Evolution of the coast line and associated impacts in coastal Ceará State, Northeast, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACTHigh-energy events are increasingly frequent in Northeast Brazil. Of these we mention undertow between December and April, causing several impacts on coastal areas. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to establish the evolution of the Aquiraz city's coast line in the period 1958 to 2014 and from 2009 to 2014 to identify erosion and silting trends, the natural and anthropogenic tensioners associated with these procedures. In the methodology, the maximum flood line was chosen as an indicator of advance or retreat of shoreline, identified in QuickBird and Landsat satellite images and aerial photographs. The program DSAS was applied to evolution of the coastline in the last 56 years. It was found that the coast is in progressive erosive phase. Between 1958 - 2014, Japan's AEPR from -0.07 to -1.29 m / year and Porto das Dunas from -0.29 to -2.61 m / year. The reflection of this human action coincides with the period of greatest retreat of the coastline throughout the area. The frontal dunes are arranged discontinuously, are absent in some places due to the occupation of tents and fixed constructions. Thus this coastal line study was an essential tool to deepen regarding the local dynamics in order to suggest further mitigation measures by generating new data considering the occupation advancement and climate and oceanographic changes.