Geologists explore beach nourishment controversies, groundwater quality, and Blue Ridge mountain issues

CONTENTS

I. Introduction
II. Presentation Highlights
III. Complimentary Media Registration and Other Information

(I) Sand-pumping: Saving the beaches or just another burden on the taxpayer? What's up with the Mars Odyssey orbiter to be launched right after this meeting? Are the Appalachian Mountains really getting taller? What about North Carolina being at the equator and all of those odd fossils? And what's the connection between an extraterrestrial impact near Chesapeake Bay 35 million years ago and today's groundwater? The answers to these questions and more will be explored by over 700 geologists at the 50th annual meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America (GSA). The meeting takes place April 5-6, 2001, at the Sheraton Capital Center, 421 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC.

TWO EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON THURSDAY, APRIL 5.
Such issues as pipelining sand to combat erosion have become quite an economical, political, and environmental controversy. Experts with opposing views on the effectiveness of using beach nourishment to combat erosion will present their research and culminate in a panelists' debate. Besides updating us on the upcoming Mars mission, Professor Harry Y. McSween of the University of Tennessee, will focus on the seemingly conflicting nature of rocks on Mars and Martian meteorites found on Earth and the idea that Mars has and is harboring life. McSween served on the science team for the Mars Pathfinder lander and is currently a science team member for the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter.

Geologists from the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University will host the meeting, in conjunction with the North Carolina Geological Survey and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. They expect over 700 geoscientists to attend.

Registration is complimentary for media representatives who wish to attend these or other sessions. If you are interested but unable to attend, you are encouraged to conduct advance interviews with scientists on an embargoed basis, with release dates coinciding with their presentation dates.

(II)

Thursday, April 5

BEACH NOURISHMENT

In a full-day session titled "Beach Nourishment: The Wave of the Future of Erosion Control," scientists will discuss issues, problems, and controversies associated with beach nourishment as a means of erosion control. THIS SESSION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (ADMISSION $5, PAYABLE AT THE BALLROOM DOOR) AND WILL CONCLUDE WITH A PANELISTS' DEBATE. (Thursday, April 5, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. � 4:30 p.m., Hannover Ballroom I/II).

Beach Nourishment: Two Sides to Every Story
Orrin Pilkey, Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, [email protected], 919-684-4238
Beach nourishment programs have become increasingly popular with the widespread recognition that building seawalls leads to beach loss. Costs are significant, with a typical project costing approximately $10,000 per beachfront building per year. Projected costs of the proposed North Carolina Outer Bank nourishment project are expected to exceed $30,000 per property per year. Pilkey argues that erosion problems and the need for nourishment are caused by imprudently sited buildings, an important consideration in determining who should pay for these projects. If buildings are moved or demolished, a wide beach will always be present as the shoreline retreats.

Nourishment for Beaches or Bureaucrats?
Jacqueline Savitz, Coast Alliance, Washington, DC, [email protected], 202-546-9554
Savitz takes the position that poorly conceived local, state, and federal policies encourage unsustainable development on coastal barrier islands by offering subsidized flood insurance policies, beach-building funds, road construction money, bridge construction costs, and financing for additional infrastructure. The resulting need for nourishment programs is costly. For example, the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 authorized $300 million in sand pumping and other coastal subsidies, with additional long-term maintenance costs of $330 million. At the same time, taxpayers continue to pay maintenance costs on every project initiated over the last half-century. Savitz will also address recent project authorizations, trends in financing these projects, and future public policy directions.

Ecological Impacts of Beach Nourishment: A Geologist's Perspective
Tracy Monegan Rice, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Raleigh, NC, [email protected], 919-856-4520 ext. 12
Coastal geology plays an integral role in determining the ecological impacts of artificial beach nourishment. These projects create an artificial base on the beach and shore face, they expose a new base in pits from which sand is removed, and they add large volumes of sediment to the transport system. Higher erosion rates of "fill" material increase the dynamism of coastal habitats. Rice will discuss specific impacts on different types of North Carolina wildlife.

