Authors / CoAuthors
Gravois, U. | Baldock, T. | Callaghan, D. | Davies, G. | Jiang, W.
Abstract
Winds, waves and tides associated with storms are capable of causing severe damage to property and infrastructure on the coast. Natural disasters of this type are often attributed to misfortune, however this view falsely implies an inability to reduce exposure to the risks of these hazards through well informed mitigation efforts (e.g. sand bypassing, beach nourishment, coastal structures and planned retreat). Locations that are prone to severe erosion first require an accurate assessment of risk before deciding the most cost effective mitigation option. This research aims to produce probabilistic assessments of the coastal erosion and resultant inundation risks associated with natural hazards, particularly for coincident or clustered storm events, thereby helping to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities. Coastal erosion and resultant inundation risk is assessed in this research by simulations of realistic storm condition forcing (waves and tides) through a morphodynamic model to calculate return periods for maximum extent of shoreline retreat. This direct approach of characterizing erosion response return periods is superior to the naïve assumption that the most energetic storm forcing cause the worst erosion events. This methodology is demonstrated for beaches in metropolitan Adelaide and at Old Bar, NSW. These sites were selected to develop the methodology for a span of geographic conditions in terms of storm climate and deep water wave exposure, working towards developing this method into a transportable framework that is applicable to other coastal areas. Desktop and field assessments of each site were conducted to document geomorphic and sediment characteristics to inform the shoreline modelling. Having established the historical framework at each location, multivariate statistical analysis of wave (buoy or hindcast models) and tides for peak storm events allows for the synthesis of realistic future conditions. Ongoing work is aimed at analysis of the complex sequencing of cycling between accretion and erosion in terms of cross-shore and alongshore sediment transport. Additionally, the potential for storm clustering to cause enhanced coastal erosion and impact on coastal infrastructure will be assessed.
Product Type
nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
90057
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
Keywords
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- External Publication
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
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- Earth Sciences
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- Published_Internal
Publication Date
2016-01-01T00:00:00
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geoscientificInformation
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GA is working with UQ through a Collaborative Agreement to deliver the BNHCRC project "Resilience to clustered disaster events at the coast: storm surge"
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