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Comparison of coastal hydrodynamics in different energy regime coasts along southwest coast of India

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Abstract

Study of the complex physical processes of beach-nearshore system helps to understand the coastal processes and facilitate coastal planning and management. Since the SW coast of India has very dynamic and contrasting hydrodynamic features, the Veli–Varkala stretch of southern Kerala (SK) and Munambam–Chettuwa sector of central Kerala (CK) were selected for a comparative study of their hydrodynamics. SK is a high wave energy coast compared to CK. The contrasting wave energy regimes result from the differences in the inner shelf slope and shoreline orientation. However, just as in the case of SK, waves and wave induced littoral processes are the dominant driving forces in the coastal processes of CK too. Due to the favorable hydrodynamic and sedimentological characteristics, mudbanks set in at different locations of CK affecting the coastal processes of the locations of its occurrence. Mudbanks do not occur along the SK due to the unfavorable sedimentological features. Artificial morphologies such as seawalls, groins, harbour breakwaters have a great role for coastal processes along both the sectors. The long term shoreline change along the SK and CK can be linked to the contrasting characteristics of longshore sediment transport along the coasts.

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Acknowledgements

We express our sincere thanks to Director, NCESS for providing facilities to carry out this work. We want to extend our thanks to all the project staff who have participated in the field measurements. We thank Dr. Sanitha K Sivadas, Project Scientist-C, NCCR for her critical suggestions for improving the paper. The funding for this work was provided by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the support given by Dr. R S Kankara, Scientist-F, NCCR also greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Trivandrum, 695 011, India

    V Noujas, N P Kurian & K V Thomas

  2. National Centre for Coastal Research, Chennai, 600 100, India

    V Noujas

  3. Kerala University for Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, 682 506, India

    K V Thomas

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  1. V Noujas
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  2. N P Kurian
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Correspondence to V Noujas.

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Corresponding editor: C Gnanaseelan

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Noujas, V., Kurian, N.P. & Thomas, K.V. Comparison of coastal hydrodynamics in different energy regime coasts along southwest coast of India. J Earth Syst Sci 128, 93 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-019-1109-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-019-1109-6

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