Corps of Engineers' Views of Environmental Impacts of Beach Nourishment
G. Frank Yelverton, US Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, NC, [email protected], 910-251-4640
The Army Corps of Engineers has extensively monitored environmental impacts. Yelverton will discuss results as well as current monitoring efforts and needs for future monitoring. Both "borrow" and "nourishment" sites experience impacts. Impacts vary among the different types of "borrow" sites, although evidence indicates that most are of short duration. Impacts to nourished areas are also generally of short duration if the material from the "borrow" site is compatible with the existing beach. Yelverton will also discuss project timing and other factors that can reduce environmental impacts.

Comparison of Measured and Predicted Beach Nourishment Performance
Robert G. Dean, Civil and Coastal Engineering, University of Florida, [email protected], 352-392-2416
Beach nourishment has been used extensively in Florida for several decades and six to eight years' worth of monitoring results are available for most projects. This data was used to develop a methodology for predicting the evolution of beach management projects. Dean will describe this methodology, share results for seven projects, and provide a synthesis of the findings. Consistent patterns � some expected and some not � have emerged.

Hurricane Fran: Effects on Communities With and Without Shore Protection
Tom Jarrett, US Army Engineer District (retired), Wilmington, NC, [email protected], 910-392-0453
In the summer of 1996, Hurricanes Bertha and Fran hit the southeastern coastal section of North Carolina. Different levels of damage to areas protected by Corps shore protection projects and others that were not prompted the Corps to study the value of its projects. A team of Corps and non-Corps engineers and scientists looked at storm characteristics, the role of geologic factors, and the storms' economic impact on each area. Jarrett will share the major findings of the study.

Serious erosion and hurricane damage to North Carolina beaches, and the prospects for beach management, are explored in the following two talks:

Role of Geologic Framework, Physical Dynamics, and Sand Resource Potential for Beach Nourishment on the North Carolina Outer Banks
Stanley R. Riggs, Dept. of Geology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, [email protected], 252-328-6360; et al.
Most North Carolina ocean beaches are in a serious state of erosion with over 120 miles under consideration for immediate beach nourishment projects. About 35 miles of that total is specific to the Outer Banks. Some of these sediment-starved barriers are collapsing with little chance of survival in their present form. Geologic factors that influence beach management outcomes will be discussed.

Availability of Offshore Sand Resources for Shoreline Restoration in Southeastern North Carolina
William J. Cleary, Center for Marine Science Research, UNC-Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, [email protected], 910-962-2320
A number of high-risk shoreline segments in southeastern North Carolina have partially recovered from recent hurricanes. Many of these areas are now at even higher risk because of the sand deficit produced by increased storm activity. With little storm protection in place and inadequate sand for nourishment programs, some may have to be abandoned.

CONTINUED UPLIFT OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS: BLUE RIDGE RISING?
(Thursday, April 5, 8:30 a.m. � 11:00 a.m., President's Boardroom).

David Prowell of the US Geological Survey in Atlanta made news recently with research that suggests the Blue Ridge Mountains (as well as the rest of the Appalachians and the Piedmont) are continuing to rise. Prowell will co-chair a symposium titled "Cenozoic Evolution of the Appalachian Orogen." The following paper, presented by session co-chair James Knapp, lends further insight:

Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of Southeastern North America: Evidence for Passive Margin Uplift?
James H. Knapp, Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, [email protected], (803-777-6886)
Several factors contribute to speculation that uplift of the land surface continues today. When the surface structure and river-drainage orientation of the Carolinas are viewed in relationship to the layers of marine sediments exposed along the Atlantic coastal plain, a simple explanation of lowered sea level doesn't account for the observed height of the mountains. Many examples of structural deformation of the coastal plain also suggest that tectonic activity, movements of large plates of the Earth's crust, is at work. Knapp will also discuss continuing research that attempts to quantify the magnitude, timing and rate of the uplift, and what it means to citizens of the Carolinas.

REGIONAL FOSSIL DISCOVERIES
(Thursday, April 5, 1:00 � 5:00 p.m., Governor's Room 1.)

