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6 Summary and Conclusions 



A wide variety of techniques and technologies are available for data 

 collection, analysis, and interpretation of the geologic and geomorphic history 

 of coasts. One means of acquiring coastal data is through field data collection 

 and observation. This data may be numerical or non-numerical, and may be 

 analyzed further in the laboratory and office depending upon the type of data 

 collected. Laboratory studies are used to analyze geological properties of data 

 collected in the field, such as grain size or mineralogy, or to collect data 

 through physical model experiments, such as in wave tanks. Office studies 

 are part of most investigations, in that they involve the analysis and/or the 

 interpretation of data collected in the field and laboratory, from primary and 

 secondary sources. These include analysis of historic maps and photographs, 

 as well as application of techniques and numerical simulation of field, 

 laboratory, and office data. Typically, the best overall understanding of 

 environmental processes and the geologic history of coasts is acquired through 

 a combination of techniques and lines of inquiry. A suggested flowchart for 

 conducting studies of coastal geology is illustrated in Figure 51. 



The techniques and technologies for the study of the geologic and 

 geomorphic history of coasts are applicable over a variety of time scales. 

 Three principal time scales that are important in assessing the geologic and 

 geomorphic changes of coasts include the following: 1) modern studies, 

 which are based largely on field data or laboratory and office experiments of 

 environmental processes; 2) historic studies, which are based largely on 

 information from maps, photography, archives, and other sources; and, 

 3) paleoenvironmental studies, which are based largely on stratigraphy and 

 associated geological and paleoenvironmental principles. In actuality, 

 however, these general time scale approaches overlap. Further, within each 

 of the categories, certain time scales may be of particular importance for 

 influencing coastal changes. 



Before initiating detailed field, laboratory, or office study, it is recom- 

 mended that a thorough literature review and investigation of secondary data 

 sources be conducted. Existing sources of data are numerous, including 

 information on processes such as waves, water levels, and currents, 

 information on geomorphology such as geologic, topographic, and shoreline 

 change maps, as well as information that has been previously interpreted in 

 the literature or has yet to be interpreted, such as aerial photography and 



Chapter 6 Summary and Conclusions 



