East Beach ~ Barrier Beach

Physical Characteristics

Geography
Where is East Beach located?

Geology
What is a barrier beach and why is its important?
Where did all that sand come from anyway?
Do glaciers leave anything behind?
How did the retreat of the glaciers and the development of terminal moraines create the barrier beach and salt pond?
What is a beach?
What are berms?
What are some additional parts of the beach?
What is sand?
How is sand classified?
Why are there layers of different colors and sizes of sand when you dig beneath the surface of the beach?
How does sand become sorted?
How is the color of the barrier beach determined?
How is sand transported?
How does the beach change over time?
What are dunes?
What is a breachway?
What is the Charlestown Breachway?

Biology
What keeps the sand on the dunes from blowing away?
How does plant life vary in the dunes?
Do many species of animals make the beach their home?
Are there any unique threats to wildlife on the beach?
Does anything live in the strand (wrack) line?
Did you find any cool stuff in the strand line?
Barrier Beach Biota

Chemistry
Where does the salt in seawater come from?

Barrier Beach Table of Contents
Physical Characteristics ~ History
Land Use ~ Maps ~ Classroom Activities
Resources & References