TY - JOUR
T1 - Single extreme storm sequence can offset decades of shoreline retreat projected to result from sea-level rise
AU - Harley, Mitchell D.
AU - Masselink, Gerd
AU - Ruiz, de Alegría-Arzaburu A
AU - Valiente, Nieves G.
AU - Scott, Tim
PY - 2022/5/12
Y1 - 2022/5/12
N2 - AbstractExtreme storms cause extensive beach-dune erosion and are typically considered to enhance coastal erosion due to sea-level rise. However, extreme storms can also have a positive contribution to the nearshore sediment budget by exchanging sediment between the lower and upper shoreface and/or between adjacent headlands, potentially mitigating some adverse sea-level rise impacts. Here we use three high-resolution morphological datasets of extreme storm-recovery sequences from Australia, the UK and Mexico to quantify the nearshore sediment budget and relate these episodic volume changes to long-term coastal projections. We show that sediment gains over the upper shoreface were large (59–140 m3/m) and sufficient to theoretically offset decades of projected shoreline retreat due to sea-level rise, even for a high-end greenhouse gas emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). We conclude that increased confidence in shoreline projections relies fundamentally on a robust quantitative understanding of the sediment budget, including any major short-term sediment contribution by extreme storms.
AB - AbstractExtreme storms cause extensive beach-dune erosion and are typically considered to enhance coastal erosion due to sea-level rise. However, extreme storms can also have a positive contribution to the nearshore sediment budget by exchanging sediment between the lower and upper shoreface and/or between adjacent headlands, potentially mitigating some adverse sea-level rise impacts. Here we use three high-resolution morphological datasets of extreme storm-recovery sequences from Australia, the UK and Mexico to quantify the nearshore sediment budget and relate these episodic volume changes to long-term coastal projections. We show that sediment gains over the upper shoreface were large (59–140 m3/m) and sufficient to theoretically offset decades of projected shoreline retreat due to sea-level rise, even for a high-end greenhouse gas emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). We conclude that increased confidence in shoreline projections relies fundamentally on a robust quantitative understanding of the sediment budget, including any major short-term sediment contribution by extreme storms.
UR - https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/context/bms-research/article/1751/viewcontent/1167_2_merged_1648361024.pdf
U2 - 10.1038/s43247-022-00437-2
DO - 10.1038/s43247-022-00437-2
M3 - Article
SN - 2662-4435
VL - 3
JO - Communications Earth & Environment
JF - Communications Earth & Environment
IS - 1
ER -
