Metompkin Island

Metompkin Island (sometimes pluralized, Metompkin Islands)[1] is a barrier island off the east coast of Virginia in the United States. It is located in Accomack County. Metompkin Island is highly-migratory, meaning that it is moving over time due to erosion and deposition effects.[1] Because of this movement, the island has at times been one landmass[2] and at others two larger islands with numerous small islets surrounding them.[3]

A proposed United States Navy seaplane tender, USS Metomkin (AVP-47), was to have been named for Metomkin Island, but the ship was cancelled in 1943 before construction could begin.[4] However, a U.S. Navy cargo ship, USS Metomkin (AG-136), in commission from 1947 to 1951, did carry the island's name.

  1. ^ a b Niebuhr, David H. (1993). "The Metompkin Islands: A Case Study in Ownership and Management of a Dynamic Barrier System". Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539617654 – via College of William & Mary.
  2. ^ Byrnes, Mark R.; Gingerich, Kathryn J. (1987). "Cross-island profile response to Hurricane Gloria". Coastal Sediments. 2: 1486–1502.
  3. ^ Theberge, N.B. (1992). "An inventory of state owned lands along the Atlantic coast of Accomack and Northampton Counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia, A public record prepared for state and local use". Department of Ocean and Coastal Law: 7–8 – via Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
  4. ^ "Metomkin". history.navy.mil. Naval History and Heritage Command. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.