The heavily developed Long Key is located in Pinellas County in west-central Florida. The structured Blind Pass at the north end of the barrier island interrupts the southward longshore sediment transport, resulting in severe and chronic beach erosion along the northern portion of the island. Frequent beach nourishments were conducted to mitigate the erosion. In this study, the performance of the most recent beach nourishment in 2010 is quantified through time-series beach profile surveys. Over the 34-month period, the nourished northern portion of the island, Upham Beach, lost up to 330 m3/m of sand, with a landward shoreline retreat of up to 100 m. The middle portion of the island gained up to 25 m3/m of sand, benefiting from the sand lost from Upham Beach. The southern portion of Long Key lost a modest amount of sediment, largely due to Tropical Storm Debby, which approached from the south in June 2012. The severe erosion along Upham Beach is induced by a large negative longshore transport gradient. The beach here has no sand bar and retreated landward persistently over the 34-month study period. In contrast the profiles in the central section of the island generally have a sand bar which moved landward and seaward in response to seasonal and storm-induced wave-energy changes. The sand volume across the entire profile in the central portion of the island is mostly conserved. Two typical example beach profiles, LK3A and R157, were selected to examine the ability of the commonly used principal component analysis (PCA), also commonly known as empirical orthogonal function analysis (EOF), to identify beach profile ix changes induced by longshore and cross-shore sediment transport gradients. For the longshore-transport driven changes at the non-barred profile LK3A, the principal eigenvector accounted for over 91% of the total variance, with a dominant broad peak in the cross-shore distribution. At the barred R157, the profile changes were caused mainly by cross-shore transport gradients with modest contribution from longshore transport gradient; eigenvalue one only accounted for less than 51% of the total variance, and eigenvalues two and three still contributed considerably to the overall variance. In order to verify the uniqueness of the PCA results from LK3A and R157, five numerical experiments were conducted, simulating changes at a barred and non-barred beach driven by longshore, cross-shore, and combined sediment transport gradients. Results from LK3A and R157 compare well with simulated beach erosion (or accretion) due to variable longshore sediment transport gradients and due to both cross-shore and longshore sediment transport gradients, respectively. Different PCA results were obtained from different profile change patterns.

There are only a few detailed measurements of the cross-shore variation in the net sediment transport and beach evolution for single or multiple swash events, and no data showing the influence of long waves and wave groups on swash zone morphology. Novel laboratory experiments and numerical modeling have been performed to study the influence of long waves and bichromatic wave groups on sediment transport and beach morphodynamics in the swash zone. Due to complex processes, difficulties in measuring, and very significant difficulties in isolating the morphodynamic processes induced by long waves and wave groups on natural beaches, a laboratory study was designed to measure in very high detail the bathymetric evolution of model sand beaches under monochromatic waves, long wave and short wave composites (free long waves), and bichromatic wave groups (forced long waves). Net sediment transport, Q(x), and beach morphology changes under the monochromatic waves were analyzed and compared to conditions with and without the free long waves, and then compared with the bichromatic wave groups. A range of wave conditions, e.g., high energy, moderate energy, and low energy waves, were used to obtain beach evolution ranging from accretionary to erosive, and including intermediate beach states. Hydrodynamics parameters, e.g., instantaneous water depths, wave amplitudes, run-up and rundown, were also measured to study and test a sediment transport model for the swash zone, based on modifying the energetic-bedload based sediment transport equations with suspended sediment. The experimental data clearly demonstrate that for the monochromatic wave conditions, beach evolution develops erosion for high steepness waves and accretion for lower steepness waves. The model beach profile evolutions are similar to natural beaches, and form and develop bars and berms over time. Adding a free long wave to the short wave in the composite wave results in changes to the overall trend of erosion/accretion of the beach profile, but the net transport pattern does not change significantly. The short wave strongly dominates beach behavior and the net transport rate, instead of the free long wave in the composite wave. The free long wave, however, carries more water and sediment onshore, leading to an increase in shoreline motion and wave run-up further landward. The long wave influences the structure and position of the swash bar/berm, which generally tends to move onshore and forms a larger swash bar/berm for higher long wave amplitudes. The free long wave also increases overall onshore sediment transport, and reduces offshore transport for erosive conditions. The long wave tends to protect the beach face and enhances onshore transport for accretive conditions, especially in the swash zone. In contrast, for bichromatic wave groups having the same mean energy flux as their corresponding monochromatic wave, the influence on sediment transports is generally offshore in both the surf and swash zone instead of onshore. The swash berm is, however, formed further landward compared with the berm of the corresponding monochromatic wave. The sediment transport patterns (erosion or accretion) generated by the bichromatic wave group or corresponding monochromatic wave are similar, but differ in magnitude. The numerical model, starting in the inner surf zone to reduce the effect of poor breaker description in the non-linear