Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/32766
Appears in Collections:Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Extreme erosion on high-energy embayed beaches: Influence of megarips and storm grouping
Author(s): Loureiro, Carlos
Ferreira, Óscar
Cooper, J Andrew G
Contact Email: carlos.loureiro@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: Embayed beaches
Megarips
Storm groups
Beach morphology
Wave modelling
Portugal
Issue Date: 15-Feb-2012
Date Deposited: 17-Sep-2019
Citation: Loureiro C, Ferreira Ó & Cooper JAG (2012) Extreme erosion on high-energy embayed beaches: Influence of megarips and storm grouping. Geomorphology, 139-140, pp. 155-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.10.013
Abstract: Megarips have long been recognised as an important, yet poorly documented, mechanism of beach erosion on high-energy embayed beaches. The persistence and cumulative effect of megarips during storm groups, are described from three embayed beaches (Arrifana, Mt. Clérigo and Amoreira) exposed to high-energy wave conditions in the mesotidal, bedrock-dominated southwestern coast of Portugal. Morphological changes, determined by topographic monitoring and supplemented by interpretation of digital imagery over two years, revealed the development of storm-induced megarips, which exerted a major influence on beach erosion. Differences in megarip influence within and between beaches are related to embayment geometry and orientation,which significantly influence the nearshore wave field. Rip location is topographically controlled, being determined by alongshore variations in breaking wave height and obliquity, along with interaction of wave-driven circulation patterns and embayment nearshore topography. Moderate beach sand loss during individual storms was linked to the development of megarips with associated rip-neck and feeder channels. Extreme erosion, however, occurred when megarips and feeder channels persisted during successive storms, promoting continued erosion and seaward sediment export. Observations show that once initiated, megarip channels persist for several months and continue to act as conduits for offshore sediment transport under non-storm conditions. The maintenance of such rip circulation systems, driven by morphodynamic feedback, reduces beach recovery ability until the rip-neck and feeder channels are infilled.
DOI Link: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.10.013
Rights: [Loureiro_etal_2012a_PostPrintAuthorVersion.pdf] This post-print author’s version of the manuscript is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 InternationalLicense
[Loureiro_etal_2012a_PublishedVersion.pdf] The publisher does not allow this work to be made publicly available in this Repository. Please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study.
Licence URL(s): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
Loureiro_etal_2012a_PostPrintAuthorVersion.pdfFulltext - Accepted Version4.98 MBAdobe PDFView/Open
Loureiro_etal_2012a_PublishedVersion.pdfFulltext - Published Version5.98 MBAdobe PDFUnder Permanent Embargo    Request a copy



This item is protected by original copyright



A file in this item is licensed under a Creative Commons License Creative Commons

Items in the Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

The metadata of the records in the Repository are available under the CC0 public domain dedication: No Rights Reserved https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

If you believe that any material held in STORRE infringes copyright, please contact library@stir.ac.uk providing details and we will remove the Work from public display in STORRE and investigate your claim.