Oregon Inlet being the southern boundary) is a long, continuous spit 

 called Currituck Spit. This spit may be subdivided into two long 

 concave- seaward parts of coast, separated by a convex-seaward bulge 

 called False Cape. The northern concave-seaward stretch of coast from 

 False Cape to Cape Henry is the beach profile study area, and the 

 northern portion of the southern concave-seaward coast is the Currituck 

 County quarterly reconnaissance study area. 



The beach survey study area, which includes the 18 profile line 

 locations, encompasses 42 kilometers of coast in Virginia from Cape 

 Henry to the Virginia-North Carolina State line (Fig. 2) . Profile 

 line 1 is located at Fort Story, a U.S. Army transportation training 

 center with amphibious vehicles frequently on the beach. Profile lines 

 2 to 5 are in Virginia Beach, a densely populated [especially during 

 the summer months) residential (above 40th Street and south of Rudee 

 Inlet) and commercial area. Profile lines 6, 7, and 8 are located in 

 Dam Neck, at the U.S. Naval Anti-Air Warfare Training Center. Profile 

 lines 9 and 10 are in Sandbridge, a residential area which has a 

 significantly higher population during the summer months. Back Bay 

 National Wildlife Refuge is the location of Profile lines 11 to 15. 

 The southernmost profile lines 16, 17, and 18 are located in False 

 Cape State Park. 



In a broad sense the study area consists of two basic beach 

 morphologic types: wide beaches which may be very active, either 

 accreting or eroding from 1 month to the next; and fairly 

 narrow beaches with little overall accretion or erosion. Tlie wider 

 beaches have lower slope gradients than the narrower beaches. 

 Generally, the narrower beaches tend to show more extensive changes 

 after storms and are usually slower to recover from storm effects. 

 Profile lines 1 and 14 to 18 are generally wide and flat; profile 

 lines 3 to 12 tend to be narrow and steep, although there are several 

 exceptions. All 629 surveys are notable by a complete absence of 

 classic ridge and runnel activity. 



Table 2 gives a complete description of the study area from 

 the "Shore Protection Guidelines," (U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, 

 1971b) . Names mentioned in Table 2 can be found in Figures 1 and 

 2. The information is reorganized in the table by reaches and 

 subjects; these reaches are related to population zonation of the 

 coast and not to geological aspects. 



2. Geomorphology . 



The physiography and geology, both immediately underlying the 

 study area and at the surface to the west, are directly related to 



