Historical changes in the shoreline and littoral processes on a headland bay beach in central Chile

Abstract We applied parabolic and logarithmic adjustments and methods of cartographic overlay to the sandy littoral of Concon bay (Central Chile) to determine the changes associated with the shoreline and their relation with littoral processes, in a typical bay on an active continental margin and with a microtidal regime. A set of historical reference points was built by means of aerial photographs and topographies for the period 1945–2008. Given the form of the shoreline, to the southern section of the bay we applied the classical logarithmic formula of Yasso (1965) and the functions incorporated in the Coastal Modeling System (Sistema de Modelamiento Costero, SMC) of the Universidad de Cantabria. In the northern section a method of map overlay was applied. The Oluca-SP model of the SMC was used to determine the influence of waves (refraction) on the types of changes of the shoreline. Information on waves (1985–2006), mean sea level (2001–2006) and variations in the mean size of beach sediment were used to relate the changes in the plan form of the bay. There has been little spatio-temporal variability in the shoreline of the bay over the last 65 years. The southern section had a mean shoreline retreat rate of − 0.55 m/year (1945–2008) in spite of the large variability produced in an estuary dominated by waves. The best adjustment was obtained with the logarithmic function. In the northern section the mean accretion rate was 0.39 m/year (1954–2008). The plan form and the historical changes of the shoreline are closely associated with the seasonal changes of the waves and the presence of rocky thresholds in the area. The mean sea level did not produce important effects in the types of change.