Vulnerabilidade costeira a eventos de alta energia no Litoral de Fortaleza, Ceará

Abstract

The coast of Fortaleza is seasonally impacted by storm surge that induce rapid changes in the beach morphology and causes the destruction of the built heritage at behind of them, this could be observed in the study area, where the waves overtopping through the wall at neighboring urban structure and reach the main avenue. So, it is necessary to monitor high frequency natural processes that induce changes in the beach environment and cause damage in urban structures. This study analyzed the coastal vulnerability in relation to morphosedimentary changes and overtopping events that occurred in the Praia dos Diários (Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil). The method of analysis consists in defining a transect of approximately 100 m wide and 85 m long, where the beach profiles were distributed with the same distance of 10 m, a total of 11 profiles monitored. Waves (Hs, Tp, direction), tide (amplitude) and wind (speed and direction) were evaluated. These variables are important for calculating the maximum range of the storm surge waves (run-up) as well as the determination of the Dean parameter and the relative variation of the tide (RTR) that were used to describe the morphodynamics of the beach. Associated with these procedures also sediment samples were collected at different hydrodynamic situations. For the purpose of analysis results of five field experiments conducted in a period of low energy and high energy were used. In conditions of low energy, the beach had greater sediment resulting in the development of the berm and increasing the slope of shore face by the direct action of the sea waves. In high-energy waves swell acted smoothing of praial morphology. The sediment dynamics in Praia dos Diários showed no significant changes over the periods of high and low energy. This fact is associated with low availability of coarse sand that is held offshore. The overtopping caused damage to coastal infrastructure and configured to form a washed plain, increasing the vulnerability of the area to flood. Scientific knowledge of the impacts of storm surges and its associated processes proved as an important tool for management of coastal urban tourist.