South%20Carolina%20Coastal%20Geography

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South Carolina Coastal Geography
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• SC Fast Facts
• Borders - Atlantic Ocean, Georgia, North Carolina
  
• Total area - 31,189 square miles - 41st largest
  state- Land area - 30,111 square miles - 96.5-
  Inland water area - 1,006 square miles- Coastal
  water area - 72 square miles
• Miles of coast - 187Miles of coastal shoreline -
  2,876 - 11th longestMiles of oceanfront beaches
  182
• Low Country- Coastal area from Pawleys Island
  south to the Savannah River
• Tidal Range 4.6 ft
• Largest Barrier Island - Hilton Head Island
• Major Rivers - Santee River, Edisto River,
  Savannah RiverLongest river - Savannah River -
  238 miles, Largest river - Santee - drains 40 of
  the state
• Major Lakes - Lake Marion (172.8 sq.mi ), Lake
  Moultrie, Lake Murray, Hartwell Lake
• Climate Jan 55-32, July 71-92 , Annual precip
  48 inches
• Major Industries - farming (tobacco, soybeans),
  textiles, manufacturing chemicals, processed
  foods, machinery, electronics, paper products,
  tourism

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3 Marine Terminals Served 2472 ships/ barges in
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Georgetown
Charleston 4 nationally Busiest port in SE
Gulf Coast
Port Royal
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• The arcuate strand is a crescent-shaped beach
  stretching from the North Carolina South
  Carolina border south to Winyah Bay, SC.
• This area is generally considered the most
  stable region along the S.C. coast. It is a wide,
  continuous beach approximately 60 miles long with
  few tidal inlets. The absence of inlets in this
  region is also associated with the lack of
  barrier island and salt marsh.
• Suitable for development- higher elevations
• Extensive development and erosion
• Tourism impact - ex 12 million tourists 1994
• High shoreline erosion
• Dunes, vegetation, and elevation vary

Myrtle Beach area
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• The cuspate delta, south of the arcuate strand
  between Winyah Bay and Bulls Bay, is referred to
  as the Santee River Delta.
• It is the largest deltaic complex located on the
  eastern seaboard of the United States and is 18
  miles long. Here, headlands (or capes) extend
  into the ocean and form elongate spits.

• Borders- Santee Point to Isle of Palms
• Coastline - 50 miles
• Characteristics-
• Primarily Santee River Delta- largest on east
  coast
• Lowest portions are covered by salt marsh
• Coast unsuited for development
• Many undeveloped barrier islands
• State and national refuges and coastal reserves

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• Beach-ridge barrier islands (also referred to as
  prograding barrier islands) are larger islands
  that contain a beach, vegetated sand dunes,
  shrubs, and a maritime forest. Kiawah Island is
  an example of this type of barrier island.

• Transgressive barrier islands are long, narrow
  islands that are extremely unstable because they
  lack heavy vegetation and healthy dune systems.
  
• They are referred to as retrograding islands
  because they retreat landward. Folly and Morris
  Islands are typical examples of this type of
  barrier island.

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• The barrier island complex, south of Bulls Bay to
  the Georgia border, includes transgressive
  barrier islands and beach ridge barrier islands.
  
• These relatively thin, elongate islands are
  located along the majority of South Carolinas
  central and southern shoreline.
• approx 75 mi of coastline
• They protect our coastal areas from storm forces
  and rising sea level.

• Characteristics-
• Many highly developed barrier islands
• Marginally to non-suitable for development
• Loss of natural dunes and maritime forests
• Extreme erosion

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Hilton Head 12 mi long and 7 mi wide- largest
barrier island on SC coast Extensively developed
Eroding and accreting shoreline Varying
topography Well forested areas at higher
elevations Lower elevated areas- flood risk
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South Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes.
Meteorologists predict 4 hurricanes each season
to strike the eastern and southern U.S. The most
damaging hurricanes struck landfall in 1752,
1885, 1893, 1911, 1940, 1959 and 1989 Hurricane
Hugo is one of most memorable. On September 21,
1989, Hugo hit the U.S. mainland just north of
Charleston, South Carolina, costing 5.9 billion
in damage and the lives of 29 people. It was one
of the U.S.'s most expensive hurricane disasters
in history. Sustained winds of 134mph and a
storm surge of 20 ft.
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References http//www.cofc.edu/CGOInquiry/tutoria
lindex.htm http//www.sciway.net/ http//www.sciwa
y.net/gov/ports_auth.html http//search.enchantedl
earning.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/search?keysouthcarolin
a Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource
Management. (2000). Understanding Our Coastal
Environment. Charleston, SCOCRM Press.