shallow water equations, can produce a good match between observed data and the modeled hydrodynamics parameters in the SZ. The sediment transport model shows the important role of suspended sediment in the swash zone. In contrast with the observed data, energetic-based bed-load models predict offshore sediment transport for most wave conditions because of negative skewness. The modified sediment transport model, with added suspended sediment terms and optimized coefficients, produces a good match between model results and observed data for each wave condition, especially for low frequency monochromatic waves. The optimized coefficient set corresponding to particular monochromatic wave conditions can be used to predict the net sediment transport quite well for some composite wave conditions. Overall, the same optimized coefficient sets can be applied to predict the correct overall trend of net transport for most composite wave conditions. However, the predicted net transport for the bichromatic wave groups does not match well with the overall net transport patterns. There is no set of single transport coefficients that can be used to predict sediment transport for all wave conditions. This suggests that the present sediment transport models cannot predict evolution correctly, even for conditions which represent only perturbation from those for which they were calibrated.

There are only a few detailed measurements of the cross-shore variation in the net sediment transport and beach evolution for single or multiple swash events, and no data showing the influence of long waves and wave groups on swash zone morphology. Novel laboratory experiments and numerical modeling have been performed to study the influence of long waves and bichromatic wave groups on sediment transport and beach morphodynamics in the swash zone. Due to complex processes, difficulties in measuring, and very significant difficulties in isolating the morphodynamic processes induced by long waves and wave groups on natural beaches, a laboratory study was designed to measure in very high detail the bathymetric evolution of model sand beaches under monochromatic waves, long wave and short wave composites (free long waves), and bichromatic wave groups (forced long waves). Net sediment transport, Q(x), and beach morphology changes under the monochromatic waves were analyzed and compared to conditions with and without the free long waves, and then compared with the bichromatic wave groups. A range of wave conditions, e.g., high energy, moderate energy, and low energy waves, were used to obtain beach evolution ranging from accretionary to erosive, and including intermediate beach states. Hydrodynamics parameters, e.g., instantaneous water depths, wave amplitudes, run-up and rundown, were also measured to study and test a sediment transport model for the swash zone, based on modifying the energetic-bedload based sediment transport equations with suspended sediment. The experimental data clearly demonstrate that for the monochromatic wave conditions, beach evolution develops erosion for high steepness waves and accretion for lower steepness waves. The model beach profile evolutions are similar to natural beaches, and form and develop bars and berms over time. Adding a free long wave to the short wave in the composite wave results in changes to the overall trend of erosion/accretion of the beach profile, but the net transport pattern does not change significantly. The short wave strongly dominates beach behavior and the net transport rate, instead of the free long wave in the composite wave. The free long wave, however, carries more water and sediment onshore, leading to an increase in shoreline motion and wave run-up further landward. The long wave influences the structure and position of the swash bar/berm, which generally tends to move onshore and forms a larger swash bar/berm for higher long wave amplitudes. The free long wave also increases overall onshore sediment transport, and reduces offshore transport for erosive conditions. The long wave tends to protect the beach face and enhances onshore transport for accretive conditions, especially in the swash zone. In contrast, for bichromatic wave groups having the same mean energy flux as their corresponding monochromatic wave, the influence on sediment transports is generally offshore in both the surf and swash zone instead of onshore. The swash berm is, however, formed further landward compared with the berm of the corresponding monochromatic wave. The sediment transport patterns (erosion or accretion) generated by the bichromatic wave group or corresponding monochromatic wave are similar, but differ in magnitude. The numerical model, starting in the inner surf zone to reduce the effect of poor breaker description in the non-linear shallow water equations, can produce a good match between observed data and the modeled hydrodynamics parameters in the SZ. The sediment transport model shows the important role of suspended sediment in the swash zone. In contrast with the observed data, energetic-based bed-load models predict offshore sediment transport for most wave conditions because of negative skewness. The modified sediment transport model, with added suspended sediment terms and optimized coefficients, produces a good match between model results and observed data for each wave condition, especially for low frequency monochromatic waves. The optimized coefficient set corresponding to particular monochromatic wave conditions can be used to predict the net sediment transport quite well for some composite wave conditions. Overall, the same optimized coefficient sets can be applied to predict the correct overall trend of net transport for most composite wave conditions. However, the predicted net transport for the bichromatic wave groups does not match well with the overall net transport patterns. There is no set of single transport coefficients that can be used to predict sediment transport for all wave conditions. This suggests that the present sediment transport models cannot predict evolution correctly, even for conditions which represent only perturbation from those for which they were calibrated.

