Speaker/Affiliation: Mara Orescanin, Naval Postgraduate School
Title: From Grains of Sand to Coastal Margins: How Small River Mouths Play a Key Role in Coastal Geomorphology in California
When: Wednesday, January 28 12:00pm PST
Location: EMS B214
Abstract: We often disregard the importance of small, low-flow rivers and their impact to coastal flooding, erosion, and water quality during dry seasons. However, when wet rainy years bring increased precipitation, these small rivers can cause upland flooding and offshore water quality issues. Predicting the impacts of the surrounding coastal ocean and upstream areas is further complicated by a large degree of morphological variability at the river mouth over the beach. This talk explores the variability of beach breaching and closure at two central California river mouths and how the surfzone characteristics impact riverine behavior. Breaching is often driven by precipitation/discharge while closure is driven by wave dissipation. Despite similar wave and precipitation climates, the morphological response of the Carmel and Pajaro River mouths is noticeably different. Given that California is home to over 200 such small riverine systems, understanding the different responses of these similar systems can aide in developing management strategies to protect surrounding infrastructure and sensitive coastal areas.
