Morphological analysis of beach profiles in relation to shoreline change

Investigations into coastal erosion and accretion characteristically examine changes in shoreline position to determine predictive rates of change. Results of such investigations normally focus on the applicability of mathematical equations or statistical techniques to describe the nearshore sedimentary environment. This thesis integrates various methods of shoreline analysis and extends the focus to include coastal morphology and morphodynamics. Coastal geomorphology is often based on analysis of coastal forms using cross-shore profiles and interpretation of planforms from aerial photographs and other remotely sensed data. Periodic topographic and nearshore bathymetric surveys constitute spatio-temporal data which permit assessment of coastal erosion and accretion. Such changes can be effectively studied through morphological analysis of the spatial and temporal components of nearshore sediment distribution and coastal profile change. This thesis describes the observed changes in shoreline position and corresponding estimates of sediment volume change with alteration in beach profile. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis is applied to quantify total profile variability. Computer programming is utilized for profile generation and volume calculations and comparisons within a geographic information system, allowing other forms of spatial data to be simultaneously analyzed.