Coastal Erosion Case at Candeias Beach (NE-Brazil)

The present work is a study of changes in longshore sediment circulation due to the presence of a breakwater which interferes with the beach morphology. The study was done using the SMC software (Sistema de Modelado Costero) as the main tool for simulating the coastal dynamics for the different configurations, as well as for determining the wave climate to be applied at the simulations. The beach environment is a complex dynamic system responsive to the impact of waves and currents through a series of changes that can occur at different time scales and the intervention of human constructions. The focus of the present work is the application of SMC to investigate beach erosion in an area of Candeias Beach, in the metropolitan region of Recife (NE-Brazil), after installation and further modification of a hard coastal structure (breakwater), as well as in a scenario without the breakwater at the same area.