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THE WORLDS'S COASTS: ONLINE - Puerto Rico
East Coast
Morphologically, the east coast differs from the west coast in that it is less indented and has broader headlands. Large rocky headlands of plutonic and volcanic rock are located between broad alluvial plains. Beach systems are at the base of a cliff in some areas forming small pocket beaches. Extensive alluvial plains are related to the major river systems at Naguabo, Humacao and Yabucoa.From Quebrada Honda to Guayanes, pocket beaches and a few relatively long stretches of wide beach composed of quartz and feldspar, with some carbonate and igneous rock material fill in between plutonic rock shorelines. Guayanes beach north of Yabucoa Harbor is especially rich in magnetite.
There is a continuous beach plain from the Palmas del Mar marina at Punta Fraile to Morro de Humacao. The composition is dominantly calcium carbonate. There is erosion at Punta Candelero and for a short distance north. The Morillo beach is quartz with some igneous rock fragments and dark minerals vutrom here northward, the beach sands are dominantly terrigenous origin.
There is a narrow, fine-grained beach at Playa de Fajardo which receives its sand from the Rio Fajardo. The beach is interrupted in several places by riprap, but erosion does not appear to be severe. Bahia Las Cabezas and Las Croabas beaches are narrow carbonate beaches lying behind a fringing reef which supplies most of the beach material. There are igneous rock fragments in the Las Croabas beach, derived from local sources.
The east coast of Puerto Rico is characterized by short period waves (3-5 seconds) approaching from the east and northeast. High amplitude waves occurred during storm events and the coast was exposed to the direct path of major tropical storm systems. The coast is bordered by a broad carbonate platform with many natural barriers such as coral reefs. A well developed cay system is present from Fajardo to Vieques Island. These act as natural barriers that protect the shore from wave impact.
58. Yabacoa harbor is cut into a broad river valley. The small beach to the north is especially rich in magnetite.
59. The Palmas del Mar resort occupies a narrow alluvial plain between rocky outcrops at Punta Fraile and Morro del Humacao.
60. Punta Candelario is an eroding sand point that is part of the coastal plain.
61. The Humacao River discharges just north of the rock point of Morro de Humacao. From here northward to Naguabo, there is a broader coastal plain that extends inward at river valleys.
62. The public beach at Humacao is a broad quartz and biogenic sand beach.
63. At Humacao, riprap protects structures built at the beach.
64. The coastal plain in the Río Blanco valley is a series of beach ridges near the shoreline. The beach has been replaced with rock riprap to protect the highway from erosion.
65. Playa Naguabo is on a narrow plain in front of extrusive volcanic hills
66. The naval base, Roosevelt Roads is on a coastal plain with mangrove shorelines
67. At Ceiba, low valleys lined with mangrove lie between rock outcrops
68. The Fajardo coastal plain areas are narrow and also lie between rocky shoreline volcanics.
69. Small coral cays in this area are utilized for development, Isleta (small island) marina and condo complex fills this cay, but other cays are in a relativly natural state and are used for recreation.
70. The shoreline of Cabo San Juan (north of Fajardo) is rock (volcanic). The Conquistador hotel is built on the plateau of this outcrop.
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