El uso de cámaras de video para obtener información de la zona costera se ha extendido en los últimos años, debido al alcance espacial y temporal y el bajo costo del equipo. Con esto se han desarrollado técnicas para realizar mediciones en las imágenes. Estas requieren supervisión, lo que limita el número de imágenes que pueden ser analizadas. En este trabajo se desarrolló una metodología para clasificar imágenes digitales según las características morfodinámicas observadas y reducir el conjunto de imágenes a unos prototipos representativos de todo el conjunto. Esta clasificación se realiza por medio de mapas auto-organizativos. Los mapas auto organizativos son redes neuronales competitivas no supervisadas diseñadas para trabajar en espacios multidimensionales. La metodología desarrollada se aplico en dos playas; la primera, macromareal, se estudio la evolución morfodinámica según el modelo de Wright y Short 1984. En la segunda, micromareal, se estudio, la evolución de la línea de costa. / The use of video cameras to study the coastal zone has been developed in the last years, due to the spatial and temporal possibilities. A large number of techniques to obtain measurements of images were developed too. Most of these techniques require the human supervision, this limit the number of images to be analyzed. In this Thesis, a methodology to classify digital images based on the morphodynamic and reduce the number of images to a few prototypes is proposed. The classification is done by means of Sel-Organizative Maps (SOMs). The SOMs are a competitive and unsupervised neural networks, specifically designed to deal with high dimensional data The methodology proposed was applied to two beaches. In the first one, macrotidal, the morphodynamic evolution was studied using the Wright and Short Model 1984. In the last one, a microtidal beach, the coastline evolution was studied.

Cette thèse présente une étude de la dynamique des plages sableuses ouvertes dominées par la houle, au travers d’une base de données originale, couvrant une période de 29 mois, et composée de 150 levés DGPS couvrant 750m de linéaire côtier, donnant accès à la morphodynamique du site de Biscarrosse à différentes échelles de temps. Dans un premier temps, l’analyse du jeu de données à l’échelle des événements (tempêtes et successions de tempêtes appelées clusters) nous a permis de montrer que la réponse des plages sableuses aux clusters ne résulte pas de la somme des impacts induits par chaque tempête d’un cluster. Ainsi, l’effet cumulé des clusters, rapporté sur d'autres sites dans la littérature, n’est ici pas vérifié. L'impact de l’enchainement des tempêtes a également été étudié et il en résulte que lors d’un cluster, un changement des conditions hydrodynamique, à savoir, une augmentation des hauteurs de vagues et/ou du niveau d’eau, est nécessaire pour que la tempête suivante ait un impact érosif significatif sur le système. Dans un second temps, nous avons étudié la dynamique saisonnière du système plage/dune, que ce soit la saison hivernale ou estivale, dans le but de mettre en relief les principaux processus impliqués à cette échelle. Nos travaux montrent que la réponse hivernale de la plage ne dépend pas uniquement des conditions énergétiques et du profil pré-hivernal de la plage, mais également du séquençage des événements, comme lors d'un cluster. Mes travaux confirment également la nécessité de prendre en compte de nombreux paramètres dans l’étude de la dynamique hivernale des littoraux sableux : les conditions hydrodynamiques, le séquençage des évènements érosifs mais également reconstructifs, en particulier le ré-engraissement post-évènement, les transports sédimentaires cross-shore et longshore, ainsi que la position de la barre interne et des courants d’arrachements. La saison estivale est, quant-à-elle, marquée par la reconstruction de berme. Elle semble être liée à la fois aux conditions hydrodynamiques et aux caractéristiques des barres sableuses. L’étude de deux étés et deux hivers successifs a ainsi permis d’identifier les interactions entre les saisons et l’impact de la saison hivernale sur l’estivale, et l’influence de la dynamique événementielle sur la dynamique saisonnière. Elle a aussi permis de mettre en relief l’impact de l’urbanisme et des stratégies d’aménagement dans la réponse du système, à différentes échelles de temps. / This thesis presents a study of an open sandy beach wave-dominated, based on an original dataset, covering 29 months and composed by 150 DGPS surveys recorded along 750m of sandy shore, giving an access to the morphodynamic of Biscarrosse beach at different timescales. In a first time, event scale analysis showed that sandy beach response to clusters is not the result of the sum of the impact generated by each storm of a cluster on the system. Thus, the cumulated effect