Coastal Geology

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GSC has worked with other companies on a variety of coastal designs and strategies to mitigate erosion as well as analyze and document sediment transport and its affect on coastal infrastructure. GSC has developed innovative semi-soft beach stabilization designs based on local sediment transport and customer goals. GSC has also worked with coastal models to analyze marsh loss and green infrastructure changes from sea level rise.

Some of our services include:

  • Coastal morphology and shoreline evolution
  • Sediment transport studies
  • Development of coastal stabilization strategies
  • Modeling sea level rise and marsh evolution

Coastal Geology Projects

Featured
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Marsh Evolution and Sedimentation on the Whale Branch Portion of Port Royal Sound

The Phase I project used a small marsh island on the Whale Branch creek to model processes that control marsh health and evolution in the larger Broad River/Port Royal Sound habitats.

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Forested Wetland Values Along the Black and Waccamaw Rivers, South Carolina

This study details the degree that the forested and palustrine forest floodplains along the Black, Waccamaw and the Pee Dee Rivers are contributing to lower flooding for crops and infrastructure in the basins.

Measurement of Floodplain Value for Downstream Flood Reduction
Measurement of Floodplain Value for Downstream Flood Reduction

This pilot study examined the water storage/flood resiliency value of lands upstream of urban/suburban centers under riverine dominated flooding. The goal was to develop a process that could be applied to other areas in the Southeast US.

Lower Savannah Watershed Management Planning
Lower Savannah Watershed Management Planning

Geoscience Consultants worked with the Lowcountry Council of Governments (LCOG) in developing a forward looking watershed management plan for five watersheds in the Lower Savannah. The area is directly adjacent to a major freshwater withdrawal that provides water to hundreds of thousands of people.

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Coupled Coastal and Riverine Risk Modeling - TNC Northcoast Project

The North Coast project in Georgetown and Horry Counties (SC) grew from TNC’s Coast Summit in 2016 where riverine flooding was highlighted as a problem that held opportunity for nature based mitigation projects. Geoscience Consultants was hired to provide an understanding of localized flood risk at present and under future climate change. This information will help community stakeholders identify locations where green infrastructure can be used to mitigate increasing flooding issues.

Sea Level Rise and Infrastructure Vulnerability - Beaufort SC
Sea Level Rise and Infrastructure Vulnerability - Beaufort SC

This project focused on identifying the potential infrastructure problems that will exist as sea level rise (SLR) occurs and determining how those effects can be minimized or mitigated to ensure that the needs of both the local communities and the military facilities are accommodated. This is particularly significant in the Beaufort area due to the fact that water and sewer services are provided to the military facilities by the same regional provider that serves the local communities; and local roads, highways and bridges provide the only access to MCAS Beaufort and MCRD Parris Island.

Graveline Bayou Navigation and Habitat Study
Graveline Bayou Navigation and Habitat Study

Geoscience Consultants was hired to examine sediment transport into a local navigational channel. The study revealed that a cause of the siltation in the channel was actually a lack of sediment. This study highlights the intertwined nature of coastal habitats and human use.
Marsh Migration - Technical Consulting

Geoscience performed a technical review of marsh migration models, the fundamental data sets and various parameters that drive model outputs.
Human Induced Shoreline Change

The work was performed to assess the effects of human modifications (port development) on the nearby natural shorelines including wetlands. Shoreline changes in these settings are complex and spatially inconsistent, unlike sandy open-coast shorelines. In order to both densely measure the change and smooth high frequency variation a node to node analysis was performed

Shoreline Analysis and Conceptual Design

Geoscience Consultants was hired to assess the historic shoreline trends and define the various sediment transport mechanisms at a hot-spot along South Padre Island. Based on the analysis, a low profile groin conceptual design using geo-textiles was also developed.