Laura Del Río

Universidad de Cádiz

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Papers

Citation

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i-10 index

Research Field

UAS-based High-resolution Record of the Response of a Seminatural Sandy Spit to a Severe Storm

Journal of Coastal Research (2020)

Lara Talavera Laura Del Río Javier Benavente

Talavera, L.; del Río, L.; and Benavente, J., 2020. UAS-based high-resolution record of the response of a seminatural sandy spit to a severe storm. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 679-683. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Human infrastructures in barrier islands restrict the natural storm-induced overwash needed by these systems to evolve, further increasing their vulnerability in the medium and long term. For this reason, accurate overwash measurements in coastal environments subject to varying degrees of occupation are needed. In this work, two Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flights were performed over two distinct sectors of a sandy spit located in Cádiz (SW Spain) prior and after the landfall of storm Emma. This storm was a high-energy event that lasted 153 hours,with an average significant wave height of 4 m and a storm peak of 6.81 m., and water levels (tide and surge) of up to 4 m. The images derived from the UAS flights were processed with Structure From Motion (SfM) algorithms using Pix4D software, resulting in high-resolution mosaics and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the study area. These allowed (1) the digitization of the washover deposits in both sectors before and after the storm, and (2) the computation of DEMs of Difference (DoDs), which in turn allowed the analysis of volumetric estimates of erosion/accretion triggered by the significant overwash. The results revealed a nonuniform coastal response between both sectors. The area subject to higher degree of development showed a clear restriction in the onshore delivery of sediment during overwash due to the presence of a channel and a road, the coalescence of the nine pre-existing washovers into a unique deposit of 77546 m2, and much higher damage extents and associated recovery costs. In the natural sector, the overwash processes reactivated the three pre-existing washovers (which enlarged their areas up to 200%) with no significant damages reported. These findings serve as examples of coastal responses to future similar hydrodynamic conditions, and suggest that this spit will likely evolve following different trajectories in the long-term.

Overwash

Storm Surge

Natural hazard

10.2112/si95-132.1

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Citations (18)

Reconstruction of Atlantic historical winter coastal storms in the Spanish coasts of the Gulf of Cadiz, 1929–2005

Natural hazards and earth system sciences (2011)

Pedro Ribera David Gallego Cristina Peña‐Ortiz Laura Del Río Theocharis A. Plomaritis

Abstract. This paper presents the reconstruction of a climatological series of winter coastal storms on the northern coasts of the Gulf of Cadiz. This series has been put together using information extracted from regional and local Spanish newspapers. It includes all the storms coming from the Atlantic sector that have been detected during the winter season, from October to March, between 1929 and 2005. In order to validate this historical storm series, it has been compared with storms series identified from quasi-observational data and using different wave heights as thresholds to decide what is to be considered as a coastal storm. Nearly 2.6 reports per year about coastal storms are published in the press which correspond to waves of 3.6 m high or more and to prevailing winds from a direction ranging between SSW and WNW. A long- term positive trend has been detected for the complete storm series. If only the instrumental period is analysed, no significant trend is detected. It is suggested that this difference might be associated with the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation over the occurrence of storms in this area.

Winter storm

Atlantic hurricane

10.5194/nhess-11-1715-2011

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Citations (21)

Multiple-Source Cliff Erosion in Southern Spain: Current Risk and Future Perspectives

Journal of Coastal Research (2016)

