local or knowledgeable individuals. Questions to be asked might include 

 what, why, when, where, and how come? Why does this section of the shore 

 look as it does? How do humans influence the local environment? Is the 

 problem geologic (natural) or man-made? Do catastrophic events, such as 

 hurricanes, appear to have much impact on the region? A checklist of data to 

 be collected at a site visit for a coastal erosion study is presented in 

 Appendix F. 



Photographs and Time Sequences 



Photography is often an important tool for initial reconnaissance work as 

 well as for more detailed assessments of the study area. One special 

 application of cameras involves the use of time-lapse or time-interval 

 photography. Time-lapse and time-interval photography may be helpful in 

 studies of geomorphic variability to observe shoreline conditions, sand 

 transport (Cook and Gorsline 1972), and wave characteristics. If the camera 

 is set to record short-term processes, relatively frequent photographs are 

 typically obtained. If historic ground photographs are available, additional 

 pictures can be acquired from the same perspective. Changes in an area over 

 time, applicable to both short- and long-term studies, can also be recorded 

 with video photography. It is important that the following pertinent 

 photographic information be recorded in a field log: 



• Date. 



• Time. 



• Camera location. 



• Direction of each photograph. 



• Prominent landmarks, if any. 



Wave Measurements and Observations 



It is often relevant in studies of historic and process time scales to obtain 

 data regarding wave conditions at the site. Instrumented wave gages typically 

 provide the most accurate wave data. Unfortunately, wave gages are 

 expensive to purchase, deploy, maintain, and analyze. Often, they are 

 operated for a short term to validate data collected by visual observation or 

 hindcasting methods. Multiple gages, set across the shore zone in shallow and 

 deep water, can be used to determine the accuracy of wave transformation 

 calculations for a specific locale. 



31 



Chapter 3 Field Data Collection and Observation 



