Page 421 - Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology

C. Notice the groins (short black lines) that have been constructed on the east side of Fenwick Island (Ocean City) in the
northeast corner of FIGURE 15.7 (above 2 km north of the inlet).

1. Why do you think these groins have been constructed there?
2. What effect could these groins have on the beaches around Ocean City’s Municipal Pier (southern end of Fenwick Island)?

Why?

D. Hurricanes normally approach Ocean City from the south–southeast. In 1995, one of the largest hurricanes ever recorded

(Hurricane Felix) approached Ocean City but miraculously turned back out into the Atlantic Ocean. How does the westward
migration of Assateague Island increase the risk of hurricane damage to Ocean City?

E. Compare the position of Assateague Island in FIGURE 15.7 , from 1972 (purple position of the island) to 2010 (red outline of

the island). The northern two kilometers of the island remained in a relatively stable position from 1972–2010, but the rest
of Assateague Island did not. Explain what happened to the southern three kilometers of Assateague Island on FIGURE 15.7

from 1972–2010 and infer why it may have happened.

F. REFLECT & DISCUSS The westward migration of Assateague Island could be halted and probably reversed if all of the

groins, jetties, and sea walls around Ocean City were removed. How would removal of all of these structures place properties
in Ocean City at greater risk to environmental damage than they now face?

389