Inlet dynamics
Bruun and Gerritsen (1960); Bruun (1966); O'Brien (1931); Mayor-Mora
(1973); Johnson (1972); Jarrett (1976); included the Humboldt Bay Entrance in
their data sets in developing criteria for inlet stability. The work by Bruun
(1966); Bruun and Gerritsen (1960); O'Brien (1931); and Mayor-Mora (1973)
were general studies that were not site specific, but are of interest. The latter two
authors, however, considered Humboldt Bay specifically because of its location
and configuration.
There is some information about the inlet morphology as described in a few
studies of shoreline change near the inlet. The survey report of 1950 and Noble
(1971) analyze shoreline change in the vicinity of the entrance provide insight
about the behavior of the inlet. Moffatt and Nichol Engineers (1991) provided
some updated information on shoreline changes, but did not address the inlet or
bar morphology. In 1969, ERDC conducted a Humboldt Bay jetty repair study
and model of the entrance.
In the late 1970s, Costa and Stork (1984) conducted a study of the entrance
problems of Humboldt Bay, which resulted in additional studies of the adjacent
beaches and the physical oceanography of the bay described in the following
discussions. The Buhne Point design study conducted at ERDC's Waterways
Experiment Station provides some insight about the propagation of waves
through the inlet. A limited number of numerical modeling studies have been
conducted (Evans 1994; West Consultants 1999), but did not address the inlet
dynamics.
Table 5 lists studies that relate to inlet dynamics no other such specific
studies or more recent work have been located.
Table 5
Studies on Inlet Dynamics
Date
Study
Author
Survey Report Humboldt Bay California:
1950
Appendix I, "Shoreline Changes"
San Francisco District (1950)
"Shoreline Changes Humboldt Bay,
1971
California"
Noble (1971)
"Tidal Inlets on the California, Oregon, and
1972
Washington Coasts"
Johnson (1972)
1976
"Tidal Prism-Inlet Area Relationships"
Jarrett (1976)
"Buhne Point, Humboldt Bay, CA Design for
1984
the Prevention of Shoreline Erosion"
Bottin and Earickson (1984)
Physical oceanography
The physical oceanography of Humboldt Bay has been in part described by a
variety of investigators, typically as focused studies by HSU students in the
course of Master's degree theses or senior projects. These include those
conducted by Garcia (1985); Cooper and Fredrick (1985); Beittel (1975); Gast
and Skeesick (1964); and Casebeir and Tamil (1973). More comprehensive
descriptions were compiled by Costa (1982a), based on other studies and a
15
Chapter 3 Chronologies of Inlet Development
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