In a session titled "Triassic Basins of the Southeastern United States," scientists will describe recent significant fossil finds in the Raleigh, N.C./Danville, VA area. The Triassic period is thought to be from 250 to 200 million years ago. Highlights include the following papers:

A New Triassic Gliding Reptile from the Danville Basin.
Nicholas C. Fraser, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville, VA, [email protected], 540-666-8600
A partial skeleton of a most unusual new form of gliding reptile was recovered from the Solite Quarry on the North Carolina-Virginia state line in 1998. Tentatively classified as a member of an extinct group of reptiles called prolacertiforms, it was probably 8-10 inches in length. It has an elongated neck and greatly expanded ribs that presumably bore a gliding membrane, similar to the modern gliding lizard, Draco. The Solite Quarry is thought to be the only site in the world where complete insect specimens from the Triassic period are found in abundance.

Biotic Provinciality of the Late Triassic Equatorial Humid Zone.
Paul E. Olsen, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY, [email protected], 914-365-8491; et al.
In the Triassic period, all of Earth's continents were united in one giant "supercontinent" which scientists call Pangea. During the late Triassic, the land areas of modern-day North Carolina and Virginia were located at the equator in a humid tropical environment. Unusual groups of fossils recently discovered in this area are calling into question long-held beliefs about when a group of reptiles known as cynodonts died out. This new regional evidence suggests that they existed millions of years longer than previously thought � thriving until the mass extinction that ushered in the Jurassic, the age of dinosaurs.

An Articulated Poposaurid Rauisuchian Archosaur from the Late Triassic Deep River Basin, North Carolina.
Karin Peyer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, [email protected], 919-932-5341; et al.
One of the most spectacular finds mentioned above was the skeleton of an extinct terrestrial cousin of the crocodile. This top predator of its day was discovered near Raleigh by a team of scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Peyer will describe this well-preserved fossil in detail.

A Remarkable Triassic Tetrapod Assemblage from the Deep River Basin of North Carolina.
Hans-Dieter Sues, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada, [email protected], 416-586-5515; et al.
In life, the reptile above was apparently a rather gluttonous fellow. The contents of its gut included part of a large amphibian, the toe of a very large plant-eating mammal-like reptile known as a traversodont, and a plant-eating armored reptile called an aetosaur. Discovered under his legs and torso was another beautifully preserved carnivorous reptile called a sphenosuchian. Olsen and Sues suspect that this second carnivore died in a fight with the rauisuchian because it had a bite out of its neck just the right size for the rauisuchian's teeth. They speculate that the fight could have been part of an attack of a pack of sphenosuchians that ultimately brought the rauisuchian down but at the cost of one of the pack.

CHESAPEAKE BAY IMPACT EVENT AND CRATER
(Thursday, April 5, 1:00 � 5:00 p.m., Oak Forest Ballroom)

In a poster session titled "The Stratigraphy of the Southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain. A Poster Session with Core Samples," the following paper addresses the fascinating subject of "impact events," collisions involving Earth and other objects in space, with particular regional interest:

Preliminary Interpretation of the USGS-NASA Langley Corehole, Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure, York-James Peninsula, Hampton, VA
Gregory S. Gohn, US Geological Survey, Reston VA, [email protected], 703-648-4382; David S. Powars (presenter), US Geological Survey, Richmond VA, [email protected]; et al.
An extraterrestrial object slammed into the ocean near modern Chesapeake Bay 35 million years ago causing widespread devastation and an enormous tsunami. The impact created a now-buried 53-mile-wide crater whose presence currently threatens the drinking water of area residents. Working from July through October 2000, scientists from the US Geological Survey, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the College of William and Mary, drilled a 2000-foot corehole into the impact structure and analyzed its contents. Specific findings will be discussed, along with new insights about the impact event itself.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS � OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FREE OF CHARGE
(Thursday, April 5, 5:15 � 6:15 p.m., Hannover Ballroom I/II)

The Geology of Mars � From Far and Near
Harry Y. McSween, University of Tennessee � Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, [email protected], 865-974-9805
Understanding the geology of Mars is key to understanding its evolution as a planet and what life forms it may have produced. Our knowledge of Mars' rocks comes from laboratory studies of Martian meteorites and analyses of rocks on the planet's surface. (It will be some time before we can actually bring rocks back from Mars.) The Mars Pathfinder, lowered onto the surface in 1997, supplied a wealth of information about the red planet. The orbiting Mars Global Surveyor, which completed its main work on January 31, 2000, has relayed more data about Mars than all of the previous missions combined. McSween will also discuss future Mars spacecraft missions and what new information they will provide.

