Methodology for Improving the Analysis, Interpretation, and Geo-Visualisation of Erosion Rates in Coastal Beaches—Andalusia, Southern Spain

Abstract

Erosion is one of the major issues currently facing coastal areas. Some consequences of this process are beach loss and higher flood risk, which will likely be exacerbated given ongoing sea-level rise. With this in mind, those responsible for conservation and management decisions need appropriate tools with which to identify critical coastal areas, as well as to analyse, interpret, and visualise them with the appropriate geomorphological and environmental background. The aim of this work was to present a methodology for improving the analysis and interpretation of coastal erosion rates, as well as to guarantee wide access and dissemination of erosion data. To that end, an approach for the production, management, and dissemination of shoreline erosion data for the Andalusian coast in Southern Spain was developed. This approach enables the analysis and interpretation of the erosion rates in coasts by linking erosion rates with geomorphological and thematic information using a data model. Additionally, this methodology was proven to be a valid and appropriate tool for the design of a web-based viewer, being the best way to represent the erosion rates obtained every 50 m of shore for the entire Andalusian coast, being an exposed coastal front 917 km long. This is particularly useful for integrated coastal zone management schemes, enabling quick and easy access to valuable information.

A machine-learning hybrid-classification method for stratification of multidecadal beach dynamics

“…Further, choosing the correct shoreline proxy to monitor shoreline evolution (erosion/deposition) depends on the goal of the study at hand. In this case, the proxy used is the contact between the backshore and dune (foredune, infrastructure or cliff), as it has been proved to be a robust proxy for medium-to long-term studies and, therefore, the most used proxy in the bibliography (Moore 2000, Del R ıo and Gracia 2013, Prieto et al 2018) (Figure 2).…”

“…The digitisation process was supplemented by relevant thematic data related to each segment of the coastline in line with a previously defined data model. This data model, which was based on an entity-relationship model, was used by the regional Administration to manage coastal areas and has been presented in several articles (Fernandez-Nunez et al 2015, Prieto et al 2018).…”

Aproximaciones a la capacidad de acogida de las playas como recurso turístico en tiempos de la COVID-19: el caso de la costa atlántica andaluza

“…En este proceso se han definido los mismos criterios desarrollados para la línea de costa multipropósito de Andalucía (Fernandez-Nuñez et al, 2015). De este modo, la fotointerpretación y digitalización han sido realizadas a escala detallada 1:2500 por un solo fotointérprete, caracterizando cada segmento de línea de costa con información temática asociada (Prieto-Campos et al, 2018).…”

“…Por su parte, Vejer de la Frontera (3,7 %) dispone de un limitado frente costero. En el caso de Chipiona (5,2 %), su pequeña superficie responde a la escasa anchura media de sus playas, la mayoría de ellas afectadas por una dinámica costera muy erosiva (Del Río et al, 2019;Prieto-Campos et al, 2018).…”

Alongshore Variability in the Response of a Mixed Sand and Gravel Beach to Bimodal Wave Direction

“…Understanding how beaches change in space and time and how they respond to driving forces is crucial for coastal planning and risk management [1][2][3]. Alongshore variability in beach morphology and response to storms occurs due to variations in hydrodynamic forcing and local characteristics, including beach type and local geology [4,5].…”