Evolution of the Beaches in the Regional Park of Salinas and Arenales of San Pedro del Pinatar (Southeast of Spain) (1899–2019)

Daniel Ibarra-Marinas,Francisco Belmonte-Serrato,Gustavo Ballesteros-Pelegrín,Ramón García-Marín

doi:10.3390/ijgi10040200

Daniel Ibarra-Marinas, Francisco Belmonte-Serrato + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi10040200

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Abstract

Coastal erosion is anissuewhich affects beaches all over the world and that signifies enormous economic and environmental losses. Classed as a slow phenomenon, the evolution of the coastline requires long-term analysis. In this study, old cartography and aerial photographs from various dates have been used to study the evolution of the coastline. The information has been processed with free software (QGIS) and for the calculation of sediment transport the Coastal Modeling System (SMC) software. The results show the accretion/erosion phenomena that occurred after the construction of the port in San Pedro del Pinatarin 1954 and which changed the coastal dynamics of a highly protected area. In some sectors, the beach has been reduced almost in its entirety, with retreat rates of up to −2.05 m per year and a total area loss of 66,419.81 m2 in Las Salinas beach and 76,891.13 m2 on Barraca Quemada beach.

Highlights

The coastline is a highly dynamic area with constant movement of sediments that alter the morphological features of the coast and in which continuous changes take place in various spatial and temporal areas [1,2,3]
One of the most sensitive alterations is that caused by coastal erosion, which constitutes one of the greatest threats to coastlines worldwide [4] and which is currently being aggravated by mean sea level rise caused by climate change [5,6,7]
The sand would be distributed from north to south with volumes of 1,096,030 m3 /year according to the Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) model, and 238,270 m3 /year based on the Kamphuis model

Summary

Introduction

The coastline is a highly dynamic area with constant movement of sediments that alter the morphological features of the coast and in which continuous changes take place in various spatial and temporal areas [1,2,3]. The causes of coastal erosion have their origin both in natural processes and in anthropogenic activities that influence coastal dynamics [9], especially if they intervene over a long period of time It is common for changes in the coastline to result from a combination of factors [10], such as rising sea levels, winds and storms, extraction of submerged sands for beach regeneration, and hydrological regulation of hydrographic basins. Changes in land use in small coastal watersheds (coastal watercourses in the case of the Mediterranean) and their occupation limit the sedimentary transport and lead to the erosion of beaches fed by these variable hydrological systems [11,12,13] Coastal construction, such as promenades, but especially coastal structures that interfere with coastal transport, such as dikes and outer ports, constitute one of the most common causes and have the greatest impact on beach erosion [14]. The enormous effect that coastal construction has on the coast [15] requires a more integrated and sustainable planning of ports and structural defenses through instruments such as Integrated Coastal

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