of clusters, described in the literature is not verified here. The storm sequencing has also been studied: during a cluster, changes in hydrodynamics conditions (rising of the water level and/or wave height) are necessary to provoke a significant erosion of the system by the second storm. In a second time, we studied the seasonal scale dynamic of the beach/dune system (winter and summer seasons) with the purpose to highlight dominant processes involved at this timescale. Beach response to winter seasons not only depends on hydrodynamic conditions and previous beach profile, but also on erosion/recovery event sequencing, post-storm recovery, cross-shore and longshore sediment transport, the barline characteristics and RIP current positions. Summer seasons are here defined by the berm reconstruction. Recovery periods are both linked to hydrodynamic conditions and barline characteristics (e.g. position and shape).The study of successive winters and summers allowed us to identify interactions between seasons, and the influence of short-scale dynamics on the seasonal one. It also emphasizes the impact of urbanism and coastal management strategies on the system’s response, at different timescales.

Beaches and coastal environments are dynamic, constantly shaped and reshaped by natural processes and anthropogenic modifications. The morphodynamics and influence of natural and anthropogenic factors of two different coasts at various temporal and spatial scales are discussed. To quantify the performance of several beach nourishment projects at annual temporal and kilometer spatial scales on three adjacent microtidal low-wave energy barrier islands in west-central Florida, a total of 5,200 beach and nearshore-profiles spaced at 300 m were surveyed monthly to bi-monthly from 2006-2010. Beach nourishment performance is most significantly influenced by the interruption of longshore sediment transport by complex tidal-inlet processes. More specifically, the tidal-inlet processes influencing adjacent beach nourishment performance includes longshore transport interruption resulting from divergence induced by wave refraction over an ebb-tidal shoal, flood-tidal currents along the beach, and total littoral blockage by structured inlets. A morphologic indicator of a large longshore transport gradient within the study area is the absence of a nearshore sandbar. These non-barred beaches are characterized by persistent shoreline erosion and were almost exclusively located in areas with a large longshore transport gradient. The more typical beach state along the three barrier islands was one exhibiting a migratory bar and relatively stable shoreline. The presence of a sandbar indicates the dominance of cross-shore processes, with onshore migration during calm wave conditions and offshore migration during energetic wave conditions. The onshore and offshore migration of the sandbar is closely related to non-stormy summer and stormy winter seasonal beach changes, respectively. The morphodynamics of a mixed sand and gravel beach in Delaware were investigated based on 740 beach profiles surveyed almost monthly from 2009 to 2011, 60 sediment cores, and 550 surface sediment samples collected at various alongshore and cross-shore transects. Inter-seasonal temporal scales of storm-induced beach changes and post-storm recovery were examined based on a hurricane, a typical energetic winter storm, and an extremely energetic storm resulting from the rare collision of a hurricane and winter storm ("Nor'Ida") occurring within a 3-month period in 2009. The mixed sand and gravel beaches in Delaware are characterized by monotonically increasing water depths lacking a sandbar under all wave conditions. A distinctive beach cycle was identified consisting of a built-up berm profile and depleted nearly-planar storm profile, with a time-scale related to the frequency and intensity of storm impact and duration of intra-storm recovery instead of simple seasonality. The sedimentological characteristics of the storm deposit associated with Nor'Ida demonstrated substantial cross-shore variation ranging from sandy-gravel and gravelly-sand within the storm swash zone (near the pre-storm dune edge) to well-sorted medium to coarse sand seaward of the storm swash zone, suggesting that storm deposits along mixed beaches demonstrate a variety of sedimentological characteristics. A new dynamic beach cycle model is proposed for the non-barred mixed sand and gravel beach with temporal variability controlled by storm occurrence and inter-storm duration.