For the Instructor

These student materials complement the Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.

Visualizing the Louisiana Coast

Calculating slope (example):

Simple calculation:

If a house is located 1 km (1000 m) from the shoreline and is 1 meter above mean sea level, then the slope can be expressed as slope = rise/run = 1/1000 = .001 %

If we were to draw this on graph paper and use a scale of:
X axis: 1 square = 10 meters of horizontal distance so 100 squares = 1 km (1000m).
Y axis: 1 square = .2 meters of vertical distance (5 squares = 1 meter)
This slope can be expressed as a percentage or a decimal:
Slope = Rise/run
1/1000 = 0.001

Calculating the slope of the Louisiana Coastline at Isle de Jean Charles:

You will now use your measurements from Google Earth to plot the slope of the coast line. This will enable you to use a model to find projected storm surge levels with different storm strengths.

Use the grid on the next page to plot your distance from the -10 m point offshore to Isle de Jean Charles (your X axis. Choose a scale that fits the grid. 2 squares could represent 1 km.

On the Y axis you will plot the elevation. The lowest elevation will be -10 m and the highest is +2 m (the elevation above sea level of the levee around Isle de Jean Charles).

You will need to draw two "legs" of the slope: 1. from -10 m water depth to the shoreline (Timbalier Island), and 2. From the shoreline to Isle de Jean Charles. Your final slope will go from the -10 m depth to Isle de Jean Charles.

Use the guidelines above and below to help you complete the plot.