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

摘要: 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 of sub-aerial profile was monitored through frequent topographic surveys across 11 transects. Measurements surf/swash zone dimensions, nearshore bar dynamics, wave run-up were extracted from time averaged timestack coastal images, tidal data obtained offshore stations. All information combined suggests that storm events, antecedent state can initially be dominant controlling factor response; while hydrodynamic forcing, especially tide surge levels, become more important later stages a period. The dataset also reveals dynamic nature steep-sloping beaches, since volume reductions up to 30 m3/m followed by intertidal area recovery (–2 < z < 3 m) with rates reaching ~10 m3/m. However, observed cumulative dune erosion pivoting imply storms, even regular intensity, have dramatic impact when they occur in groups. Nearshore bars seemed respond temporal scales related sequences than individual events. formation prominent crescentic at ~200 m shoreline appeared reverse previous migration trend inner bar, which gradually shifted close seaward swash boundary. partially understood processes critical for attenuation surf zone; considered mainly responsible poor interpretation behaviour grounds standard, non-dimensional, parameters. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.