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Sea level rise and impacts on nearshore sedimentation: an overview

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Abstract

Impacts on nearshore sedimentation arising from potential sea level change of the magnitude predicted in Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change scenarios associated with global warming are reviewed. For sandy duned coasts, the obvious sedimentation impacts include potential erosion of coastal dunes with implied deposition of the eroded material in the nearshore, possible deepening of embayments, and flooding of wetlands. For the sandy coasts a number of two-dimensional models are available for predicting shoreline change, but there are significant difficulties in applying Bruun-type models for dune erosion and assessment of sediment redistribution over the inner shelf, and for predicting the amount of shoreline retreat for a given rate of sea level rise. If the beach profile contains excessive sand relative to its equilibrium profile, sensu Dean (1991), then shoreline retreat may not occur upon sea level rise. From the evidence of Kiel Bay, at least in these semi-enclosed basin types, it is during major transgressions that maximum deposition in adjacent basins occurs, due to the sea eroding weakly consolidated and weathered surface regolith. But at the same time climatic patterns were re-adjusting and probably contributed to maximum deposition in adjacent shelf and basins below wave base.

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  1. Terry Healy

    Present address: Department of Coastal and Ocean Engineering, University of Florida, 336 Weil Hall, 32611, Gainsville, Florida, USA

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  1. Marine Geosciences Group, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Terry Healy

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Healy, T. Sea level rise and impacts on nearshore sedimentation: an overview. Geol Rundsch 85, 546–553 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02369009

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02369009

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