Recent shifts in coastline change and shoreline stabilization linked to storm climate change

Abstract

Since cuspate coastlines are especially sensitive to changes in wave climate, they serve as potential indicators of initial responses to changing wave conditions. Previous work demonstrates that Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout, North Carolina, which are largely unaffected by shoreline stabilization efforts, have become increasingly asymmetric over the past 30 years, consistent with model predictions for coastline response to increases in Atlantic Ocean summer wave heights and resulting changes in the distribution of wave-approach angles. Historic and recent shoreline change observations for Cape Fear, North Carolina, and model simulations of coastline response to an increasingly asymmetric wave climate in the presence of beach nourishment, produce comparable differences in shoreline change rates in response to changes in wave climate. Results suggest that the effect of beach nourishment is to compensate for -and therefore to mask -natural responses to wave climate change that might otherwise be discernible in patterns of shoreline change alone. Therefore, this case study suggests that the effects of wave climate change on human-modified coastlines may be detectable in the spatial and temporal patterns of shoreline stabilization activities. Similar analyses of cuspate features in areas where the change in wave climate is less pronounced (i.e. Fishing Point, Maryland/Virginia) and where local geology appears to exert control on coastline shape (i.e. Cape Canaveral, Florida), suggest that changes in shoreline configuration that may be arising from shifting wave climate are currently limited to sandy wave-dominated coastlines where the change in wave climate has been most pronounced. However, if hurricane-generated wave heights continue to increase, large-scale shifts in patterns of erosion and accretion will likely extend beyond sensitive cuspate features as the larger-scale coastline shape comes into equilibrium with changing wave conditions.

Sensitivity of Storm-Induced Hazards in a Highly Curvilinear Coastline to Changing Storm Directions. The Tordera Delta Case (NW Mediterranean)

“…These changes in wave direction may have significant implications for coastal sediment transport and coastal stability, as has been confirmed for the interannual changes influenced by El Niño (e.g., Barnard et al [60]). Moreover, regarding cuspate coastlines such as the study area, their greater sensitivity, due to their curvature, results in even more significant implications (e.g., Slott et al [24]; Johnson et al [25]).…”

Evolution of reclamation sustainable development in Zhuhai city based on triangle model

“…More foreign literature study on reclamation from the impact of environmental, land because of reclamation and study on coastline. In many research on coastline we find the coastline changes will have an impact to the marine climate [5] .From the view point of sustainable development, coastline changes lead to coastal ecosystem more vulnerable. Studying on reclamation, we find much serious metal pollution caused by reclamation, thus reclamation has much more serious impact on land and soil, even lead to red tide [6,7] .Study on reclamation about economy, ecology, society is less, that is why our article focus more on it.…”

Grain‐size distributions and coastal morphodynamics along the southern Maryland and Virginia barrier islands

“…Recent observations, aerial photographic imagery and engineering studies suggest that narrowing of the Chincoteague Inlet and storms have played a role in this sediment bypassing process (King et al, 2011). In particular, the growth of the distal end of the spit complex and wave refraction of northeast storm waves around it may serve as the primary mechanisms for controlling the morphodynamics along this reach (King et al, 2011;Johnson et al, 2014).…”