Laura Del Río Francisco Javier Gracia Prieto Javier Benavente

Del Río, L.; Gracia, F.J., and Benavente, J., 2016. Multiple-source cliff erosion in Southern Spain: current risk and future perspectives. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 1072 - 1076. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This work analyses coastal erosion causes, impacts and management strategies in two sandstone cliffs in SW Spain: El Almirante (EA) and Fuente del Gallo (FG). Five sets of aerial photographs spanning the last 50 years were used, combined with detailed field inspection. Retreat rate of the cliff top in EA is 0.8–1.6 m/yr, increasing over the last decade to 4 m/yr at some points. This poses a serious risk for infrastructure located on the cliff top, and cliff recession leaves an outstanding palaeontological site exposed to wave attack. Erosion rates in FG are lower, but there is a significant risk to beach visitors due to mass movements involved in cliff retreat. Interventions to mitigate erosion impacts in EA have consisted in tetrapod deployment and concrete fencing, while in FG stabilization measures include removal of unstable blocks, soil nailing, draining tubes, seeding, a riprap and beach nourishments. However, these measures have only had a limited success, as the main causes for cliff erosion are related to marine and subaerial processes enhanced by rainfall and cliff fractures. Undermining of the cliff base by waves in FG and in eastern EA triggers rock falls, which are easily dismantled by waves, resulting in a rapidly retreating cliff face. In central EA rotational slides are responsible for cliff top recession, favoured by a plastic substratum of marls. Future projections of shoreline position indicate a likely increase in potential damage generated by erosion in both sites, leading to the need for adopting alternative mitigation measures.

Cliff

Subaerial

Coastal erosion

Fencing

10.2112/si75-215.1

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Citations (5)

Identification of risk hotspots to storm events in a coastal region with high morphodynamic alongshore variability

Natural Hazards (2022)

Victoria Celedón Laura Del Río Óscar Ferreira Susana Costas Theocharis A. Plomaritis

Overwash

Coastal hazards

Natural hazard

Coastal erosion

Vulnerability

Coastal flood

10.1007/s11069-022-05562-x

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Citations (6)

Historical shoreline trend analysis and drivers of coastal change along the Ravenna coast, NE Adriatic

Environmental Earth Sciences (2018)

Oxana Sytnik Laura Del Río Nicolas Greggio Jarbas Bonetti

Coastal erosion

Coastal Management

Sedimentary budget

Coastal hazards

Ravenna

10.1007/s12665-018-7963-8

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Citations (27)

Geological control of beach morphodynamic state

Marine Geology (2005)

Derek Jackson Andrew Cooper Laura Del Río

Beach morphodynamics

Beach ridge

Beach nourishment

Plage

Tidal range

10.1016/j.margeo.2005.02.021

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Citations (225)

UAS & SfM-based approach to Monitor Overwash Dynamics and Beach Evolution in a Sandy Spit

Journal of Coastal Research (2018)

Lara Talavera Laura Del Río Javier Benavente L. Barbero Juan Antonio López Ramírez

Talavera, L.; Del Río, L.; Benavente, J.; Barbero, L., and López-Ramírez, J.A., 2018. UAS & SfM-based approach to Monitor Overwash Dynamics and Beach Evolution in a Sandy Spit. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 221–225. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The role of overwash processes is of great relevance in the long-term evolution of sandy barriers, and it can also affect coastal infrastructures in the short term. In this work, a 10-month monitoring program based on the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in combination with Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms was performed in order to monitor morphological changes and ulterior evolution at Camposoto beach, an overwash-prone coastal spit located in SW Spain. This UAS&SfM approach allowed the reconstruction of 6 Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the area with high temporal and spatial resolutions (RMS vertical errors spanning from 5 to 8 cm). The morphological changes occurred were detected using Geomorphic Change Detection Software in ArcGIS, and they were correlated with the oceanographic conditions that prevailed during the analysed period. The results obtained provided insight into the response of the system against storm-induced overwash, which caused significant erosion/accretion patterns over a pre-existing washover fan, as well as the landward migration of the system. In addition, this methodology captured the progressive partial recovery of the system, which included onshore transport of sand, fore-beach accretion, and berm reconstruction. Despite the partial recovery observed, spring tides also triggered non-storm overwash in the area during fair-weather conditions, allowing to rethink the actual vulnerability state of the spit against rollover processes.

Overwash

Coastal erosion

Elevation (ballistics)

10.2112/si85-045.1

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Citations (9)

Análisis de vulnerabilidad de los acantilados atlánticos de la provincia de Cádiz ante la erosión costera

Cuaternario y geomorfología: Revista de la Sociedad Española de Geomorfología y Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario (2012)

Laura Del Río Francisco Javier Gracia Prieto

This work presents an analysis of the vulnerability of Atlantic cliffs in the province of Cadiz (SW Spain) to coastal erosion. For this purpose a semi-quantitative approach has been taken by developing and applying a Relative Vulnerability Index that includes the most important factors affecting cliff stability in the area, such as lithology, internal structure, presence/absence of a beach or rocky shore platform, human activities in the area, etc. The index also includes quantitative cliff retreat data derived from the application of photogrammetric techniques to aerial photographs from different dates. Results allow to classify Cadiz cliffs according to their vulnerability to erosion, and provide insight into the main factors and processes involved in cliff recession in this area. This kind of information is essential in order to develop proper land use planning strategies in the Protection Easement Zone of the Coastal Public Property in cliffed areas.

