Long-term wave climate characteristics and potential impacts on embayed beaches along the west Guangdong coastline

Abstract Long-term wave conditions drive and control the variations in beach morphology, shoreline dynamics and coastal stability. However, the fact that longer-term measured or regional-scale wave data are not available shows that it is difficult to understand general mechanism controlling beach morphology along the west Guangdong coastline in China. Thus, this paper studied wave variability of representative parameters using a 39-year Interim reanalysis wave data and their potential impacts on ten embayed sandy beaches in the west Guangdong. The results indicate that a modal wave height of less than 1 m and a modal wave period of about 6 s occur, showing the study area being in a relative low-energy wave conditions. The variations of wave conditions are dominated by monsoon weather systems and accidental typhoon events. The potential impacts of wave conditions on short-term beach remarkable morphological variation, beach morphodynamic types and sediment distribution, and coastal long-term planform were further explored. The associated results reveal some general mechanisms driving the possible variation in beach morphologies, which probably guide future field observations and beach morphodynamic studies in China.