Texas Gulf Shoreline Change Rates through 2007 Jeffrey G. Paine, Sojan Mathew, and Tiffany Caudle Bureau of Economic Geology Scott W. Tinker, Director A Report of the Coastal Coordination Jackson School of Geosciences Council Pursuant to National Oceanic The University of Texas at Austin and Atmospheric Administration Austin, Texas 78713-8924 Award No. NA09NOS4190165 Final Report Prepared for General Land Office under contract no. 10-041-000-3737. TEXAS GULF SHORELINE CHANGE RATES THROUGH 2007 by Jeffrey G. Paine, Sojan Mathew, and Tiffany Caudle Bureau of Economic Geology John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences The University of Texas at Austin University Station, Box X Austin, Texas 78713 Corresponding author
[email protected] (512) 471-1260 TBPG License No. 3776 A Report of the Coastal Coordination Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA09NOS4190165 Final Report Prepared for the General Land Office under Contract No. 10-041-000-3737. July 2011 CONTENTS Abstract . iv Introduction . 1 Relative Sea Level . 3 Tropical Cyclones . 6 Methods . .8 Sources of Shorelines . 11 Positional Verification . 13 Texas Gulf Shoreline Change through 2007 . 22 Upper Texas Coast (Sabine Pass to San Luis Pass) . 24 Brazos and Colorado Headland (San Luis Pass to Pass Cavallo) . 27 Central Texas Coast (Pass Cavallo to Packery Channel) . 29 Lower Coast (Padre Island) . 31 Conclusions . 34 Acknowledgments . 35 References . 35 FIGURES 1 . Map of the Texas coastal zone . 2 2 . Sea-level trend at Galveston Pleasure Pier, 1908 to 2011 . .6 3. Beach profile and ground GPS survey sites along the Texas Gulf shoreline .