September 30, 2005 == MEDIA ADVISORY
On Wednesday, October 5, Calvin senior Rob Vink will share the results of his summer research on a venerable Michigan sand dune with the people who know it best.
That day, Vink, an environmental geology major, will release his findings about Mt. Pisgah, a popular Holland tourist attraction, at the monthly meeting (4*6 p.m.) of the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission. Vink will follow that presentation with a public talk on the same subject at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Holland's Herrick District Library.
Of his summer job Vink says simply: "A coastal dune makes for an incredible office."
Mt. Pisgah, a large parabolic sand dune (a dune blown into a crescent shape by the wind) is located adjacent to Holland State Park, at 1.5 million visitors the most frequented state park in Michigan. In recent years, however, the dune's popularity has raised concerns about erosion.
"Local residents have been saying that the dune is not as high as it used to be because of all the people visiting it," says Deanna van Dijk, the Calvin professor of geology, geography and environmental studies who directed Vink's research. "This summer, Ottawa County gave me a $5,000 grant to study the current status and historical activity of the dune, with a focus on human impacts."
Vink's research work validates those concerns.
He found, among other things, that Mt. Pisgah, commonly reported to be 185 feet tall is actually significantly shorter than that. Vink also found that the dune has lost its characteristic pointed shape and settled into a saddle formation. These changes in the dune are only partly attributable to wind erosion.
"Natural movement of wind-blown sand has been accelerated by the presence of humans," Vink says.
For the complete story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/pisgah.htm
Contact Vink at drv3@calvin.edu or 616-301-2125
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Received on Fri Sep 30 20:00:10 2005
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