40% of O'ahu, Hawai'i Beaches Could be Lost by Mid-Century

9/25/2020

If policies are not changed, as much as 40% of all beaches on O'ahu, Hawai'i could be lost before mid-century, according to a new study by researchers in the Coastal Geology Group at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Manoa. In an era of rising sea level, beaches need to migrate landward, otherwise they drown. Beach migration, also known as shoreline retreat, causes coastal erosion of private and public beachfront property. Shoreline hardening, the construction of seawalls or revetments, interrupts natural beach migration -- causing waves to erode the sand, accelerating coastal erosion on neighboring properties, and dooming a beach to drown in place as the ocean continues to rise. - Science Weekly

Jasmine Nelson

9/28/2020 11:50:25 am

This is a big threat for Oahu. Oahu is already so small and the facts that 40% of the beaches could be lost is sad to hear. I actually have family with beachfront property on Oahu and this is the first I've heard of this. This is an example of weathering directly affecting human life.

Kyle Carty link

9/28/2020 06:27:29 pm

This article is about how the beaches of O'ahu and Hawaii in general are experiencing shoreline retreat. This is causing the need for many beaches and beach-front properties to either think about moving inland or devising other ways to stem the loss of available shoreline. The problem with the devising other ways is that the building of sea walls and other water diverting methods is causing the loss of shorelines to quicken...ironic. This article perfectly links with mass wasting because what is happening here is mass wasting of the Hawaiian shorelines. I wonder it will take how many years it will be until Hawaii inevitably sinks back into the ocean.

Melina Vandermolen

9/28/2020 09:28:00 pm

I found it so interesting that beaches can literally be consumed by the ocean. I think it will be a sad day for O'ahu when the beaches are lost. The concept of beach migration was new for me and I found it interesting and tragic that private beachfront properties can be eroded.

Majestic Moler

9/28/2020 09:50:32 pm

This article is discussing the possibility of Oahu losing 40% of its beaches if current policies do not make the appropriate adaption. Beach migration, or, shoreline retreat is something that deems necessary. However, shoreline hardening, or the building of sea walls is being used as a temporary hold which is causing the water to inevitably take over the nearby sand. The beaches are being taken over by water regardless and something needs to change and fast. Mass wasting is literally is taking place on the Hawaii beaches.

Viky Minjarez link

9/29/2020 01:58:16 am

Something I took away from this article is it blows my mind how this is not talked about more or heard of more and also that 40% of the beaches will lost on O' ahu, Hawai'i. A way this article connects to this module is that beach migration cause coastal erosion and in the video of mass wasting prison was talked about. A comment is I hope polices change for the sake of the 40% beach we could lose.

Austin McAvoy

9/29/2020 11:09:08 am

With 40% of the Hawaiian islands coast being affected it is important to draw awareness to this issue to fix this. This article is relevant to our current module by talking about the beach erosion that goes on due to rising sea levels. One of the biggest things that is relevant to not only this module, but also to our life. This is huge due to the already small size of O'ahu and is important to address before it is to late.

Mia D'Antuono

9/29/2020 12:53:17 pm

A very brief summary or take-away from the article.
On the beaches of O'ahu over 40% of the shore will be gone due to rising sea levels. This article relates to this module as the movement inland can effect shore erosion. With the rising sea level there is increased construction of sea walls and there is sea wall hardening. Although coastal erosion is inevitable the rising sea level will only accelerate it.

Chris Baumback

9/29/2020 03:44:16 pm

I'm constantly wondering when we as humans will begin to fully study ideas before implementing them. Beach migration and shoreline retreat are key processes to natural coastlines, yet we as humans are interfering with more and more of these natural systems. I hope we, as a society, can begin to reverse some of the damage we have done to the planet, in both the small and large scale.

Prof Jeff

10/3/2020 01:47:23 pm

Especially thoughtful, Chris! :)

Tyler Mercado

9/29/2020 04:59:51 pm

This article talks about the possible consequence of losing as much as 40% of Oahu's beaches in Hawaii because of weathering and erosion. This article connects to this module's contents because the cause of the beaches disappearing is a result from weathering and erosion. We just learned that the ocean will always erode whatever land it comes in contact with because of how weathering and erosion works, which is why if nothing is done, the beaches will be lost as a result of natural processes.

Wyatt Washburn

9/29/2020 06:03:49 pm

I think that this is very interesting because it talks about Hawaii and how 40% of the beaches in Hawaii could disappear before the mid century if the policies put in place right now do not change. Unfortunately we cannot stop the sea level from rising, we can however help delay it quite a bit.