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-02-24T19:48:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FlavoESS.pdf: 7200814 bytes, checksum: 50030d58571208fd3287ef1805413e5f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-04-07 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / The estuaries are important investigation zones of the actual morphodynamic and of depositional facies of recent geological history. They are constituted in important receptor means of the coastal area sediments, where the evolutionary processes occur quickly. They are also attractive means for the development of anthropic activities, which in a disordered way interfere in the active processes in the sedimentary balance of the coastal areas. Among the human interventions, the alterations of the depositional environment of mangroves in areas of tropical estuary is deserving relevance, whose implications for the environment estuarine and the coastal adjacent, they are still far to be known. Due to the interest of the sedimentologic component in the comprehension of the processes linked to the evolution of the environments estuarine and coastal adjacent, this work, aimed at the understanding of the morphodynamic coastal phenomena that comprise the region of estuarine influence of the River Curimata? / RN. It was also evaluated in the morphodynamic context the implications due to alterations of the depositional environment of mangrove by anthropic activity. The Curimata? Estuary, located in the south portion of the oriental coast of Rio Grande do Norte, in the last decades has been objective of the overwhelming occupation of the shrimp farm in areas of mangroves, which were implanted with perspectives of development in a short to medium period. On the other hand, the estuary and its region of coastal influence lacks enough information to subsidize the planning and reorganization more effective of the surrounding activities. Thus, it was intended with this work to give a contribution target tothe maintainable use of the coastal resources of this region. A series of studies using data of orbital and acoustic remote sensing, as of sediments sampling, were executed in the gutter of the estuary. The obtained results starting from the interpretation of bathymetric maps, echo sounder graphics and of distribution of sediments made possible the location of the estuary based in morpho-sedimentar criteria. The estuarine tidal flat was dissected in environments of intertidal mangroves, supratidal mangroves and apicuns with base in the integration of data of sensor optic and of radar following by the field control. The adjacent coast that is influenced by the Curimata? estuary, was segmented according to their geomorphologic characteristics, where each segment had a point of observation of the beach morphodynamic, during the period from january/2001 to february/2002. Once every month, beaches profiles, collections of sediments in the beach zones, as measurement of hydrodynamic parameters were executed. The results of the observations of the tidal environment showed that the area of estuarine influence of the Curimata? begins to suffer negative sedimentary taxes, where in some beaches, the erosive processes are already observed. The granulometric characteristics of the beach sediments start to tend for the increase of thin sand in the erosive periods. The destruction of the depositional environments of mangroves of the Curimata? estuary, to the construction of shrimp farms, can be providing the diminution of the tidal prism of the estuary, enlarging the effects of the local increasing of the sea level, through the smaller supplying of sediments to the adjacent coast. Besides this, it was verified the possibility of the sanding of the tidal channel in the margins of the destroyed areas of mangroves, where very high taxes of sedimentation of thin materials were estimated in case of these areas were preserve / Os estu?rios s?o importantes zonas de investiga??o da morfodin?mica atual e de f?cies deposicionais de hist?ria geol?gica recente. Constituem-se em importantes meios receptores de sedimentos da zona costeira, onde os processos evolutivos ocorrem rapidamente. Por sua vez s?o tamb?m meios atrativos para o desenvolvimento de atividades antr?picas, que de forma desordenada interferem nos processos atuantes no balan?o sedimentar das ?reas costeiras. Dentre as interven??es humanas, as altera??es do ambiente deposicional de manguezal em ?reas estuarinas tropicais, vem merecendo destaque, cujas implica??es para o ambiente estuarino e o costeiro adjacente, ainda est?o distantes de serem conhecidas. Devido o interesse da componente sedimentol?gica na compreens?o dos processos associados ? evolu??o dos ambientes estuarinos e costeiros adjacentes, este trabalho objetivou a compreens?o dos fen?menos morfodin?micos costeiros que envolvem a regi?o de influ?ncia estuarina do Rio Curumata?