Storm erosion on a sandy beach

Abstract

The present paper describes the different behaviour of the foreshore of a sandy beach faced with stormy events. Two storms have been selected, since they present a fairly distinct wave approaching direction between them, according with wave forecast maps. For the first stormy situation waves came for west, and the effect was an accretion on the north end of the beach while an important erosion happened on the south side. With regard to the second storm in which waves came from northwest, an erosive trend was observed all along the beach. Sandy movements are quantified as net volume changes as well as by means of the erosion and accretion percentages, defined from the sedimentary variability indice.