Modelagem Numérica do Potencial Hidrodinâmico e do Transporte de Sedimentos na Praia do Cassino e no Entorno dos Molhes da Barra de Rio Grande (RS), Utilizando o Modelo SMC

Abstract

Recent advances in the study of sediment hydrodynamics in coastal regions make it possible to investigate the mechanisms that determine the sediment transport, and also the rates that rule this transport. However, quantitative analysis in this kind of study involves considerable uncertainties, because the phenomena involved in sediment transport in coastal environments present complex patterns, both as regards hydrodynamics and in sediment dynamics. Thus, the use of numerical models that describe/simulate the morphological evolution of the coastal environment based on the study of sediment transport at the site is an alternative that presents a high potential to evaluate sediment dynamics in complex environments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dynamics of sediment transport at Cassino Beach in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For this purpose, the Coastal Modeling System (CMS) was used. It is a numerical tool developed by the Grupo de Ingenieria Oceânica y de Costas (GIOC), at Universidad de Cantabria, Spain. The results obtained in the study show that the numerical model applied is appropriate for the study area and that thus it allows understanding the sand transport pattern using wave scenarios corresponding to the summer/spring and autumn/winter periods