/RN. Tamb?m foi avaliada no contexto morfodin?mico as implica??es decorrentes das altera??es do ambiente deposicional de manguezal pela atividade antr?pica. O estu?rio Curimata?, localizado na por??o sul do litoral oriental do Rio Grande do Norte, nas ?ltimas d?cadas tem sido alvo da ocupa??o avassaladora da carcinicultura em ?reas em ?reas de manguezais, as quais foram implantadas com perspectivas de desenvolvimento a curto e m?dio prazo. Por sua vez, o estu?rio em pauta como a sua regi?o de influ?ncia costeira carecem de informa??es suficientes para subsidiar o planejamento e reordenamento mais eficazes das atividades de seu entorno. Assim, pretendeu-se com este trabalho dar uma contribui??o voltada ao uso sustent?vel dos recursos costeiros dessa regi?o. Uma s?rie de levantamentos utilizando dados de sensoriamento remoto orbitale ac?stico, como de amostragem de sedimentos, foram realizados na calha do estu?rio. Os resultados obtidos a partir da interpreta??o de mapas batim?tricos, sonogr?ficos e de distribui??o de sedimentos possibilitam a setoriza??o do estu?rio com base em crit?rios morfossedimentares. A plan?cie de mar? estuarina foi dissecada em ambientes de manguezais de intermar?, manguezais de supramar? e apicuns com base na integra??o de dados de sensores ?pticos e de radar seguidos do controle de campo. A costa adjacente que ? influenciada pelo estu?rio Curimata?, foi segmentada de acordo com suas caracter?sticas geomorfol?gicas, onde cada segmento teve um ponto de observa??o da morfodin?mica praial, durante o per?odo de janeiro/2001 a fevereiro/2002. Uma vez a cada m?s foram realizados perfis praiais, coletas de sedimentos nas zonas de praia, como medi??o de par?metros hidrodin?micos. Os resultados das observa??es do ambiente praial evidenciaram que a ?rea de influ?ncia estuarina do Curimata? passa a sofrer taxas de sedimenta??o negativas, onde em algumas praias j? s?o os processos erosivos. As caracteriza??es granulom?tricas dos sedimentos praiais passam a atender para o aumento de areias finas nos per?odos erosivos. A destrui??o dos ambientes deposicionais de manguezais do estu?rio Curimata? para constru??o de fazendas de camar?o, podem estar proporcionando a diminui??o do prisma de mar? do estu?rio ampliando os efeitos do aumento do n?vel do mar local, atrav?s do menor suprimento de sedimentos para a costa adjacente. Al?m disso, verificou-se a possibilidae do assoreamento do canal de mar? na margem das ?reas de manguezais destru?das, onde alt?ssimas taxas de sedimenta??o de materiais finos foram estimadas caso estas ?reas fossem preservadas

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-13T17:08:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GuilhermeCSP.pdf: 3646062 bytes, checksum: b5b07bc8d98389d97c55817c87e38a55 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-01-25 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / The research area is located on the county of Tibau do Sul, in the east coast of Rio Grande do Norte State, about 80km south of the capital Natal. The tourism represents the main income activity and Pipa beach is the most visited beach in the city, annually receives a large influx of domestic and foreign tourists. Some recent studies have reported the occurrence of coastal erosion in this littoral, being the main objective of the research, analyze the existing coastal erosion, through two methodologies, the geoenvironmental mapping and beach morphodynamics. The geoenvironmental mapping was done from oblique aerial photographs and field visits, which sought to carry out first the geomorphological mapping, with the purpose of analyzing features that suggest susceptible areas to erosion, as areas without protection of natural dunes, marine terraces, or sandstones (beach-rocks and ferruginous sandstones), areas with the presence of gullies and stretches where the sea-cliffs were in direct contact with the action of the sea, representing the beginning of the beach profile. In the morphodynamic study sought to carry out the survey of the physical and morphological characteristics, the analysis of sediment grain of the beaches and finally the analysis of the morphodynamic parameters to generate a table of risk to erosion by sector of the beach. The morphodynamic parameters were defined by the methodology proposed by Short (2006), in which considers different patterns of dynamism on beaches with characteristics favorable and unfavorable to erosive profiles. The maps indicated different levels of risk to the segments of the beaches analyzed, suggesting risk to erosion low and low to moderate only in areas north and northwest of the beaches of Madeiro and Curral, and levels of moderate and high risk sectors in the south and southeast of these beaches . The beach of Pipa showed moderate levels of risk and moderate to high at the ends and high risk to erosion in the central portion. The study of the coastal environment, its morphological evolution, and areas with problems of erosion, are of fundamental importance to assist coastal management policies, giving