Modeling of erosion at Göksu coasts

Abstract

Göksu coastal area, located in the south of Silifke County of Mersin on the coastal plain formed by Göksu River, is one of the Specially Protected Areas with an area of almost 15000 hectares and at an altitude of 0-5 m. The Eastern and Western parts of the Göksu river mouth along the Mediterranean coast and the coast of Paradeniz Lagoon are suffering significantly from erosion. As a result of the coastal erosion and the consequent coastal recession problem along the coasts of Göksu, agricultural fields located near the coast are being lost, and especially the narrow barrier beach which separates Paradeniz Lagoon from the sea is getting narrower, creating a risk of uniting with the sea, thus disappearing of the Lagoon. In order to propose solutions for the problem, and to protect the coastal zone and the habitats of Göksu against coastal erosion, coastal dynamic processes and sediment transport characteristics of the region causing the erosion should be investigated and identified. Therefore, longshore sediment transport and suspended sediment transport in Göksu coastal area are examined. First of all, the wind and wave climate of the study area are determined. Then, current pattern, wave propagation, and longshore sediment movements are modeled numerically utilizing three dimensional hydrodynamic transport model HYDROTAM-3D. HYDROTAM-3D is a three (3) dimensional numerical Hydrodynamic and Transportation Model which simulates current patterns due to wind and wave actions, pollutant transport, wave propagation over mild slopes, and longshore sediment transport rates. Model includes hydrodynamics, transport, turbulence, wind and wave climate and wave propagation sub models. HYDROTAM 3D, is developed using "cloud computing" architecture and tightly integrated with Geographic Information System. The study outputs will be used for the determination of the coastal erosion. © Coastal Education & Research Foundation 2013.