced storm frequency, thus there will be increased coastal erosion.

How Different Coastal Landforms Are Created By Erosion

Coastal erosion is responsible for the creation of various landforms along the coast. These can be made of rocks or dunes. The beach changes its outlook every few years due to erosion.

Cliffs do not erode everywhere at the same pace. When a long stretch of coast is formed due to these erosions, different types of headlands, rocks, and bays can be formed. Winds and water currents, both play a major role.

Cliffs and platforms - soft rocks tend to erode quickly. They form gentle sloping cliffs. The hard rocks are more resistant. When they erode, there is the formation of steep cliffs. A wave-cut platform is a huge gentle and sloping surface that is seen at the foot of a cliff.

Caves, stacks, arches, and stumps - these are the features formed due to erosion on a headland.

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