Morphological Impacts and COastal Risks induced by Extreme storm events

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Publications

Variability in storm climate along the Gulf of Cadiz: the role of large scale atmospheric forcing and implications to coastal hazards

Publication . Plomaritis, Theocharis; Benavente, Javier; Laiz, Irene; Del Río, Laura

In the context of increased coastal hazards due to variability in storminess patterns, the danger of coastal damages and/or morphological changes is related to the sum of sea level conditions, storm surge, maximum wave height and run up values. In order to better understand the physical processes that cause the variability of the above parameters a 44 years reanalysis record (HIPOCAS) was used. The HIPOCAS time-series was validated with real wave and sea-level data using linear and vector correlation methods. In the present work changes in the magnitude, duration, frequency and approach direction of the Atlantic storms over the Gulf of Cadiz (SW Iberian Peninsula) were identified by computing various storm characteristics such as maximum wave height, total energy per storm wave direction and storm duration. The obtained time-series were compared with large-scale atmospheric indices such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic pattern. The results show a good correlation between negative NAO values and increased storminess over the entire Gulf of Cadiz. Furthermore, negative NAO values were correlated with high residual sea level values. Finally, a joint probability analysis of storm and sea level analysis resulted in increased probabilities of the two events happening at the same time indicating higher vulnerability of the coast and increased coastal risks. The above results were compared with coastal inundation events that took place over the last winter seasons in the province of Cadiz.

2015-11Journal article

Open Access

Storm impacts along European coastlines. Part 1: The joint effort of the MICORE and ConHaz Projects

Publication . Ciavola, Paolo; Ferreira, Óscar; Haerens, Piet; Van Koningsveld, Mark; Armaroli, Clara; Lequeux, Quentin

The current paper discusses the topic of marine storm impact along European coastlines, presenting results from two FP7 Projects currently focusing on this topic, one working on the physical aspects of the problem (MICORE) and the other one on the socio-economic implications (ConHaz). The MICORE Project aims to provide on-line predictions of storm-related physical hazards (hydrodynamic as well as morphodynamic). The ConHaz Project addresses the socio-economic implications should these (or other) hazards actually materialize. Together these projects aim to deliver crucial information for emergency response efforts, while realizing the practical limitations for information processing and dissemination during crisis situations. The MICORE Project has developed and demonstrated on-line tools for reliable predictions of the morphological impact of marine storm events in support of civil protection mitigation strategies. The project specifically targeted the development of early warning and information systems to support short term emergency response in case of an extreme storm event. The current paper discusses in detail the outcome of an activity of databasing historical storm data. No clear changes in storminess were observed, except for some storm proxies (e.g. surges) and only at some locations (e.g. northern Adriatic, southern Baltic, etc.). The ConHaz Project undertook a desktop study of the methods normally used for evaluating the impact of marine storms and the associated coastal hazards considering direct costs, costs due to disruption of production processes, indirect costs, intangible costs, and costs of adaptation and mitigation measures. Several methods for cost estimation were reviewed. From the review it emerged that normally end-users only evaluate direct costs after the storms, while the cost of adaptation and mitigation measures is only done strategically in the context of Integrated Coastal Zone Management plans. As there is no standardized method for cost evaluations in this field, it is suggested that clear guidelines should be produced on the basis of simplicity for use by end-users. The integration between historical databases of the physical parameters of storms and detailed cost evaluation information would support the development of a knowledge background in end-users and justify the development of adaptation strategies.

2011Journal article

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Beach erosion and recovery during consecutive storms at a steep-sloping, meso-tidal beach

Publication . Vousdoukas, Michalis; Almeida, Luis Pedro; Ferreira, Óscar

This study analyses beach morphological change during six consecutive storms acting on the meso-tidal Faro Beach (south Portugal) between 15 December 2009 and 7 January 2010. Morphological change of the sub-aerial beach profile was monitored through frequent topographic surveys across 11 transects. Measurements of the surf/swash zone dimensions, nearshore bar dynamics, and wave run-up were extracted from time averaged and timestack coastal images, and wave and tidal data were obtained from offshore stations. All the information combined suggests that during consecutive storm events, the antecedent morphological state can initially be the dominant controlling factor of beach response; while the hydrodynamic forcing, and especially the tide and surge levels, become more important during the later stages of a storm period. The dataset also reveals the dynamic nature of steep-sloping beaches, since sub-aerial beach volume reductions up to 30m3/m were followed by intertidal area recovery (–2

2012Journal article

Open Access

Storm impacts along European coastlines. Part 2: lessons learned from the MICORE project

Publication . Ciavola, Paolo; Ferreira, Óscar; Haerens, Piet; Van Koningsveld, Mark; Armaroli, Clara

This paper describes the MICORE approach to quantify for nine field sites the crucial storm related physical hazards (hydrodynamic as well as morphodynamic) in support of early warning efforts and emergency response. As a first step historical storms that had a significant morphological impact on a representative number of sensitive European coastal stretches were reviewed and analysed in order to understand storm related morphological changes and how often they occur around Europe. Next, an on-line storm prediction system was set up to enable prediction of storm related hydro- and morphodynamic impacts. The system makes use of existing offthe- shelf models as well as a new open-source morphological model. To validate the models at least one year of fieldwork was done at nine pilot sites. The data was safeguarded and stored for future use in an open database that conforms to the OpenEarth protocols. To translate quantitative model results to useful information for Civil Protection agencies the Frame of Reference approach (Van Koningsveld et al., 2005, 2007) was used to derive Storm Impact Indicators (SIIs) for relevant decision makers. The acquired knowledge is expected to be directly transferred to the civil society trough partnerships with end-users at the end of the MICORE project.

2011-07Journal article

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Coastal storm risk assessment in Europe: examples from 9 study sites

Publication . Ferreira, Óscar; Ciavola, P.; Armaroli, C.; Balouin, Y.; Benavente, J.; Del Río, L.; Deserti, M.; Esteves, L. S.; Furmanczyk, K.; Haerens, P.; Matias, Ana; Perini, L.; Taborda, R.; Terefenko, P.; Trifo, E.

To assess coastal storm risks thi paper compares existing hazards, associated risks, coastal management plans, and civil protection schemes from nine European countries.

2009Journal article

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