Variabilidade da morfodinâmica da Praia do Icaraí - Ce, utilizando modelagem numérica idealizada

Abstract

Beach morphodynamic is the result of interaction between fluids dynamic and beach morphology, involving the transport of sediments. The understanding of that is important to determine active factors in shoreline and its possible changes to the system. Coastal erosion is a process where entry rate of sediment is lower than exit rate, causing coastline retreat toward the continent. Coastal erosion defense structures are widely used to restore the dynamic balance of the environment. To these success, is indispensable to develop studies that analyze hydrodynamic and morphological characteristics of study site. In this study, a numerical modeling was used as a tool to analyze active agents at Icaraí Beach - Ceara with the goal of understanding morphodynamic and its modifications after breakwaters constructions on the coastline. For this purpose, six scenarios were developed involving agents such as wind, tidal, sea and swell wave. Thus, it was possible to evaluate the changes of water depth, hsing wave height, current velocity, orbital velocity near bottom, directional spreading and beach morphology – erosion and sedimentation. Results showed that factors like wind and tidal alone and together are not able to modify beach morphology, featuring wave factor as the main agent in erosive processes of Icaraí Beach. In addition, simulations showed the efficiency of breakwaters implantation to content erosion and sedimentation processes around these breakwaters.