Mapping the Lake Michigan coastline
Lake Michigan sand deposits from Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Chicago were recently mapped using the innovative helicopter time-domain electromagnetic technique, which involves a helicopter flying a six-sided antenna above the shoreline. This instrument can gather information about beach and underwater lake-bottom layers. This work is a collaboration between the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program (CMP). The goal is to improve the scientific understanding of how the coast changes in response to storms, fluctuating lake levels, and nearshore ice.