Notice in the December 1992 map that two inlets were eroded through the barrier island during the storm, but by March, the western inlet had closed with newly deposited sediment while the eastern inlet became larger

Explain why one inlet closed while the other enlarged.
What will be an ideal response?


The longshore current flows from northeast to southwest. Waves eroding sediment along the edge of the eastern inlet provided sediment that moved to the southwest where it was deposited too close in the western inlet. The eastern inlet was closer to the groins than the western inlet, so the eastern inlet was not receiving sediment from currents moving along the shoreline from the northeast.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

You might also like to view...

Briefly describe the characteristics of the concentric zone model

What will be an ideal response?

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Which one of the following statements is true regarding the Earth's supply of freshwater?

A. The largest volume exists in lakes and reservoirs. B. There is more water in rivers than exists as soil moisture and groundwater. C. There is more in the form of water vapor in the atmosphere than there is as liquid groundwater. D. There is more freshwater in glaciers and ice sheets than exists as groundwater.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

A small rodent called the desert kangaroo rat lives in the deserts of the southwestern United States

This animal is somewhat unique among mammals in that it does not drink water, but gets all of its liquid needs met from the water in the seeds it eats. What benefit would this physiological feature have to an animal that lives in a hot, dry climate where water is sparse? What will be an ideal response

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Coral and barnacles are both arthropods due to their hard outer exoskeletons

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences