Wind, Waves and Surge: An Analysis of the Movement and Post-Storm Recovery of Bushy Point Beach in Groton, CT
By: Grace Medley '15
Advising Faculty: Douglas Thompson
The purpose of this study is to use Bluff Point barrier spit in Groton, Connecticut as a proxy to study the post-event recovery of barrier beach systems on the coast of Connecticut, a somewhat unique location to support the development of barrier beaches.
Bushy Point beach is important to study because it is one of the last untouched barrier systems in Southern New England. Many of the barrier systems along the south coasts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and especially south of Long Island have been developed, requiring constant replenishment and mass scale evacuations during storm events. If Bushy Point beach can be used as a template to gain insight to how barrier systems behave naturally in this area, that knowledge can then be used to protect properties and lives on developed barriers with similar energy regimes.
This honors thesis may be read in its entirety at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College.
http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/physicshp/4/
Related Fields: Physics