Blue flag

Ecoeye have a 7 minute clip on Water quality and Blue Flag with focus on Fingal in North Dublin.
Another clip from the UK about the awards scheme in 2010
Rising tides, a documentary from the BBC...part 1 of Earth Report here.
An interesting clip on vimeo about rising sea levels and Waterford.

Blue Flag Criteria

1. Download criteria (click here)
2. Select visible out-of-season criteria
3. Rephrase in terms of yes/no answers

4. Print out Survey data sheet

Note that the bathing season for beaches is June, July and August. Click here for parameters

Geological history of the Copper Coast

The Copper Coast Geopark, Co. Waterford, Ireland: 460 million years of Earth history

During Ordovician time, about 460 million years ago, North West of Ireland was located on a continent called Laurentia. South East of Ireland and the Copper Coast were located near the South Pole, on the continental margin of the micro-continent called Avalonia. Between lay the Iapetus Ocean. The first rocks to form on the Copper Coast were mudstones and shales created by the erosion of the continent and deposited on the ocean floor.



Andesitic eruption at Mt Vesuivuis, Italy

Gradually, the two continents were getting closer while the Iapetus Ocean was closing. Subduction was taking place, generating volcanism both on the south east and north western part of Ireland. Molten magma was slowly moving up from the deep within the earth towards the ocean floor, puncturing into water saturated sediments. Lava spewed out across the ocean floor forming sheets of andesite.

About 455 million years ago, volcanism eased for a while allowing larvae and various types of shellfish to colonise the shallow seas around the area. Generations of shellfish lived and then died. Shells were broken and pulverized, slowly building limestone layer upon layer.

Around 450 million years ago, subduction was then reactivated and the volcanism became more acidic, thus more explosive. Huge volumes of sticky, pale grey rhyolite lava, ash and debris were generated and spread over hundreds of square kilometres of the ocean floor. Sea water and the volcanic fluids flew through the existing porous layers and “stew”. Slowly the rocks changed colour and texture and their composition changed from original grey they become variegated shades of white, orange, green, and purple.

The Copper Coast started out at the South Pole and whilst all the above was going on locally; the landmass carrying the Copper Coast had been slowly drifting north towards the Equator and the other continent Laurentia. Eventually they collided, about 400 million years ago. Under the pressure, all the sedimentary and volcanic rocks previously formed under water were slowly crumpled into folds, some shattered and broken along faults; blocks were jumbled up, displaced and brought to the surface.

During Devonian time, about 360 million years ago, the coast became a dry land virtually on the Equator. Rivers snaked their way to the sea from the distant mountains to the north. Storms gathered and broke on the mountains. Huge flash floods raced down, carrying boulders, coarse gravels, and dropped their load on the way. As the rush of water eased, thin layers of finer material (sand, silt and mud) were dropped. The water flew away into the sea and the land was baked by the sun: the desert was laid. This cycle of searing heat and flash floods built sheet upon sheet of red-brown sandstone and conglomerate.

 

 

 

 Over the next 358,000,000 years, many events happened but little was recorded in the rocks along the Copper Coast other than the buckling and tilting and upending of the desert rocks and perhaps the origin of the copper which has given its name to the coast.

Then the Ice Age arrived, about 2 million years ago. Glaciers, most born in the midlands, grinded their way out gouging out paths, crushing and pulverizing the rocks into boulders, sand and mud. Global warming occurred and the glaciers started to melt, dumping their loads of boulders, sand and mud across the land. The ice sheets and glaciers started to advance again and retreated, the cycle of pulverizing and dumping continued, thus depositing several layers of glacial till-boulder clay. Finally the ice retreated.

Today, the sea recycles most of the rocks along the coast.

Measuring Height of a Vertical Slope

Height is an important aspect of many landforms and cultural features

 

Possible uses: The height of cliffs, waterfalls, u-shaped valleys, drumlins and buildings can be measured to provide surveys of physical and cultural features

Equipment: Measuring tape, clinometer, recording sheet, pencil, graph paper,protractor, ruler

Technique – Height of a Vertical Slope Such as a Cliff

• Stand in front of the cliff and measure the angle to the top of the cliff using the clinometer
• If the angle is <45° move closer to the cliff until the angle = 45 °
• If the initial angle measured is > 45° then move away from the cliff until the angle = 45 °
• Measure the distance from where you are standing to the base of the cliff (A in the diagram)
• Record this distance on the accompanying sheet
• Measure the height of the person from eye level to the ground (B)
• Record this distance in the appropriate place on the recording sheet
• Add the two distances together

• This measurement is equal to the height of the cliff

 

 

Sketching

Equipment

Viewfinder, clipboard, record sheet with a grid on it, pencil, compass
Technique
• Observe the site and choose a viewpoint
• Identify the relevant features

• Using the compass note the direction you are facing

• Record the direction on the sketch with an arrow
•  Decide on portrait or landscape format
• Frame the scene with the viewfinder
  
• Or get a partner to hold the viewfinder up for you
• Give the partner instructions to move in or out until you have the view you want
• Identify the main lines such as the horizon, river bank etc.
• Draw these lines onto the grid
• Title and date the sketch
• Annotate the sketch
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
  
  

Measuring distance

Trundle wheel or Metre stick

Measure out 10 metres...How many paces?
Pace the distance (500 metre) on the beach and record on data sheet.

Fieldwork investigation 2012

Topics 2013

1. Investigate how geology affects the landscape in a local area 
2. A local environmental issue: beach management

Hypotheses

• That rock type affects the shape of the Waterford Coastline
• That Blue Flag beaches are well managed

Aims

• To identify the range of landforms found along the Waterford coastline
• To identify different rock types and how they influence the coastal landscape
• To quantify the amount of waste found at three coastal beaches
• To discover how coastal areas are managed

The chosen area is from Bunmahon to Cheekpoint.
The best starting point for looking at the region is Map Viewer from the Ordnance Survey here. Look at both map and orthophotos to get historical perspective. You should also check out Streetview on Google maps.

For information about Irish Blue Flag beaches look up Beach awards here
more from An Taisce who monitor the state of beaches in Ireland. Find out what are the Blue Flag criteria.

For a global perspective on Blue flag beaches check out this link.
For the County Council perspective, check out their website.

For now, the best link at the EPA is this until the Splash site is repaired. They monitor water quality.

Coastwatch Europe gives an overview of coastal management here.