A Stability Model for Sea Cliffs Considering the Coupled Effects of Sea Erosion and Rainfall

This study proposed a sea cliff stability model that accounted for the coupled effects of sea erosion and rainfall, offering an improved quantitative assessment of the toppling risk. The approach integrated the notch morphology (height and depth) and rainfall infiltration to quantify stability, validated by field data from six toppling sites near Da’ao Bay, where the maximum erosion distance error between model predictions and measurements ranged from 0.81% to 48.8% (with <20% error for Sites S2, S3, and S4). The results indicated that the notch morphology and rainfall exerted significant impacts on the sea cliff stability. Site S4 (the highest site) corresponded to a 17.5% decrease in K per 0.1 m notch depth increment. The rainfall infiltration reduced the maximum stable notch depth, decreasing by 8.86–21.92% during prolonged rainfall. This model can predict sea cliff stability and calculate the critical notch depth (e.g., 0.56–1.22 m for the study sites), providing a quantitative framework for coastal engineering applications and disaster mitigation strategies under climate change scenarios.