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["/! .J j r t..; b CUJ '" ~-=+ "3 3 ~ THE COASTLINE OF EASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND N.R. Catto, D.A. Scruton, and L.M.N. Ollerhead Department of Geography Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's NL A1A 1A2 Issuing establishment: Science, Oceans and Environment Branch Department of Fisheries and Oceans P.O. Box 5667 St.John's NL Canada A1C5X1 2003 Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 2495 Fisheries Peches 1+1 and Oceans et Oceans Canada Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Technical reports contain scientific and technical information that contributes to existing knowledge but which is not normally appropriate for primary literature. Technical reports are directed primarily toward a worldwide audience and have an international distribution. No restriction is placed on subject matter and the series reflects the broad interests and policies of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, namely. fisheries and aquatic sciences. Technical reports may be cited as full publications. The correct citation appears above the abstract of each report. Each report is abstracted in Aquatic Scien ces and Fisheries Abstracts and indexed in the Department's annual index to scientific and technical publications. Numbers 1-456 in this series were issued as Technical Reports of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Numbers 457-714 were issued as Department of the Environment. Fisheries and Marine Service, Research and Development Directorate Technical Reports. Numbers 715-924 were issued as Department of Fisheries and the Environment. Fisheries and Marine Service Technical Reports. The current series name was changed with report number 925. Technical reports are produced regionally but are numbered nationally. Requests for individual reports will befilled by the issuing establis hment listed on the front cover and title page. Out-of-stock reports will be supplied for a fee by commercial agents. Rapport technique canadien des sciences halieutiques et aquatiques Les rapports techniques contiennent des renseignements scientifiques et techni ques qui constituent une contribution aux connaissances actuelles, mais qui ne sont pas normalement appropries pour la publication dans un journal scientifique. Les rapports techniques sont destines essentiellement a un public international et ils sont distribues acet echelon. II n'y a aucune restriction quant au sujet; de fait, la serie reflete la vaste gamme des interets et des politiques du rninistere des Peches et des Oceans, c'est-a-dire les sciences halieutiques et aquatiques. Les rapports techniques peuvent etre cites comme des publications completes. Le tit re exact parait au-dessus du resume de chaque rapport. Les rapports techniques sont resumes dans la revue Resumes des sciences aquatiques et halieutiques, et ils sont classes dans l'index annual des publications scientifiques et techniques du Ministere. Les nurneros 1a456 de cette serie ont ete publies atitre de rapports techniques de l'Office des recherches sur les pecheries du Canada. Les nurneros 457 a714 sont parus a titre de rapports techniques de la Direction generate de la recherche et du developpe ment, Service des peches et de la mer, rninistere de l'Environnement. Les nurneros 7 J5 a 924 ont ete publies atitre de rapports techniques du Service des peches et de la mer, rninistere des Peches et de J'Environnement. Le nom actuel de la serie a ete etabli lors de la parution du nurnero 925. Les rapports techniques sont produits a l'echelon regional, mais nurnerotes a l'echelon national. Les demandes de rapports seront satisfaites par l'etablissement auteur dont Ie nom figure sur la couverture et la page du titre. Les rapports epuises seront fournis contre retribution par des agents commerciaux. Canadian Technical Report of .. Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2495 ... 2003 The Coastline of Eastern Newfoundland by N.R. Carto! D. A. Scruton' and L.M.N. Ollerhead2 !Department of Geography Memorial University ofNewfoundland .. St. John's NL AlA lA2 2Science, Oceans and Environment Branch Department ofFisheries and Oceans P.O. Box 5667 St. John's NL AlC 5Xl • ii .. • ©Minister of Supply and Services Canada 2003 Cat. No. Fs 97-6/2495E ISSN 0706-6457 Correct citation for this publication: Catto, N. R., Scruton, D. A., and Ollerhead, L.M.N. 2003. The Coastline of Eastern Newfoundland. Can. Tech. Rept. