Abstract
We indentify the presence of an intertidal finger bar system in the swell-protected beaches of El Puntal Spit (Bay of Santander, Spain). The Horus video monitoring system allows us to perform a 2 year survey (June 2008- June 2010). We found that the bar system persists during the survey period with a wavelength of about 25 m and an oblique orientation with respect to the shore. Moreover, the analysis of the position of a particular bar (Bar 10) shows a movement characterized by a net migration to the west and a faster oscillation to the east or the west. Preliminary climate data analysis and morphological model results show that tide seems to be a forcing in the motion of the bars but also wind and waves generated by the wind probably affects the bar dynamics.
Highlights
The Bay of Santander is located in the northern coast of Spain (Gulf of Biscay)
The objective of this study is twofold: (1) characterizing the shape and the dynamics of these tidal finger bars with the help of the Horus video monitoring system and (2) analyzing the different forcings that could act on the bar dynamics by using climate data and a numerical tool based on self-organization
We performed the survey of the intertidal finger bars of the Bay of Santander during 2 years (June 2008 - June 2010) by using the Horus video monitoring system
Summary
The Bay of Santander is located in the northern coast of Spain (Gulf of Biscay). It is one of the largest inlets in the Cantabrian Coast. It is bounded northward by the city of Santander and by El Puntal spit (Figure 1). The objective of this study is twofold: (1) characterizing the shape and the dynamics of these tidal finger bars with the help of the Horus video monitoring system and (2) analyzing the different forcings that could act on the bar dynamics by using climate data and a numerical tool (process based model) based on self-organization.
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