Figure 2-2: Generalised impacts of sea level rise on different types of coastal morphology
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These are only indicative, as local conditions and changes to the sediment supply may produce different responses. Figure adapted from Gibb (1991).
Text description of figure
The impacts of sea-level rise on coastal morphology can be summarised into five examples:
- Erosional/Equilibrium sandy coasts, where sand is eroded from the dune and backshore and is deposited further seaward. The nett effect is a landward and upward movement of the shore profile.
- Accreting sandy coasts, where dunes continue to build seawards, but more slowly.
- Gravel coasts, where gravel berms are rolled back causing nett movement landward and upward. Off the coast the sandy seabed will rise slightly.
- Cliffed consolidated coast, where the cliff erodes slowly landward, at similar to historic rates and new shore platform develops, and
- Estuarine coast, where rising sea and storm-surge levels cause landward saline intrusion, inundation of wetlands, and raising of the groundwater level.
