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Coastal Mapping

Coastal Mapping

New Brunswick has 5,500 km of coastal shoreline, ranging in type from salt marshes and rolling sand dunes to steep, rocky cliffs. The coastal zone consists of three subzones: the nearshore area is the lowermost part and is usually submerged and less exposed to wave action; the shore area subjected to the wave action of cyclical tides with the lower foreshore experiencing the daily rise and fall of normal tides and with the backshore experiencing storm surges and seasonally high tides; the coast is the area above the line of highest tide and is affected by sea spray and occasionally during extreme storm surges. The effects of coastal erosion can be seen province-wide in seaside communities, infrastructures, parks, and wildlife habitats.


Objective

The Geological Surveys Branch (GSB) maintains a small but important Coastal Studies Program. The program’s key objective is to map and monitor erosion along the New Brunswick coast.

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Activities

The GSB regularly collects information from aerial photographs and shoreline surveys to produce a coastal erosion database. Both Government and the private sector consult the database when implementing such activities as dune restoration, beach nourishment, municipal land use planning, and federal port dredging.

The branch also played a lead role in developing the Coastal Areas Protection Policy for New Brunswick. Among other features, the policy designates a 30-m building setback along coastal beaches, dunes, and marshes to protect their ecological integrity.

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Current Projects

Each year the Geological Surveys Branch initiates geoscientific field projects to serve as a basis for mineral and petroleum exploration and for land-use planning in New Brunswick. Field projects are conducted under our Bedrock Mapping, Surficial Mapping, Metallic Mineral Deposits, Industrial Minerals, Hydrocarbon Resources, Geochemistry and Coastal Mapping programs.

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Maps

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Presentations

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Related Publications

The following is a list of some metallic mineral resource publications. Further information can be accessed from the geoscience publications page:

  • Bérubé, D. et Thibault, J.J. 1996. Géomorphologie littorale du détroit de Northumberland, sud-est du Nouveau-Brunswick. Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de l’Énergie du Nouveau-Brunswick, Division des ressources minières et de l’énergie. Rapport géoscientifique 96-1, 86 p.
  • Bérubé, D. and Thibault, J.J. 1998. Coastal Geomorphology of Northumberland Strait, southeast New Brunswick. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources and Energy, Minerals and Energy Division. Geoscience Report 96-2, 86 p.
  • Daigle, R.J. (éditeur). 2006. Impacts de l'élévation du niveau de la mer et du changement climatique sur la zone côtière du sud-est du Nouveau-Brunswick: Rapport de projet. Environment Canada, Dartmouth, Nouvelle-Écosse, Canada, ISBN 0-662-43947-3, Cat. no.: En84-45/2006E, EPSM-753, (aussi sur CD-ROM), 609 pp + annexes. (voir chapitre 4.5 : Érosion des côtes ; O'Carroll, S., Bérubé, D., Forbes, D.L., Hanson, A.L., Jolicoeur, S. et Fréchette, A.; p. 342-423).
  • Daigle, R.J. (editor) 2006. Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change on the Coastal Zone of Southeastern New Brunswick: Project Report. Environment Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, ISBN 0-662-43947-3, Cat. no.: En84-45/2006E, EPSM-753, (also on CD-ROM), 609 pp + annexes. (see chapter 4.5 : Coastal Erosion ; O'Carroll, S., Bérubé, D., Forbes, D.L., Hanson, A.L., Jolicoeur, S. and Fréchette, A.; p. 324-401).
  • Hunter, G.T. (Airphoto Analysis Associates Consultants Limited) 1975. Beach Resources, Eastern New Brunswick. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, Mineral Resources Branch. Miscellaneous Report, 215 p.
  • Hunter, G.T. (Hunter and Associates) 1982. Fundy Coastal Zone Study. New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, Mineral Resources Branch. Miscellaneous Report, 290 p.
  • IPCC. 2007: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 996 p.
  • IPCC 2007: Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 976 p.

For additional information, please contact dominique.berube@gnb.ca

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