Modeling erosion and accretion along the Illinois Lake Michigan shore

Sediment distribution at the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline is constantly changing in response to increased human activities and complex natural coastal processes associated with wave action, short and long term fluctuations in lake level, and the influence of coastal ice. Understanding changes in distribution and thickness of sand along the shore is essential for modeling shoreline changes and predicting changes due to extreme weather events. Here we use coupled geophysical and geologic methods to provide high resolution and spatial rich data, required for modeling the extent of erosion and accretion at this dynamic coastal system. The results provide information on existence of littoral sand deposits and identify coastal hazards such as lakebed down-cutting that occurs in sand-starved areas.