Temporal and Spatial Variations in Shoreline Migration Rates, Metompkin Island, Virginia

Examination of historic shoreline position changes provides a mechanism for evaluating the influence of spatial and temporal variations in barrier island morphology on the long-term evolution of Metompkin Island. Ten historic shorelines were used to calculate changes in position of the high-water shoreline between 1852 and 1988. Early adjustments in shoreline position resulted in erosion along the seaward side of the barrier. As the island narrowed to a width of approximately 200 m by 1955, inlet breaching along the southern portion of the island and extensive washover deposition along the entire shoreline became primary factors influencing longshore morphologic variability. Sequential changes in shoreline position along southern Metompkin Island, between 1955 and 1980, illustrate the effects of inlet activity on island response. Additional aspects of the subject are discussed.