Geomorphic coastal vulnerability to storms in microtidal fetch-limited environments: Application to NW Mediterranean & N Adriatic Seas

A methodology to compare in relative terms the coastal vulnerability to storm impacts is presented and applied to three sites in the Mediterranean Sea. The analysis separately evaluates the vulnerability to storm-induced processes (inundation and erosion) and, it quantifies the contribution of the forcing (storm properties) and receptor (beach geomorphology) to the overall vulnerability. Beach geomorphology affects calculated vulnerability by influencing process’s intensity and the ability of the beach to cope the impacts (resilience). Results showed that regarding wave-induced inundation, the highest vulnerable area is the Ebro delta (Catalan coast) due to a combination of storm properties and the existence of a very low-lying profile. On the other hand, when considering the storm-induced erosion, Lido di Dante (Italy) is the highest vulnerable area because although the estimated erosion is not the largest one, the beach width is narrower than in the other sites. In any case, actual beach width at the three sites exceeds the estimated shoreline retreat. According to the obtained results the main induced process affecting coastal vulnerability is inundation.