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2495: vii + 241 p. • III Table of Contents Page Abstract v 1. Introduction 1 2. Climate, Oceanology, and Biota 3 2.1 Climate 3 2.1.1 Northeast Coast and Central Uplands 5 2.1.2 South Coast and Avalon 7 2.2 Climate Change 12 2.2.1 Little Climatic Optimum 13 2.2.2 Neoglacial 14 2.2.3 Recent Changes 15 2.3 Ocean Currents 18 2.4 Tides 20 2.5 Waves and Wave Climate 20 2.6 Terrestrial Vegetation 23 2.7 Terrestrial Fauna 24 2.8 Biological Shoreline Units 25 3. Physiography, Bedrock, and Structural Geology 28 3.1 Physiography 28 3.1 Regional Geology and Structural Geomorphology 28 3.1.1 Central Zone 29 3.1.2 Avalon (Eastern) Zone: Hermitage Bay-Fortune Bay 33 3.1.4 Avalon (Eastern) Zone: West Trinity Bay-Bonavista Peninsula .42 3.1.5 Avalon (Eastern) Zone: Northwestern Placentia Bay-Burin Peninsula .43 4. Quaternary History and Sediments 47 4.1 Glacial Chronology 47 4.2 Glacial and Glaciofluvial Sediments 55 4.3 Sea Level Flu ctuations 56 5. Prev ious Work 61 6. Classification Systems 62 7. Geomorphic Classification Scheme 64 8. Coastal Classification Zones 82 8.1 Class 1 -- Wide Rock Platform , 82 8.2 Class 2 -- Narrow Rock Platform 85 8.3 Class 3 -- Rock Cliff. 91 . 8.4 Class 4 -- Gravel Beach on Wide Rock Platform 94 8.5 Class 5 -- Gravel Beach on Narrow Rock Platform : 96 8.6 Class 6 -- Gravel Beach with Rock Cliff. 99 8.7 Class 7 -- Sand & Gravel Beach on Wide Rock Platform 105 8.8 Class 8 -- Sand & Gravel Beach on Narrow Rock Platform 105 8.9 Class 9 -- Sand & Gravel Beach with Rock Cliff. 107 8.10 Class 10 -- Sand Beach on Wide Rock Platform 110 8.11 Class 11 -- Sand Beach on Narrow Rock Platform 112 iv 8.12 Class 12 -- Sand Beach with Rock Cliff 114 8.13 Class 13 -- Wide Gravel Flat 116 8.14 Class 14 -- Narrow Gravel Flat 123 .. 8.15 Class 15 -- Steep Gravel Beach 127 8.15.1 High Energy Class 15 Shorelines 128 8.15.2 Moderate Energy Steep Gravel Beaches 133 ,. 8.15.3 Low Energy Steep Gravel Beaches 137 8.16 Class 16 -- Wide Gravel & Sand Flat 141 8.17 Class 17 -- Narrow Sand & Gravel Flat.. 146 8.18 Class 18 -- Steep Gravel & Sand Beach 147 8.19 Class 19 -- Wide Sand Flat 153 8.20 Class 20- Narrow Sand Flat 157 8.21 Class 21-- Steep Sand Beach 157 8.22 Class 22 -- Mudflat 158 8.23 Class 23 -- Estuary and Fringing Lagoonal 159 8.24 Class 24 -- Bouldery Tidal Flat 161 9. Coastal Erosion and Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise 162 10. Pollution and Litter 187 10.1 Petroleum 187 10.2 Beach Litter 190 10.3 Additional Forms ofPollution ~ 195 11. Aquaculture and Fisheries Issues 197 12. Anthropogenic Impact 202 13. Human Perceptions and Aesthetic-Socioecological Assessment. ; 203 14. Conclusion 209 15. References ~ 211 v Abstract Catto, N. R., Scruton, D. A., and Ollerhead, L.M.N. 2003. The Coastline ofEastern • Newfoundland. Can. Tech. Rept. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2495: vii + 241 p. • The coastline of eastern Newfoundland, including the Coast of Bays, Fortune Bay, Placentia Bay, St. Mary's Bay, Southern Shore, Conception Bay, and Trinity Bay shorelines, has influenced all previous human occupants of the region, and will continue to do so. The population concentrated in the northeast Avalon Peninsula, along southern Conception Bay, and in other areas of eastern Newfoundland places particular stress on these segments ofthe coast. Prevailing winds from the southwest have a substantial influence on wave climate. Hurricanes and their associated precipitation are major elements shaping embayments along the South Coast, Burin Peninsula, Placentia Bay, and St. Mary's Bay, particularly those embayments open to the southwest. Northeast winds, particularly those associated with autumn storms, have a strong geomorphic influence along Conception Bay and Trinity Bay. Yearly variations in hurricane frequency and strength, in the occurrence and impact of northeast winds, and in the extent ofseasonal ice cover, playa major role in shaping coastal morphology. Tidal regimes are generally microtidal and semidiumal, although meso tidal conditions exist at the heads of some embayments. The wave climate is driven by the prevalent wind systems and storm activity. The embayed nature of the coast results in reflecti ve, moderate-to high energy, wave-dominated shorelines in the majority of embayments. Sea level along the entire coastline of eastern Newfoundland is currently rising, at a rate between 2 mmla and 6 mmla. Limited evidence suggests that the rate of sea level rise has accelerated within the past 300 years, but additional confmning data is required. Rising sea level is one factor inducing coastal erosion, but anthropogenic activity and interruptions to sediment flux also are important locally. Successful management of the coastline must consider coastal erosion. Repetitive observations between July 1989 and April 2001 have allowed detailed geomorphic mapping of the coastline. The geomorphic classification scheme considers sediment texture, coastal morphology (width and slope), and the nature of the substrate. Local circumstances, including aspect, sediment type and flux, offshore bathymetry and onshore physiography, energy levels, and anthropogenic influences combine to produce numerous distinctive coastal geomorphic assemblages. In addition, the coastline has been classified and mapped in terms of the vulnerability to coastal erosion of individual segments. The sensistivity ofthe shoreline to petroleum pollution has also been assessed and mapped.