grants for planning activities undertaken in these regions / A ?rea da pesquisa localiza-se no munic?pio de Tibau do Sul, situado na costa leste do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, cerca de 80 km a sul da capital Natal. O turismo representa a principal atividade geradora de renda e a praia de Pipa, a mais conhecida do munic?pio, recebe anualmente um grande fluxo de turistas nacionais e estrangeiros. Alguns estudos recentes relatam a ocorr?ncia de eros?o costeira em pontos desta regi?o litor?nea, sendo o objetivo principal da pesquisa, analisar a eros?o costeira existente, atrav?s de duas metodologias, o mapeamento geoambiental e a morfodin?mica praial. O mapeamento geoambiental foi realizado a partir de fotografias a?reas obl?quas e visitas a campo, onde buscou-se realizar primeiramente o mapeamento geomorfol?gico, com o objetivo de analisar fei??es que sugerem ?reas suscept?veis ? eros?o, como zonas sem prote??o natural de dunas, terra?os marinhos, ou arenitos (de praia e ferruginosos), ?reas com presen?a de ravinamentos e trechos onde as fal?sias encontravam-se vivas, ou seja, representando o in?cio do perfil praial, em contato direto com a a??o do mar. No estudo morfodin?mico buscou-se realizar o levantamento das caracter?sticas f?sicas e morfol?gicas, a an?lise granulom?trica dos sedimentos das praias e por fim a an?lise dos par?metros morfodin?micos para gerar uma tabela de risco ? eros?o por setor praial. Os par?metros morfodin?micos foram definidos atrav?s da metodologia proposta por Short (2006), em que considera diferentes padr?es de dinamismo em praias com caracter?sticas favor?veis e desfavor?veis a perfis erosivos. Os mapas indicaram diferentes n?veis de risco para os segmentos das praias analisadas, sugerindo risco ? eros?o baixo e baixo a moderado apenas nos setores norte e noroeste das praias do Madeiro e Curral, e n?veis de risco moderado a alto nos setores sul e sudeste destas praias. A praia de Pipa apresentou n?veis de risco moderado e moderado a alto nas extremidades e alto risco ? eros?o na por??o central. O estudo do ambiente costeiro, de sua evolu??o morfol?gica, e de ?reas com problemas de eros?o ? de fundamental import?ncia para auxiliar pol?ticas de gerenciamento costeiro, dando subs?dios para o planejamento das atividades desenvolvidas nestas regi?es

Although the physical characteristics of surfing breaks are well described in the literature, there is little specific research on surfing and coastal management. Such research is required because coastal engineering has had significant impacts to surfing breaks, both positive and negative. Strategic planning and environmental impact assessment methods, a central tenet of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), are recommended by this thesis to maximise surfing amenities. The research reported here identifies key oceanographic considerations required for ICZM around surfing breaks including: surfing wave parameters; surfing break components; relationship between surfer skill, surfing manoeuvre type and wave parameters; wind effects on waves; currents; geomorphic surfing break categorisation; beach-state and morphology; and offshore wave transformations. Key coastal activities that can have impacts to surfing breaks are identified. Environmental data types to consider during coastal studies around surfing breaks are presented and geographic information systems (GIS) are used to manage and interpret such information. To monitor surfing breaks, a shallow water multibeam echo sounding system was utilised and a RTK GPS water level correction and hydrographic GIS methodology developed. Including surfing in coastal management requires coastal engineering solutions that incorporate surfing. As an example, the efficacy of the artificial surfing reef (ASR) at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, was evaluated. GIS, multibeam echo soundings, oceanographic measurements, photography, and wave modelling were all applied to monitor sea floor morphology around the reef. Results showed that the beach-state has more cellular circulation since the reef was installed, and a groin effect on the offshore bar was caused by the structure within the monitoring period, trapping sediment updrift and eroding sediment downdrift. No identifiable shoreline salient was observed. Landward of the reef, a scour hole ~3 times the surface area of the reef has formed. The current literature on ASRs has primarily focused on reef shape and its role in creating surfing waves. However, this study suggests that impacts to the offshore bar, beach-state, scour hole and surf zone hydrodynamics should all be included in future surfing reef designs. More real world reef studies, including ongoing monitoring of existing surfing reefs are required to validate theoretical concepts in the published literature.