2004 Norman J Field Lecture in Science

"ARE AMERICA'S BEACHES ALL WASHED UP?"

Dr. Nicholas Coch
Queens College


Friday, 29 October 2004
7:30 pm
Performing Arts Center Auditorium
Monmouth Regional High School (click here for directions)
1 Norman J Field Way
Tinton Falls, NJ
Refreshments and informal discussion will follow the lecture
Free and Open to the Public


America's shorelines are in trouble! The maintenance of beaches depends on an unrestricted supply of sediment moving along the shoreline. Construction of structures such as jetties and sea walls that might "solve" local problems can result in greater erosion elsewhere along the coast. Recent research suggests that the intensity of hurricanes and other storms will increase in the next decade. Sea level continues to rise at a rate of about a foot each century. Along the gently-sloping coast south of New York, a one foot rise in sea level will result in a landward displacement of the shoreline of 300-500 feet! Dr. Coch will discuss the issues related to coastal erosion, with specific reference to the beaches of New Jersey.

Dr. Coch is Professor of Geology in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY). He received his Ph.D. in 1965 from Yale University. Dr. Coch has co-authored two college geology textbooks and is the author of "Geohazards" (Prentice Hall). His research studies since 1967 have included planetary studies as well as analyses of coastal and estuarine problems on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. He was Principal Investigator in NASA's Lunar Sample Study Program and conducted studies of Lunar sedimentation based on cores taken by Apollo astronauts.

The Norman J Field Lectures in Science were established in 1991 in memory of Dr. Norman J Field, and are cosponsored by the Monmouth County Section of the American Chemical Society, the Monmouth Junior Science Symposium, the Friends of the Monmouth County Library Association, the Monmouth County School Boards Association, and by the Rutgers University Chapter of Sigma Xi, an international scientific research society. Dr. Field was widely recognized for his contributions in the area of public education. He maintained a lifelong personal and professional interest in scientific issues. It is hoped that this lecture series will serve to promote similar interest in science and science education among both younger and older members of the community.

For additional information please contact:
Ken Field
ken@kenfield.org

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