Quantified Rates of Geomorphic Change on a Modern Carbonate Tidal Flat, Bahamas

Comparison of aerial photographs and ultrahigh-resolution remote sensing data
reveals changes in the geomorphology of a modern carbonate tidal flat. In the
58 yr between acquisition of the two data sets, several tidal channels have
extended headward more than 100 m, channel bars have stabilized, the shoreline
has eroded as much as 50 m, the inland algal marsh locally has prograded as
much as 90 m, and many mangrove ponds have increased in size. These changes
over the known time interval allow quantification of the rates of these
geomorphic processes and suggest rates of migration of landforms to several
meters per year. Some observed rates appear to be different than rates averaged
over the past several thousand years, however, possibly because of changes in
storm activity or circulation patterns. These data illustrate the dynamic
nature of the entire coastal tidal-flat system, not just the shoreline, and
reflect the system's response to factors including relative rises in sea level.
The purposes of this paper are to document and quantify historical changes in
the morphology of a carbonate tidal flat and to discuss the possible role of
the sea-level rise on these changes. Spatial Data

Organization Information - Indirect Spatial
Reference: locations were georeferenced by satellite.
Direct Spatial Reference: Point Spatial Reference Information
Horizontal Coordinate System Definition - Geodetic Model