Guidelines for final paper in Coastal Geology GLS214

Draw together all data, observations and researched material, and assemble them into a coherent paper. Follow the content outline given below as best you can. Use figures, graphs, photos, and tables to present your data and illustrate your discussions. Diagrams must be placed after their citation in the text. Feel free to add any pertinent information that you have acquired which is not specifically requested below. If you have any questions about format look at any article in the Geological Society of America Bulletin.

GENERAL COMMENTS

-In addition to content focus on organization, paragraph and sentence structure, and style.

-Use headings and subheadings outlined below. You can add more if you wish.

-Try not to unnecessarily repeat information.

-Use numbers. Don’t use terms like “really big,” “small,” “wide,”
“high,” “steep,” etc. without defining values to them.

-Use diagrams, graphs and photos whenever possible. But make sure that they are fully discussed in the text of your report. Label these as figures and align the caption to the margins of the figure.

-Write in the active voice.

-Don’t quote unless for emphasis or example. Using quotes for explanations only indicates a lack of understanding of the material.

-When describing your beach discuss the offshore, nearshore, foreshore, and backshore regions.

-Always include references and follow guidelines for referencing given below. All references listed at the end must be cited in the text and all references cited in the text must be given in the reference section.

-Don’t be afraid to state more than one hypothesis; you may not have enough data to give a definitive answer. State what additional data needs to be obtained and how.

- Be Precise. Know your terms!

-Don’t be wordy.

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CONTENT OUTLINE FORMAT FOR PAPER

1. Title and Authors
2. Abstract

The abstract is a brief (250 words or less) synopsis of the content and conclusions of your paper. Do not include any references or diagrams.

3. Introduction

No subheading

a. Location and general description: shape (type-pocket beach, barrier beach) width, length, height, boundaries, orientation, general composition of the beach.


b. Recent history: use, ownership, access, description of abutting property, construction of man-made structures (when and why?)


c. Make an index map illustrating the beach, access, and location of profiles, and other important features.

d. State the reason for the study.

subheadings

Methodology. Describe you methodology (Emory method of profiling). What data are you collecting? How and why are you collecting it? Confidence and precision of data. Mention number of profile sites on the beach, locations, etc. (Show on map)

Previous Work. Has anyone else studied your beach? Who? Where? And When?

Acknowledgements. Who helped you in any way?

4. Geologic Setting

Include relevant aspects of local geology such as, composition of headlands, glacial history, occurrence of local glacial deposits, etc.

5. Hydrodynamic Regime (present data)

Describe/classify your beach in terms of its hydrographic regime
1. Tides: significance, type, range, etc.
2. Waves: breaker types, significant wave height, Period, swash width etc.
3. Climate: How does the wave climate vary seasonally. Briefly include a discussion of northeasters. What are the dominant and prevailing wind and wave directions. How do these related to longshore transport?
4. Longshore Transport: Document. Does longshore transport change throughout a tidal cycle? seasonally? during storms? etc.
Tables, histograms and rose diagrams are efficient ways to display data.

6. General Beach Morphology

Describe in detail your first accurate low tide profile. Label all features and zones and include as a figure.

7. Sedimentology

Sediment size, shape, sorting, distribution (both across shore and along shore), potential source, etc.

Sediment transport: What is the source of sediment on your beach? How is sediment distributed and circulated in the offshore, nearshore, foreshore, and backshore environments.

8. Beach Dynamics and Processes


Short term changes: Overlay consecutive profiles and discuss the changes that took place if any. Discuss the conditions (swell or storm wave,tides, longshore transport, etc) causing the change. Can you quantify the depth of sand/gravel lost or gained over the course the the study?

Morphodynamics:

1. Describe the morphodynamics (Wright and Short, 1984) of your beach: Is it predominantly reflective, intermediate, dissipative, reflective and dissipative, etc? Through what stages does it range or does it not fit their model? Include diagram of sweep zone and discuss. What features reflect the dominant beach state? Does the state of your beach vary spatially (alongshore) and/or *temporally (through time)? What are the causative factors?

2. Describe the accretionary profile in terms of its morphology, sediment distribution, and processes. *How has the profile changed through time? Has the width of the surf zone change? Discuss.

3. What is the slope of your beach face. What are the factors that control the beach face slope of your beach. Has the slope changed? If so why? What are the roles played by tides, wave height and period, permeability, groundwater etc.?

4. Are there bars or cusps associated with your beach? Do the change spatially and temporally? Describe the conditions leading to their formation.

5. Discuss any negative or positive feedback processes that might take place on your beach.

9. Conclusion

Summary of beach morphology and hypotheses concerning its behavior.

10. References Cited: Notes on referencing

When or what to reference:
  • When you are using a particular classification:
    Examples:
  • Using the classification of Hayes (1979) Cranes Beach, which has a mean tidal range of 2.5 m and mean wave height of 1.5 m, is a Mix Energy (Tide Dominant) shoreline.
    -A reflective beach (Wright and Short, 1983, 1984) is characterized by a steep convex-upward foreshore. OR A reflective beach, as defined by Wright and Short (1983,1984). . . . .
  • When describing another person’s theory or idea, such as what causes Singing Beach to sing.
  • When using data gathered or measured by someone other than yourself.
    Example:The facies of the Cape Ann Granite that underlies and surrounds Singing Beach is an alkali granite with a modal quartz content of 15-25% (Dennen, 1991).
  • Terms or concepts that are controversial or defined differently by various authors.

Who to reference:

  • Always reference the original author and publication. If you find a diagram or classification in a text don’t reference the text if it was originally published elsewhere.

    Information obtained verbally that is unpublished data or uncorroborated material obtain in an interview and should be referenced.
    Example: Jane Doe (pers. com., 1992) observed a 6-meter high wave during the Halloween Storm.


What not to reference:

  • Material that is self evident or common knowledge. (e.g. Water flows down hill.)
    Do not use quoted material to explain a concept or process that you don’t understand, or because it sounds good. Take the time to learn the material well enough to write it in your own words.


Where to place the reference:

Place the reference in such a way so that it is clear what information is being referenced.
Figure out what’s wrong with this sentence and rewrite it:
During the summer Plum Island displays a typical reflective profile (Wright and Short, 1983, 1984).

Reference format: Follow standard GSA format

Journal Article:

Author, date, Title of article: Journal, volume, pages.

Example: Emery, K.O., and Kuhn, G. G., 1982, Sea Cliff: Their processes, profiles, and classification. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 93, p. 644-654.

Article in edited volume or book:

Author, date, Title of article, in Editor, (ed), Name of volume, location, publisher, pages

Example: Komar, P. D., 1983, Beach processes and erosion: in Komar, P. D., (ed), CRC Handbook of Coastal Processes and Erosion, Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, p. 1-20