Steps to Complete the Exercise

An instructional video is included here to show you how to plot the data in Excel so that you make the final interpretations, but here is also a step-by-step write up of how to plot the data.

Preparing the Data for Plotting

1. Open up the the Excel file (Excel 76kB Sep7 16) that you downloaded earlier and save it locally to your desktop or relevant folder with the naming convention: yourname_IntegateIsland_BeachProfiles (e.g., mkulp_IntegateIsland_BeachProfiles).
2. Now, click on the Profile Data tab at the bottom of the page to open up the worksheet with all of the raw data.
3. On this sheet, you will see boxes containing all of the profile data for each transect across all of the survey dates.
4. For each survey date, there are the following columns:
   
   Table 3.1: Transect 1 Horizontal Distance and Elevation Change

   Date of Profile Survey	Horizontal Distance Measured (m)	Elevation Change Measured (cm)	Cumulative Distance of Transect (m)	Cumulative Change in Elevation for Transect (cm)	Back Stake Height (m)
   Feb 01, 2008	0	0			.98
   	3	60
   	3	-20
   	3	40
   	3	-16
   	3	-56

   Each pair of readings for the horizontal distance and elevation change represents the amount of horizontal distance moved, and the elevation change represents the amount of elevation change that was observed with the survey rods across this horizontal distance. Notice that the first measurements in all cases are 0,0 and that the next measurement is, thus, relative to those initial starting values of distance and elevation. The column for Back Stake Height represents the measured elevation between the top of your back survey stake to the ground; in this case, there was 0.98 distance between the top of the stake and the top of the island surface.
    
5. The next step is to calculate the cumulative changes that were observed. These values will be placed in the rows directly below cumulative distance of transect and cumulative change in elevation for transect.
6. First, put 0s in the first row below the headings Cumulative Distance of Transect and Cumulative Change in Elevation for Transect (these will be cells D4 and E4, respectively). This represents the starting point of your profile.
7. Now, you will have to determine the cumulative distance and cumulative elevation changes indicated by the first set of distance and elevation readings during the survey.
8. Next, you will need a formula for D5 that will add the value of the first horizontal offset to the starting point of 0. In Excel, this can be calculated in cell D5 using the following formula: =B5+D4
9. Hit enter, and if done correctly, the value in D5 should now be 3 because 0+3= 3
10. Now, in D6, you will be adding the value of D5 to the measured horizontal distance of cell B6. So, in D6, input the formula: = B6+D5 and the result should be 6.
11. You can continue this for the rest of the cells in the cumulative distance of transect column for the first survey date. To save time, you can simply copy the formula from cell D5 and paste it in the rest of the cells for the remaining cumulative distance of transect (be sure to stop at D34 in that column, otherwise, you will overwrite the first value of the next survey).
12. In order to determine the cumulative change in elevation for transect along the profile, you will need to enter the following formula: =E4+C5 in cell E5
13. Continue this process for all of the rows below cumulative change in elevation (be sure to stop at E34 in that columnâ€" otherwise, you will overwrite the first value of the next survey).
14. If you have done everything correctly, your cumulative columns should be populated with the following values in the first six rows.
    
    Table 3.2: Transect 1 Horizontal Distance and Elevation Change

    Date of Profile Survey	Horizontal Distance Measured (m)	Elevation Change Measured (cm)	Cumulative Distance of Transect (m)	Cumulative Change in Elevation for Transect (cm)	Back Stake Height (m)
    Feb 01, 2008	0	0	0	0	.98
    	3	60	3	60
    	3	-20	6	40
    	3	40	9	80
    	3	-16	12	64
    	3	-56	15	8

15. Now, we need to do this for the other survey dates of 09/09/2008 and 11/01/2009. Look at the table below, and you will notice that in your spreadsheet the back stake height measured on 09/09/2008 was only 0.70 m compared to the first survey date when it was 0.98. This means that between the two surveys the distance between the top of the survey stake and the island surface decreased by 0.28 m because of deposition of 28 cm (equivalent to 0.28 m) of sand.
    
    Table 3.3:

    09/09/2008 Post Hurricane Alberto	0	0	0	28	.7
    	3	2	3	30
    	5	-10	8	20
    	2.5	-6	10.5	14
    	6	-17	16.5	-3

16. This change in elevation at the starting point of the back stake needs to be accounted for by putting the following formula in cell E35: =(F4-F35)*100
17. This formula subtracts the value of the measured stake height on 09/09/2009 (0.7 m) from the value on the first survey date (0.98 m) and yields a total reduction of 0.28 m in elevation due to deposition. Notice that in the formula for E35, the value of subtraction is multiplied by 100 to convert the values of stake heights that are in meters to centimeters, which is the unit used for the measurements of elevation change made in the field with the Emery rods.
18. Now, complete the rest of the cumulative change rows for the 09/09/2008 and 11/01/2008 survey dates just as you did for the 02/01/2008 survey date.
19. If you have done everything correctly, your spreadsheet for transect 1 should look like the table below.
    
    Table 3.4:

    9/09/2008 Post Hurricane Alberto	0	0	0	28	.7
    	3	2	3	30
    	5	-10	8	20
    	2.5	-6	10.5	14
    	6	-17	16.5	-3
    	6	-10	22.5	-13
    	6	-14	28.5	-27
    	3	-7	31.5	-34
    	3	-6	34.5	-40
    	3	5	37.5	-35
    	3	7	40.5	-28
    	3	-50	43.5	-78

20. Using these steps, fill in all of the cumulative change rows for all of the profile survey dates of the three profile transects, and you are now ready to begin plotting the data.
21. One thing to keep in mind is that the first value of cumulative change in elevation for the second and third surveys of a transect is actually the difference in height between the back stake height during the first survey and the second and third surveys. This value is already placed in the spreadsheets, and all you will have to do is determine the rest of the cumulative values.