Hard Stabilization leads to increased wave energy and erosion leading to a loss of beach in front of the barrier.
PHYSICAL WORLD ESCI 243 - NICHOLS COLLEGE ONLINE COURSE
Professor Mauri S. Pelto, 508-213-2168 peltoms@nichols.edu
Beach Management
To be in equilibrium a beach must have dunes, be able to migrate inland by wave overwash, have no abrupt slope changes and have no interruptions in longshore transport. Beaches lacking dunes, having abrupt slopes changes, barriers or development preventing longshore transport or wave overwash are not in equilibrium.
Hard Stabilization leads to increased wave energy and erosion leading to a loss of beach in front of the barrier. |
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| Note the difference in beach width between the hardened (left) and soft beach (right) | Note the impact of the barrier on beach width and water depth in the center of the image. The barrier protects the back beach but destroys the beach. |
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