Courtney Ray

9/29/2020 07:59:25 pm

This article was super interesting to me and I have a lot of questions. Where would the locals go if this were to happen? Also, what would happen to the whole state of Hawaii if all beaches were underwater? I know that this was probably bound to happen since the earth and its plates are constantly in motion. Would this end up happening to other beaches across the globe?

Mac

9/29/2020 09:01:09 pm

Nearly 40% of the beaches in Hawaii could be lost by mid-century due to coastal erosion, or shoreline retreat. Coastal erosion occurs when the sea level rises. Because of this reality, properties near the beach are in danger of drowning, which could potentially harm the individuals living there. Despite this threat, beachfront properties are extremely valuable and excellent places to reside, individuals are still living in and moving into these homes. Unless new policy is enacted encouraging the mass migration of humans, individuals could be seriously harmed as well as lose their homes. This article connects to the module by emphasizing the effects of mass wasting. Mass wasting is clearly an inevitable and sometimes dangerous part of nature.

Kaiya Bullock

9/30/2020 11:10:02 am

As an island, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and shoreline retreat can cause serious problems for Hawaii and it's inhabitants. This article relates to our current module because we are learning about the types of weathering and erosion. Things need to change, and I want to learn more on how to help fix this.

Alyssa Pillar

9/30/2020 11:33:45 am

As a result of rising sea levels in O'ahu, beaches must migrate towards the land or the consequences will be the beaches swallowed up by the sea. Beach migration occurs which causes coastal erosion of beachfront properties, and as sea levels continue to rise, beaches are drowned. According to sources, if certain policies are not implemented from preventing this, nearly 40% of all beaches in this area in Hawaii could be lost by the mid-century.

Louisse Angela Mercado

9/30/2020 01:42:05 pm

This article is about the danger in Hawaii. A new study by researchers predicts that as much as 40% of all beaches in O'ahu, Hawaii could be lost before mid- century. This is because of the shore-line retreat that will cause erosion of property around the beach. This article connects to this module because we are currently learning about Erosion. This information is definitely scary for the people living near the beach.

Mariah Jenkins

9/30/2020 06:42:09 pm

I think it's saddening to learn that Oahu's beaches could be lost so soon. I learned that not just a some beaches will be lost but 40% of them is almost half. This relates to what we are doing in class because this module we are learning about erosion.

Robert Delci

10/1/2020 02:01:56 pm

The levels of sea water is rising and this is eroding away the beaches and causing the sandy beaches to go underwater. This is bad for the island because there is a lot of beach front homes and they need to start moving towards land because the water is coming closer and closer to the houses.

Dylan Donn

10/2/2020 03:24:26 pm

The one take away from the article which i read was how the wave can cause much erosion but, with the water rising it is alarming how much of the coast will no longer be there. One thing that this article that does share common similar by sharing how wave on the coast is effected by erosion. The one thing how we can continue try to shape the landscape which we see today.

Kelly Whatcott

10/2/2020 06:36:44 pm

A brief summary of this article:
The Coastal Geology Group at the University of Hawaii recently made a new study that 40% of beaches in Oahu will be eroded by the mid century.The eroding is going to be caused by beach migration and shoreline hardening. This has a lot to do with our current module because we are learning about erosion and mass wasting.

Jeni Hemingson

10/3/2020 09:10:24 pm

In an effort to protect their properties, land owners in O'ahu are actually risking loosing their beaches due to beach drownding. Rising ocean waters are accelerating coastal erosion. So much so taht 40% of all beaches on O'ahu will be lost by mid-century, unless there is policy change. I find this a complicated situation. The property owners don't want to loose land due to natural beach migration, but it's a shame to loose beachfront.

Christopher Mercado

10/7/2020 12:19:36 pm

Global warming is causing a rise in sea levels all over the world and can potentially result in the loss of up to 40% of the beaches O'ahu, Hawaii before 2050. This connects to our module about population because the retreating shoreline isn't just going to stop at the beaches, it's going to keep going until it covers the whole island, potentially destroying the islands of Hawaii. This could result in a situation similar to that of Tuvalu where that nation is almost completely gone because the rising sea levels has claimed most of their land, forcing that population to start moving to other nations. A similar fate could be in store for Hawaii if things do not change.

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40% of O'ahu, Hawai'i Beaches Could be Lost by Mid-Century

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