Shoreline Erosion

Coastal erosion is the gradual retreat of the shoreline caused by high wave energy and changes in coastal circulation patterns. These processes are closely linked to seasonal variations. During seasons characterized by strong winds, larger waves are generated, altering coastal current patterns and accelerating shoreline erosion. Consequently, erosion tends to occur during specific seasons when wind-generated wave energy reaches its peak. Estimating the average amount of shoreline lost during a single season is essential for predicting future coastal conditions. Although deterministic approaches have been widely used to estimate shoreline retreat rates and sediment transport pathways, their predictive accuracy remains limited. The impacts of coastal erosion include damage to coastal infrastructure, increased sedimentation, higher water turbidity, and the loss of coastal vegetation.

Numerical modeling technology provides a robust physical and dynamic approach for analyzing coastal erosion processes, enabling accurate estimation of shoreline retreat rates and coastal morfological changes. Modeling scenarios are developed using historical and extreme seasonal wind events, making long-term wind datasets essential. Typical wind conditions are used to simulate wave generation and wave energy, while extreme wind events are used to evaluate erosion under severe conditions. Wave model outputs are subsequently integrated into coastal morphology and littoral sediment transport models to simulate shoreline evolution over time.

The modeling framework integrates Hydrodynamic Modeling to simulate coastal circulation and water levels, together with several wave modeling modules, including Shallow Water Spectral Wave, Wave Refraction–Diffraction, and Wave Analysis Tools, to evaluate wave energy characteristics. Coastal Morphology and Littoral Processes & Shoreline Dynamics modules are then applied to simulate shoreline evolution and morfological changes resulting from erosion.