Modelling climate change effects in southern Brazil

Along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, differences on coastal configuration are generally accompanied by changes in substrate slope, where steeper gradients characterize coastal projections and gentle gradients the coastal embayments. This study focus on coastal response to cli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of coastal research 2013-01, Vol.2 (65), p.1933-1933
Main Author: de Figueiredo, Salette Amaral
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brazil
Climate change
Climate effects
Coastal
Coasts
Computer simulation
Environmental impact
Lighthouses
Mathematical models
Projection
Recession
Shorelines
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Summary:Along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, differences on coastal configuration are generally accompanied by changes in substrate slope, where steeper gradients characterize coastal projections and gentle gradients the coastal embayments. This study focus on coastal response to climate change effects at two sectors along RS coast: Cassino embayment and Conceicao lighthouse projection. The former has been under very high rates of progradation, on the order of at least 3 m/yr at geological and historical time scales. Whereas Conceicao region has been undergoing rates of recession reaching -3.6 m/yr. In order to forecast coastal response to the effects of climate change at these sites over several time horizons, model simulations using the Dilating Random Shoreface Translation Model were performed. Simulation results have demonstrated that Cassino sector is particularly vulnerable to such effects, and therefore presents extremely high recession distances. Despite the historical erosion trend at Conceicao lighthouse region it presented lower recession rates in comparison to Cassino sector.
ISSN:0749-0208
1551-5036