Abstract:
To upgrade the response capability to coastal flood events, hazard predictions need to be improved through
integrating the effect of the coastal morphological variability in the nearshore-foreshore-backshore
hydromorphological processes induced by waves-tide-wind-atmospheric pressure. In order to evaluate the short-term
morphological response of different coastal typologies to potential flood conditions (spring high tide level, storm
surge, high wave height), field data acquired in 2019 in three sites in the West coast of Portugal with past flooding
episodes are presented and discussed. The preliminary results point out that under the same forcing conditions the
short-term response of the cross-shore beach profile that controls the flooding levels is dependent on the beach
typology, namely: the nature of the lower and upper limits of the beach face, profile gradient and its alongshore
context. This knowledge can be used to develop robust and validated flood prediction tools contributing to improve
mitigation and adaptation management strategies.