Beaches erosion from the cabo Mondego to Figueira da Foz (center-west of Portugal), from 1995 to 1998

Abstract

A winter storm followed by unusual wave characteristics during 1996-1998 caused intense erosion of the Cape Mondego-Figueira da Foz beaches. This coast located southwards of an important natural headland, showed widespread beach erosion in a negative sedimentary budget (sand starvation) caused by an unusual mean direction of the waves (reduction of the NW and increase of the SW). The main effect on the coastal morphology was a large erosion of the beach sand which progressively lead to the destruction of a roadway seawall built on the beach sand. Planning and management of this coast should include higher restrictions to human activities on the coast (constructions, sand mining, etc.) and rivers, but als orequest monitoring studies to understand rapid sedimentary evolutions and to improve the knowledge of the sedimentary dynamics which can optimise coastal antrophic interventions in order to avoid risks, expensive repairs and negative impacts to adjacent beaches.