Coastal flooding process: comparing different coastal typologies response to extreme hydrodynamic conditions

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.