Presentation on Independent Plum Island Sand Migration Study, September 24th

September 19, 2008

When: Wednesday, September 24th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Where: Newbury Elementary School Auditorium, Hanover Street, Newbury

A local Plum Island resident, Michael Morris, will give a public presentation on the results of his independent, five month long study of the sand migration patterns on Plum Island this Wednesday, September 24th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Newbury Elementary School Auditorium.

Wednesday’s presentation, called “Unlocking the Mystery to Beach Erosion at Plum Island,” will be divided into two segments with a 15-minute break in between. Refreshments will also be served.

An article by Victor Tine in the Daily News of Newburyport provides an overview the study undertaken by Mr. Morris.

Some of the interesting findings of the study by Mr. Morris are:

He believes that the net migration of sand along Plum Island’s shoreline is in a northerly direction, a departure from the conventional wisdom that it flows southward.
He believes that two separate streams of sand are migrating toward Plum Island Center. One stream is moving south from the mouth of the Merrimack River along a submerged offshore sand bar, while another stream is flowing north from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge’s dune system.

Although he is not a professional scientist, Mr. Morris is a lifelong resident of the area who has spent many years on the water.

According to Mr. TIne’s article, the results of the study conducted by Mr. Morris were based on his observations and the following information:

Recent photos that were analyzed in light of existing historical documents
State shoreline data
15 years of recent satellite photos
Army Corps of Engineers dredging statistics
7,000 hours of weather buoy data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)