Cliff

Coastal erosion

Vulnerability index

Vulnerability

Aerial photography

Source

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Citations (4)

Storm thresholds for the Spanish Gulf of Cádiz coast

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (2010)

Theocharis A. Plomaritis Laura Del Río Javier Benavente María Valladares

In this study critical thresholds are defined for storm impacts along the Spanish coast of the Gulf of Cadiz. The thresholds correspond to the minimum wave-tidal conditions necessary to produce significant morphological changes on beaches and dunes and/or damage on coastal infrastructure or human occupation. Threshold definition was performed by computing theoretical sea level variations during storms and comparing them with the topography of the study area and the location of infrastructures at a local level. Specifically, the elevations of the berm, the dune foot and the entrance of existing washovers were selected as threshold parameters. The total sea level variation generated by a storm event was estimated as the sum of the tidal level, the wind-induced setup, the barometric setup and the wave-associated sea level variation (wave setup and runup), assuming a minimum interaction between the different processes. These components were calculated on the basis of parameterisations that were adapted to the specific oceanographic and environmental conditions of the Gulf of Cadiz. Validation of the obtained results was performed for a range of coastal settings over the study area. The obtained thresholds for beach morphological changes in spring tide conditions range between a significant wave height of 2.4 and 3.7 m, while for dune foot erosion are around 4.8 m and for damage to infrastructure around 6.3 m. In case of neap tide conditions these values are increased on average by 50% over the areas with large tidal range. The calculated thresholds constitute snapshots of risk conditions within a certain time framework. Beach and nearshore zones are extremely dynamic, and also the characteristics of occupation on the coast change over time, so critical storm thresholds will change accordingly and therefore will need to be updated.

Berm

Tidal range

Wave height

Significant wave height

Storm Surge

Source

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Citations (4)

GIS-based approach to the assessment of coastal vulnerability to storms. Case study in the Bay of Cádiz (Andalusia, Spain)

Journal of Coastal Research (2013)

María Josefa Santos Laura Del Río Javier Benavente

Santos, M., Del Río, L., Benavente, J., 2013. GIS-based approach to the assessment of coastal vulnerability to storms. Case study in the Bay of Cádiz (Andalusia, Spain)Storminess is considered one of the most significant natural threats to coastal areas, especially on sandy environments. When storm-related processes occur in developed areas, changes in coastal morphology are often accompanied by socioeconomic losses due to damage to infrastructure caused by erosion and flooding. The aim of this study is to assess coastal vulnerability related to storm events along a mesotidal, low-energy sandy coast in SW Spain, by analysing the main factors responsible for storm impact. This impact is considered in terms of vulnerability and coastal exposure, by the integration of physical variables (e.g. dune height or recent shoreline changes) and socioeconomic variables (e.g. land use type or population density) into a GIS. These variables are weighted and combined into two different indexes, a Physical Vulnerability Index (PhVI) and a Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI), which are then merged into a single normalized Coastal Vulnerability to Storm Index (CVSI). Results show significant spatial differences in vulnerability to storms along the study area, with the highest vulnerability level being found in the northernmost sector of the study area (Santa María del Mar urban beach), and the lowest level corresponding to the southernmost sector (El Castillo natural beach). Through the generation of colour-coded vulnerability maps, the index can be used as a guideline contributing to the determination of causes, processes and consequences of vulnerability related to storm events. Overall, the CSVI provides a rapid identification of potential risk areas, where specific intervention strategies should be adopted to prevent storm impacts.

Vulnerability index

Vulnerability

Coastal erosion

Natural hazard

Coastal flood

10.2112/si65-140.1

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Citations (15)