263
With that introduction, let’s turn to the “Power of the Ocean”. I live close to the
east coast of the US where the tidal range is defined as microtidal (1 m or less). The
coast is known as wave-dominated, the waves often whipped up by storms, noreasters mainly in the winter months and tropical storms, including hurricanes, in the
summer to early fall months. At Swansea Bay in the northern Bristol Channel, the
great tidal range (43 feet = 13 m) leads to a tidal current-dominated setting. During
Fig. 16.3 Top: Exploratory augering on a substrate of cobbles eroded from immediately underlying glacial boulder clay in Swansea Bay, South Wales. Note the varying substrates of mud, sand,
cobbles and clay in the background. The Mumbles road is located behind a small sea wall and sand
dunes indicated by the white line across the width of the photo in the far distance. Bottom: The drill
rig set up for augering. The author (right) is about to add another auger flight. Note the crowd of
onlookers. (Images by D. Lancey)
16 Afterword: The Power of the Ocean
With that introduction, let’s turn to the “Power of the Ocean”. I live close to the
east coast of the US where the tidal range is defined as microtidal (1 m or less). The
coast is known as wave-dominated, the waves often whipped up by storms, noreasters mainly in the winter months and tropical storms, including hurricanes, in the
summer to early fall months. At Swansea Bay in the northern Bristol Channel, the
great tidal range (43 feet = 13 m) leads to a tidal current-dominated setting. During
Fig. 16.3 Top: Exploratory augering on a substrate of cobbles eroded from immediately underlying glacial boulder clay in Swansea Bay, South Wales. Note the varying substrates of mud, sand,
cobbles and clay in the background. The Mumbles road is located behind a small sea wall and sand
dunes indicated by the white line across the width of the photo in the far distance. Bottom: The drill
rig set up for augering. The author (right) is about to add another auger flight. Note the crowd of
onlookers. (Images by D. Lancey)
16 Afterword: The Power of the Ocean