Friday, April 6

NORTH CAROLINA GROUNDWATER ISSUES
(Friday, April 6, 8:15 a.m. � 12:00 p.m., Hannover Ballroom I)

Demand for groundwater in North Carolina is expected to increase over the next several years because of significant population, industrial, and agricultural growth. In a session titled, "Groundwater Conditions in Coastal Aquifer Systems: Past, Present, and Future," scientists will discuss issues affecting North Carolina's groundwater supply. Highlights include:

The Position of the Fresh Water-Saltwater Interface in Aquifers Underlying Six Counties in Northeastern North Carolina
Michelle L. Volosin, Dept. of Geology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, [email protected], 252-328-1364, and Richard K. Spruill, Dept. of Geology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, [email protected], 252-328-4399
An essential part of assessing the water resources in this region involves understanding the physical and chemical characteristics of the underlying aquifers. This talk is focused on area sources of groundwater and important factors in sizing them.

Near-Surface Aquifer Development, Nitrogen Saturation, and Theis Capture: Lessons from Lizzie
H. E. Mew, Jr., Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section, NC Dept. of Environmental and Natural Resources, Raleigh, NC, [email protected], et al.
North Carolina has twin goals of sustaining its coastal plain water supplies and preserving healthy rivers and estuaries. However, development of the state's coastal aquifer systems has upset the long-term equilibrium of aquifer recharge and discharge of water to streams, rivers, and other bodies of water. Restrictions on withdrawal of water from deep aquifers have also forced development of aquifers nearer to the surface. This study illustrates the potential impacts of near-surface aquifer development on wetlands preservation, nitrate concentration, and the state's goal of reducing nitrogen loading by 30 percent. It suggests that North Carolina may benefit from a more holistic approach to managing its coastal aquifer systems and interconnected stream network.

Utilization of the Cretaceous Aquifer System for Storage and Recovery of Treated Surface Water in Greenville, NC
Christopher P. Foldesi, Dept. of Geology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, [email protected], 252-329-8627, and Richard K. Spruill, Dept. of Geology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
The Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) is expanding its water treatment plant to a capacity that will meet projected demands until the year 2010, when peak daily demand will exceed Tar River allocations. A technique known as aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), in which treated drinking water is stored in aquifers during periods of low demand (i.e., the winter months), may help the GUC meet peak demands prior to and beyond 2010. This study includes information on an ASR test well and describes next steps in the evaluation of this process. The authors estimate that eight ASR wells may be needed to meet peak demands in the area.

(III)

We invite journalists and public information officers (PIOs) from geoscience and other related organizations to attend any scientific session of interest visit the exhibition area. Advance interviews with scientists can also be arranged and conducted on an embargoed basis, with release dates coinciding with presentation dates.

Registration is complimentary media registration if you are one or more of the following:

- Working press representing bona fide news media with a press card, letter, or business card from the publication.

- Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 1999 or 2000.

- PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions and government agencies.

Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must pay the appropriate fees.

Register at the main meeting registration desk at the Sheraton Capital Center (third-floor mezzanine, adjacent to the Oak Forest Ballroom) where you will receive a name badge and the program/abstract book.

Registration hours are: Wednesday, April 4, 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 5, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Friday, April 6, 7:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

For further information *before* April 5, contact Ann Cairns, GSA Director of Communications, at 303-447-2020 ext. 156, [email protected]. *On* April 5-6, Christa Stratton of GSA's Communications Department will be on-site to assist journalists. She can be reached during the meeting at the GSA Registration Desk in the Sheraton Capital Center by calling the Sheraton at 919-834-9900 or 800-325-3535 and asking for GSA Registration.