Offshore sand-shoal development and evolution of Petit Bois Pass, Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands, Mississippi, USA
Assessment of recently collected geophysical and sediment-core data identifies an extensive shoal field located off Dauphin and Petit Bois Islands. The shoals are the product of Pleistocene fluvial deposition and Holocene marine-transgressive processes, and their position and orientation oblique to the modern shoreline has been stable over the past century. The underlying stratigraphy has also influenced the evolution of the barrier platform and inlets. Buried distributary channels bisect the platform, creating erosion hotspots that breach during intense and repeated storms. Inlet growth inhibits littoral transport, and over time, reduces the down-drift sand supply. These relations demonstrate the role of the antecedent geologic framework on morphologic evolution. This study is part of the USGS Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project and the USACE Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program. These projects produced a wealth of information regarding coastal geology, geomorphology, and physical resources; some of the initial results are presented here.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2011 |
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Title | Offshore sand-shoal development and evolution of Petit Bois Pass, Mississippi-Alabama Barrier Islands, Mississippi, USA |
DOI | 10.1142/9789814355537_0163 |
Authors | James G. Flocks, Kyle W. Kelso, Gregory C. Twichell, Noreen A. Buster, John N. Baehr |
Publication Type | Book |
Publication Subtype | Conference publication |
Index ID | 70048357 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center |