- The Maine Geological Survey has been using LiDAR from successive year flights to study Goochs Beach.
- By comparing the digital elevation models for the sand dunes, movement and accretion/erosion can be determined.
- The surveys represent a snapshot in time of a continuous process, but they are yielding important insight.
As Peter Slovinsky from the Maine Geological Survey points out in this well written article the agency has been fortunate to have been able to fund a number of LiDAR projects for the same areas in multiple years. One of these is Goochs Beach a 1.3 km long east-west trending pocket barrier located adjacent to the mouth of the Kennebunk River and bounded by bedrock headlands of Oaks Neck and Old Fort Point.
By comparing the digital elevation models from different years Peter and his team have been able to assess whether the dunes have been eroding or accreting, and whether they have been moving as a result of wave action during major storms. The article discusses the methodology as well as the results to date.
As Peter points out the data represents a point in time and depending on when the flight occurred could include bias as the processes are continuous and there are seasonal biases.
