Dinâmica sazonal de processos costeiros e estuarinos em sistema de praias arenosas e ilhas barreira no Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

This study has monitored intra-annual (seasonal) dynamics of a sandy beach, barrier islands, and tidal channels system located on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil, an area of high environmental sensitivity and under the infl uence of industrial activities such as petroleum industry. The methodological strategy consisted of generation and comparison of Coastlines (CL) and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) of quarterly monitored beaches and barrier islands, correlations between measured superficial and volumetric variations as well as the performance of dynamic coastal agents that are relief modelers (winds, waves, and currents) during the monitoring interval. The results allowed the identifi cation of the causes and consequences of intensive coastal erosion occurring on exposed beaches, analyzing the recovery of exposed beaches and accretions occurring in tidal channels and estuaries, to understand the infl uence of hydrodynamics on seasonal sediment dynamics, and check the dominant sediment transport fl ows, hydrodynamic in CL or wind on island and sandy beach surfaces. Analyzes of results of short term changes has been used as subsidy for projects to mitigate the environmental impacts, which aim at the coexistence of industrial activities and coastal ecosystems