Shorelines
The shorelines of rivers, lakes and seas can range from rocky coasts, to gravel beaches, to sandy dunes. As well as protecting nearby properties and infrastructure, shorelines provide popular recreational areas and valuable habitat. This interface between land and water is a dynamic environment, and responds to the forces of currents, waves, ice at a range of temporal scales.
The tools required to study impacts on shorelines vary by the application and location. A good understanding of water levels is key, since storms, seasonal fluctuations and sea level rise often control a problem and its solution. Waves, both wind- and ship-generated, often provide the dominant forcing mechanism. The response of the shoreline to these forces requires a knowledge of sediment behaviour on many scales.
