This article provides a general methodology for calculating the retreat of the coastline and the volume of sand necessary to renourish a beach due to sea level rise (SLR) in the medium-long term. An example is presented, Victoria Beach, and a projection is made for the years 2030, 2040, 2050, and 2100. The results obtained take into account global sea level rise (GSLR), which is worldwide, and local sea level rise (LSLR), which considers climate variability and vertical land movements. Regarding GSLR, data were provided by the projections from IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scenarios and empirical models, such as Rahmstorf and Pfeffer. The LSLR data came from the tide gauge station located in Cadiz. Finally, the results obtained showed that global warming impacts erosive effects and the subsequent volume of sand required to renourish beaches. The total sea level rise (TSLR) projections indicated for Victoria Beach are relatively higher than the GSLR projections. Even in the best IPCC scenario (RCP 2.6), Victoria Beach presents a significant erosion of 52 m, requiring a volume of sand of 1.0 Mm³ to supply renourishment.

The size and great dynamism of coastal systems require faster and more automated mapping methods like the use of a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This method allows for shorter intervals between surveys. The main problem for surveying using low-altitude digital photogrammetry in beach areas is their visual homogeneity. Obviously, the fewer the homologous points defined by the program, the lower the accuracy. Moreover, some factors influence the error performed in photogrammetric techniques, such as flight height, flight time, percentage of frame overlap (side and forward), and the number of ground control points (GCPs). A total of 72 different cases were conducted varying these factors, and the results were analyzed. Among the conclusions, it should be highlighted that the error for noon flights is almost double that for the early morning flights. Secondly, there is no appreciable difference regarding the side overlap. But, on the other side, RMSE increased to three times (from 0.05 to 0.15 m) when forward overlap decreased from 85% to 70%. Moreover, relative accuracy is 0.05% of the flying height which means a significant increase in error (66%) between flights performed at 60 and 100 m height). Furthermore, the median of the error for noon flights (0.12 m) is almost double that for the early morning flights (0.07 m) because of the higher percentage of grids with data for early flights. Therefore, beach levelings must never be performed at noon when carried out by RPAS. Eventually, a new parameter has been considered: the relationship between the number of GCPs and the surface to be monitored. A minimum value of 7 GCP/Ha should be taken into account when designing a beach leveling campaign using RPAS.

A methodology for monitoring the behaviour and size of sand after a beach nourishment process is presented herein. Four sampling campaigns (before and just after the nourishment, after six months and one year later) were performed on four beaches of the Gulf of Cadiz (Spain). D₅₀ and sorting size parameters were analysed. Among the results, it should be noted that differences of up to 20% between native and nourished sand values disappear only one year after the nourishment.

New design parameters for biparabolic beach profiles (SW Cadiz, Spain)

Coastal defense has traditionally relied on hard infrastructures like breakwaters, dykes, and groins to protect harbors, settlements, and beaches from the impacts of longshore drift and storm waves. The prolonged exposure to wave erosion and dynamic loads of different nature can result in damage, deformation, and eventual failure of these infrastructures, entailing severe economic and environmental losses. Periodic post-construction monitoring is crucial to identify shape changes, ensure the structure’s stability, and implement maintenance works as required. This paper evaluates the performance and quality of the restitution products obtained from the application of UAV photogrammetry to the longest breakwater in the province of Cádiz, southern Spain. The photogrammetric outputs, an orthomosaic and a Digital Surface Model (DSM), were validated with in situ RTK-GPS measurements, displaying excellent planimetric accuracy (RMSE 0.043 m and 0.023 m in X and Y, respectively) and adequate altimetric accuracy (0.100 m in Z). In addition, the average enveloping surface inferred from the DSM allowed quantification of the deformation of the breakwater and defining of the deformation mechanisms. UAV photogrammetry has proved to be a suitable and efficient technique to complement traditional monitoring surveys and to provide insights into the deformation mechanisms of coastal structures.

In recent years, the Oceanographic and Hydrographic Research Center (part of the General Maritime Directorate of Colombia (DIMAR) has made important efforts to advance research in the field of marine geophysics, in particular, the techniques of geomagnetism, sub-bottom profiling, and side-scan sonar, the first being the most developed at the present time. A method is presented for the acquisition of geomagnetic data in marine environments, as used by DIMAR in the Colombian maritime territory. The development of the geomagnetic method not only offers the opportunity to advance basic scientific knowledge, but it is also of great importance in support of national sovereignty issues. Among other applications, the most representative uses of the geomagnetic method are the location of pipelines and metal plates, detection of buried ordnance, identification of sites of archaeological interest, and the identification and characterization of geological structures. As a result of testing the method, a grid of geomagnetic data was surveyed in an area close to the Island of San Andrés in the north-west of the Colombian maritime territory. The survey was prepared with a regional geometric arrangement, the result of which was compared with survey data obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) magnetic data repository and carried out in the same study area. Despite the long time interval between the two surveys, almost 50 years, no significant differences were observed in terms of the analyzed variables. Finally, results show negligible differences between the magnetic data obtained for the years 1970 and 2018 for all the variables measured, such as the inclination, declination, and total magnetic field. These differences may be attributable to a geological component or also to the acquisition and processing methods used in the 1970s.