Abstract
Sandy beaches occur in a wide variety of environmental settings and as components of a diverse range of coastal system types. These variations among beaches lead to significant differences in their mesoscale (multi-decadal, km length scale) behaviour, including their response to sea-level rise. In addition to this natural variability, the degree to which the sandy beach system has been or will be modified by humans is a major influence on how it responds to sea-level change. From a spectrum of beach types based on the degree of human modification, three situations (Natural, Modified and Artificial beaches) are considered in order to demonstrate the role of humans as geomorphic agents as sandy beaches respond to rising sea level. The potential trajectories of change are assessed, and future scenarios are presented and discussed. Natural beaches are most likely to survive sea-level rise, while the fate of artificial beaches depends almost entirely on the politics and economics of what lies immediately landward. In all categories of beach, human decision-making is the most important determinant of sandy beach response to sea-level rise.
Highlights
Sandy beaches take a wide variety of geomorphic forms and exhibit various morphological behaviours according to their environmental setting (Carter, 1989; Woodroffe, 2002; Davis and FitzGerald, 2009)
The prospect of a general landward migration of beaches as a result of sea-level rise is only partly appreciated by decision-makers and beach nourishment has been widely regarded as an “easy solution”
Sea level rise does not pose a threat to most natural beaches
Summary
Sandy beaches take a wide variety of geomorphic forms and exhibit various morphological behaviours according to their environmental setting (Carter, 1989; Woodroffe, 2002; Davis and FitzGerald, 2009). Empirical data show that their instantaneous and seasonal variation in morphology reflects the interaction between sediment texture and the associated wave and tidal regime (Jackson and Short, 2020) but at longer-terms (decades to centuries) and larger spatial scales (> 1 km alongshore distance) beach behaviour is strongly influenced by aspects of the geological framework and geomorphological system in which they occur (Cooper and Pilkey, 2004; Anthony, 2013; Cooper et al, 2018). Free from human interference, most natural beaches are likely to adjust and survive sea-level rise by migrating landward as part of an evolving coastal sedimentary system (Cooper et al, 2020). Response of sandy beaches to sea-level rise equilibrium with the ambient conditions dictated by geological framework, sediment supply and coastal dynamics. Natural coastal systems will survive, these evolving systems may involve changes in coastal character, including local extinction of beaches in areas of steep topography (e.g. Peterson et al, 2021) and coastal progradation in areas of abundant sediment supply (e.g. Goy et al, 2003)
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