103
retreat. The balloon was tethered to a winch on the ground or a boat, and this provided extra security, but moving helium tanks was not easy. Now similar work can
also be accomplished by aerial drones.
A nice example of modern capability comes from research by a former ECU
Ph.D. student, Ian Conery. He used a sophisticated terrestrial laser scanner to map
change in two beach-dune areas of the Outer Banks, NC, one a relatively undeveloped location at the US Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck,
NC and the other, a more developed area near Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head, NC. His
work highlights how a recent beach nourishment project in Nags Head led to localized accretion in the dune system. Figure 6.7 demonstrates the incredible detail
visible using laser-based mapping. By remapping areas, for example before and
after a storm, much information can be obtained. More research is needed to better
understand the complex dynamics along our coasts, and to apply local insights to
other areas, it is important to combine mapping with measurements and models as
done by Conery. New mobile measurement platforms are now available to examine
hard-to-reach or large areas, so after storm events, coastal managers and communities can better understand impacts and plan recovery. For example, the
U.S. Geological Survey regularly uses airplane-based laser mapping (LiDAR) to
perform change assessment after hurricanes, such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016
(Fig. 6.8). Additionally, now with computer forecasts prior to storm landfall, states
(e.g., NC, https://fiman.nc.gov/) and the federal government (e.g., USGS, https://
marine.usgs.gov/coastalchangehazardsportal/) have tools to maps coastal flooding
and areas of expected shoreline change.
Drones, or more officially, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are now being
used extensively around the world not only for fun videos but also for research and
resource management (e.g., crops). Over a decade ago our lab group acquired our
first drone. It was a relatively high-end unit, costing about $5,000. But, despite the
drone’s capability, my first flight did not quite go as planned. It was a breezy day,
and I was anxious to give it a test flight after it was fully assembled. I read the
manual, but it was rather cryptic. After studying up, I brought the system outside of
the ECU Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) building and tentatively pushed the two
levers together to initiate power. The drone fired up quickly and felt robust and
powerful. I immediately shut it down. After a few repetitions, I was a bit more comfortable, so I decided to lift the drone a little off the ground. Success! I quickly
lowered it, and then repeated the lift-off process, and even spun it around and
snapped a few pictures. Now, I was feeling pretty good, so I next decided to go a bit
further. I raised the drone up higher … and then a bit higher. The wind quickly
began to push the drone towards the CSI main building. I tried to adjust but soon the
drone was beyond the roofline. I throttled down hard, hoping it would land on the
roof. I ran around the building and realized it had gotten quite dark, and I couldn’t
see drone lights anywhere. Now, I was thinking/hoping it was on the roof, but as I
circled back to the takeoff point, there it sat, with its lights flashing. As the video
later showed, the drone had drifted maybe a quarter of a mile before its homing
protocol kicked in, and it returned automatically. I was so relieved to have it back!
Today, these aerial platforms are widely employed for coastal
6 What Lies Beneath? Revealing Coastal Processes Through Mapping
retreat. The balloon was tethered to a winch on the ground or a boat, and this provided extra security, but moving helium tanks was not easy. Now similar work can
also be accomplished by aerial drones.
A nice example of modern capability comes from research by a former ECU
Ph.D. student, Ian Conery. He used a sophisticated terrestrial laser scanner to map
change in two beach-dune areas of the Outer Banks, NC, one a relatively undeveloped location at the US Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck,
NC and the other, a more developed area near Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head, NC. His
work highlights how a recent beach nourishment project in Nags Head led to localized accretion in the dune system. Figure 6.7 demonstrates the incredible detail
visible using laser-based mapping. By remapping areas, for example before and
after a storm, much information can be obtained. More research is needed to better
understand the complex dynamics along our coasts, and to apply local insights to
other areas, it is important to combine mapping with measurements and models as
done by Conery. New mobile measurement platforms are now available to examine
hard-to-reach or large areas, so after storm events, coastal managers and communities can better understand impacts and plan recovery. For example, the
U.S. Geological Survey regularly uses airplane-based laser mapping (LiDAR) to
perform change assessment after hurricanes, such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016
(Fig. 6.8). Additionally, now with computer forecasts prior to storm landfall, states
(e.g., NC, https://fiman.nc.gov/) and the federal government (e.g., USGS, https://
marine.usgs.gov/coastalchangehazardsportal/) have tools to maps coastal flooding
and areas of expected shoreline change.
Drones, or more officially, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are now being
used extensively around the world not only for fun videos but also for research and
resource management (e.g., crops). Over a decade ago our lab group acquired our
first drone. It was a relatively high-end unit, costing about $5,000. But, despite the
drone’s capability, my first flight did not quite go as planned. It was a breezy day,
and I was anxious to give it a test flight after it was fully assembled. I read the
manual, but it was rather cryptic. After studying up, I brought the system outside of
the ECU Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) building and tentatively pushed the two
levers together to initiate power. The drone fired up quickly and felt robust and
powerful. I immediately shut it down. After a few repetitions, I was a bit more comfortable, so I decided to lift the drone a little off the ground. Success! I quickly
lowered it, and then repeated the lift-off process, and even spun it around and
snapped a few pictures. Now, I was feeling pretty good, so I next decided to go a bit
further. I raised the drone up higher … and then a bit higher. The wind quickly
began to push the drone towards the CSI main building. I tried to adjust but soon the
drone was beyond the roofline. I throttled down hard, hoping it would land on the
roof. I ran around the building and realized it had gotten quite dark, and I couldn’t
see drone lights anywhere. Now, I was thinking/hoping it was on the roof, but as I
circled back to the takeoff point, there it sat, with its lights flashing. As the video
later showed, the drone had drifted maybe a quarter of a mile before its homing
protocol kicked in, and it returned automatically. I was so relieved to have it back!
Today, these aerial platforms are widely employed for coastal
6 What Lies Beneath? Revealing Coastal Processes Through Mapping