Science/engineering help?

Question

I need to develop an affordable, realistic method (including a mathematical formula) that would allow a group of students to record changes in beach erosion from dune to the waterline. How would I go about this?

Answer 1

If you have cooperation from the beach owners, then possible setting out a range of stakes.  Make then say, 10ft high and pre-mark them in IN or CM increments.  Now pound them deeply into the beach area in a uniform grid.  You may wish to # each stake and pattern on a piece pf paper.  Now on a daily,  or maybe 3 day cycle, come back through and read the "height" of the beach sand at that location.  You may wish to take into account tides and continue your study for a good length of time, months.  (That's a low cost test).

Higher tech, might be to have one set point stake, VERY sturdy.  Now every cycle (1 day, 3 day, for example) come back and take pictures.  You can have a collaborator walk out at 100ft, 150 ft increments and so on with a standard surveying tape and rod to get a accurate distance and height to your set point.  With the picture you could begin to gauge the changes (deposition of reduction) in different areas.  Bring the picture into photoshop (editing tool) and draw a line indicating the surf line.  Then watch over time as that line changes.

Even higher tech (if you have a "friend" with a plane) might be to establish your "set points" as large X points on the beach.  Then fly over on a schedule (3 days, weekly) and take a picture.  Since the set points are NOT moving, then you can compare each image, one by one, to see where the sand is moving.  You would have to carefully watch the time, and altitude to ensure you were taking "comparable" pictures each time.

If you have set points way back on a walkway, pier, dune (for example), then have your grid back at that point, say every 10ft or 20 ft as sturdy stakes.  Take long lines (like a surveyors line) and sweep out until you reach the water line just as drawing an arc and record the distance.  You may need to track the date/time to ensure tides, variations can be accounted for later on.  For example, if you have a LONG distance, then taking the measurements may take a few hours and your last readings may be "skewed" by the tide coming in or out.

Answer 2

collect samples of changes in beach errosion timely i.e., after one day, then 2 days, then 3 days and so on. hen formulate it using excel. or give me this data, I will give you the mathematical formula. hope this helps. bye.