The effects of a bypass dunefield on the stability of a headland bay beach: A case study

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents a case study on the modelling of a headland bay beach influenced by sediment input from migrating coastal dunes. The study area is the region around the town of Ingleses on Santa Catarina Island, Santa Catarina state, South-Eastern Brazil. Ingleses has been threatened by nature at two different fronts. At the north-eastern side of the town lies Ingleses Beach, a headland bay beach which seems to be subject to persistent erosion in recent years. On the south-western side the town is threatened by a migrating dunefield, which is encroaching onto houses and infrastructure, but which has not reached the beach in the past 70 years. A second dunefield in the area does not pose a direct threat to the town, but passes it on the eastern side and forms an important influence on the development of the beach. The sediment influx rate from this dunefield to the beach is 10,000 m3/year. To investigate the effect of the dunefields on the morphodynamic system, a numerical model has been created using the software packages SWAN and UNIBEST and the static equilibrium bay shape was determined by the software package MEPBAY. The result of the long-term scenario as predicted by UNIBEST agrees rather well with the static equilibrium bay shape found with MEPBAY. This provides sounds basis for the credibility of both models. Consequently, the predicted evolutional trend of the shoreline seems plausible.