Date of Award

Spring 1997

Document Type

Legacy Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Marine Science

College

College of Science

First Advisor

Paul T. Gayes

Abstract/Description

Geologic formations from the Cretaceous and Tertiary geologic periods are known to be outcropping in the nearshore of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Site specific materials are being eroded from these outcrops and transported onto the beachface. Due to this site specific nature of these pebble and cobble-sized lithoclasts, it is possible to trace their transport from their apparent sources. The most important means of sediment transport within a nearshore system is considered longshore current. This type of transport along the Grand Strand would give clast concentrations that are smeared along the coast, concentrated near the source and diminishing as distance from the source increases. It has been observed that the concentration of lithoclasts along the Grand Strand are not being distributed by longshore transport, they are concentrated in front of their nearshore source, suggesting that the influence of onshore transport is more important in the nearshore zone than previously thought. The fact that it has been observed that this dominant form of shore normal transport of material is occurring brings up the question of the accuracy of the calculated close-out depth for Myrtle Beach. The calculated close-out depth for Myrtle Beach is less than the depth the outcrops from which these lithoclasts are eroding from. This suggests that this calculation is not applicable to Myrtle Beach due to the relative lack of sediment found in the area, or that storm-generated waves are more important in this system than previously thought.

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