Short term variability of reef protected beach profiles: an analysis using EOF

Abstract

Victoria beach (SW Spain) has a rocky flat at the northernmost zone. This has allowed to choose one profile and monitoring the changes induced by a single day storm. Topographic data taken during 21 days and different tendencies of the beach profile, as the accretion rate, were identified. The analysis is carried out by means of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) techniques, in order to separate the spatial from the temporal variability of the beach profile data. Among the conclusions, it should be highlighted that a swing or oscillation point of the profile was found around the intertidal zone. Furthermore, the erosion has been irreversible in a short term, and the recuperation consisted only in a modification of the slopes of the emerged part, trying to assimilate them to the ones before the storm.

Read More: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/40855%28214%292