Grain size on the surface of natural beaches has been observed to vary spatially and temporally with morphology and wave energy. The stratigraphy of the beach at Duck, North Carolina, USA was examined using 36 vibracores (~1-1.5 m long) collected along a cross-shore beach profile. Cores show that beach sediments are finer (~0.3 mm) and more uniform high up on the beach. Lower on the beach, with more swash and wave action, the sand is reworked, segregated by size, and deposited in layers and patches. At the deepest measurement sites in the swash (~´1.4 to´1.6 m NAVD88), which are constantly being reworked by the energetic shore break, there is a thick layer (60-80 cm) of very coarse sediment (~2 mm). Examination of two large trenches showed that continuous layers of coarse and fine sands comprise beach stratigraphy. Thicker coarse layers in the trenches (above mean sea level) are likely owing to storm erosion and storm surge elevating the shore break and swash, which act to sort the sediment. Those layers are buried as water level retreats, accretion occurs and the beach recovers from the storm. Thinner coarse layers likely represent similar processes acting on smaller temporal scales.
The rigour of extracting friction angles, and eventually lower-bound bearing strength, in sandy beach settings through slope angles determined from digital images (visual spectrum) is explored. Digital images of topographic sand features using hand-held cameras, an unmanned aerial vehicle and a panchromatic satellite sensor are analysed to determine average slope angles using three-dimensional reconstruction. Greyscale gradients and shadows are utilised in the satellite images to extract slope estimates. The slope angles matched tilt table results of samples from the same locations at the Duck, NC, and Claytor Lake, VA, field sites. Direct shear testing of sample material suggest friction angles of ∼33° and ∼35°, respectively. The authors test a potential pathway to derive lower-bound bearing strength using these remotely sensed slope angles. Preliminary results are encouraging, but likely sensitive to the impact of moisture content, differences between the maximum and the observed slope angle and internal friction angles.
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