Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back‐barrier in signaling island state change

Kenton R. Fisher; Ryan C. Ewing; Orencio Duran Vinent

doi:10.1002/esp.5479

journal article Oct 02, 2022

Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back‐barrier in signaling island state change

Kenton R. Fisher

Ryan C. Ewing Orencio Duran Vinent

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Vol. 48 No. 1 pp. 163-178 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/esp.5479

Abstract

AbstractLong‐term and seasonal geomorphological changes at Padre Island, Texas are identified and linked with potential external drivers. Aerial and satellite images from 1950 to 2018, monthly images from 2019 to 2020, and a 2018 LiDAR data set are used to assess long‐term and seasonal geomorphological changes within a 50 km2 area of Padre Island near Port Mansfield, Texas. Trends in landcover are evaluated by mapping and comparing the relative areal coverage of each facies. Vegetated dunes, absent initially, emerged in the fore‐island and expanded into the back‐barrier to cover 14% of the study area. The active vegetation‐free back‐barrier dune field steadily decreased in areal extent from 12% to 6% as vegetation spread. Nebkha dune coverage fluctuated between 4% and 7%. Expansive microbial mats colonized the wind tidal and deflation flats surrounding the vegetated dunes and back‐barrier dune field giving rise to a remarkably different landscape over the 50‐year period studied. An assessment of external forcing factors identifies increased rates of relative sea level rise and decreased sediment influx as the most likely primary factors driving the geomorphological changes. These changes have induced a widespread shift toward stabilization of island sediments by vegetation and microbial mats, which in turn has starved the back‐barrier of sediments resulting in low rates of accretion and increased flooding. These findings highlight the sensitivity of the back‐barrier and, in particular, the dune facies to changes in sea level and sediment supply, and show that microbial mats are effective at stabilizing island sediments and may be harbingers to barrier island response to rising sea level. As shown in this study, long‐term monitoring of geomorphic facies changes and topography can detect important shifts in the island state that can be used to inform decision making for these sensitive coastal landscapes.

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Details

Published: Oct 02, 2022
Vol/Issue: 48(1)
Pages: 163-178
License: View

Authors

K

Kenton R. Fisher

Department of Geology and Geophysics Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA; NASA Johnson Space Center Houston Texas USA

R

Ryan C. Ewing

Department of Geology and Geophysics Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA

O

Orencio Duran Vinent

Department of Ocean Engineering Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA

Funding

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Award: 80NSSC17K0763

Cite This Article

Kenton R. Fisher, Ryan C. Ewing, Orencio Duran Vinent (2022). Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back‐barrier in signaling island state change. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 48(1), 163-178. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5479

Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back‐barrier in signaling island state change

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