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This paper illustrates the scope and contribution that the discipline of geomorphology can offer in environmental litigation. The case in question was filed by two plaintiffs who contended that the construction of a storage facility on an adjacent property had caused significant disturbance of the topsoil, and that runoff from the impermeable surfaces (e.g., roofs, driveways) had exacerbated the problem by eroding and transporting soil and fill material from the facility directly into three ponds owned by them. They sued for $1.6 million to cover dredging, restoration of the ponds, and disposal of the sediment. Utilizing a range of geomorphological techniques, I was able to determine the most likely source area(s) of eroded sediment within the basin and quantify the extent to which the defendant's property contributed runoff and sediment to the ponds. The lawsuit was dismissed before ever going to trial. In the paper, I discuss the steps involved in the process of being an expert witness and also share some of the advice I have received from attorneys with whom I have worked. I emphasize the importance of setting any case study within a larger spatial context and encourage my fellow geomorphologists to become involved as experts in litigation because, in most instances, we can contribute to an appropriate outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The height and extent of coastal dune development can exhibit considerable variability over short distances, leading to variable storm impact alongshore. The source of this variation is not well understood in general, and in many cases is not easily explained by models that ascribe dune height and development to regional variations in sediment availability and foreshore slope. In this paper, LiDAR data collected in 2000 and 2005 from South Padre Island, Texas are used to characterize the alongshore variation in dune morphology, and to identify how the variation is related to foreshore morphology and nearshore state. Results of cross-wavelet analysis suggest that foredune height exhibits a statistically significant coherence with the surf similarity parameter at length scales of ~1300 of 2300m. The resulting variation in beach state alongshore, from intermediate to dissipative, is the consequence of wave refraction and focusing by transverse ridges on the inner shelf. Dune height reaches a local maximum approximately halfway between the more intermediate and dissipative sections of the coast, where the volume of sediment in the backshore and in the foreshore bars are also at a maximum. The greater elevation of the foreshore and backshore also provides a wider fetch and potential for aeolian transport during the storm surge that tends to accompany storm winds. It is argued that the variation in dune morphology is not strictly the result of transport limitations as suggested by the fetch model, but rather depends on the alongshore coincidence of transport potential with an available supply of sediment in the backshore and on the foreshore. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Beach and dune morphology are spatially and temporally variable, changing over a broad range of scales simultaneously. Strong wind, waves, and storm surge from Hurricane Harvey substantially eroded the beach and dunes along the Texas coast, causing significant scarps and berms. This paper presents information about how anthropogenic activity, such as driving on the beach, affected the response and recover of a barrier island with regard to the post-storm resiliency along the Texas-Gulf of Mexico coast by comparing two adjacent 7 km stretches of coast: a driving section and a limited-access section. A collection of field photos, aerial imagery, and a September 2016 LiDAR-derived digital elevation model (DEM) dataset provide information on pre-storm morphology, while field photos, taken only 3 days after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, and a structure-from-motion (SfM)-derived DEM and imagery provide qualitative and quantitative information about the post-storm morphology. While beach and dune erosion in the non-driving section was restricted entirely to the beach and incipient dune system, the driving section exhibited complex patterns of erosion and deposition along the beach and the entire foredune profile was altered. Despite the hurricane making landfall north of the study site and closer to the non-driving section, beach-dune erosion and scarping was greatest in the southern section which is accessible to public vehicles. Results demonstrate that human activity affects the response and recovery of the beach-dune system along the Gulf side of the island by decreasing alongshore variability in erosion-deposition and limiting vegetative and geomorphic recovery. Unlabelled Image • Driving on the beach affects beach-dune response to and recovery following a storm. • Non-driving areas show substantial evidence of recovery within 6 months post-storm. • Driving on the beach limits incipient foredune development and recovery. • Limiting low dune recovery can reinforce the effects of framework geology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]