BURIED GOLD AND GEOMORPHOLOGY

Geomorphology is the study of earth's forms- the forms of mountains, valleys, rivers, seabeds... all the forms and shapes found within our lithosphere. Geomorphology includes the study of beach formation, islands, reefs, and other coastal geoforms. Scientists have determined that there are certain cycles involved in the formation of these forms. An example is the repeated cycle of storm surge, wind-driven sand, and storm surge that creates beaches. The coastal barrier islands of the west coast of Florida were created by this process, but the process is modified by ocean currents that both deposit and remove sand from the beaches of the barrier islands. These islands appear on the instant to be stable and enduring but in reality they are dynamic structures that are balanced between a variety of powerful, natural forces that continually seek to reshape them. Some have developed cycles of growth and decay that are as regular as the seasons and the years; by charting these cycles it is possible to understand the current geomorphology of the barrier island and TO PROJECT ITS ACTUAL SHAPE AT ANY TIME IN THE HISTORIC PAST. This means that sediments can be tracked from where they are to where they were and once you know where the sediments originated you can model its total dispersion from that point over time. Thanks to the work of the no-longer extent Florida Archeological Society I know where and when gold coins- supposedly from Gasparilla's treasure- were found. So by using GIS I can combine the 'found' location of the coins with the known cyclic behavior of the islands sedimentary geology determining the most probable locations for the treasure's 'lode' and its subsequent dispersion pattern. This means instead of searching the coast of Florida I can narrow the search to an area less than one-quarter of a square kilometer (.25 k^2); a tiny area to explore. That is why I am confident that we will discover the treasure- so join me in this epic quest!