INFLUENCE OF THE INITIAL TOPOBATHYMETRY IN BACKSHORE-NEARSHORE INTERACTIONS DURING EXTREME EVENTS

Mediterranean deltaic areas have suffered reduced sediment inputs during the last decades due to dams and coastal structures, resulting into significant losses of wetlands and beaches. To design and develop beach protection strategies for future adaptation of deltaic coasts to climate change impacts, a more comprehensive understanding of the inherent dynamics between the backshore and the nearshore is crucial, especially during extreme events, when these areas become highly vulnerable as they get submerged under the action of waves and surges (Cohn and Ruggiero, 2016). Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of the topobathymetric variability, on theevolution of the backshore and the nearshore during extreme events. Special attention is given to beach erosion and the formation of backshore sand deposits.