Beaches in Valencian Coast
The main factors that determined the Valencian beaches characteristics are the configuration of relief structures; fluvial sediment supply; low tidal range; the predominance of low energy waves; scarcity of big storms; longshore littoral drift; and human action. There is a significant prevalence of sandy beaches. Nevertheless, both at the northern part of the Gulf of Valencia and in the structural segment, between the Cape Sant Antoni and Alicante city, pebble and gravel beaches are predominant. Most of the Valencian beaches have experienced significant morphological changes during the last decades due to the human interventions -voluntary or involuntary- in the coastal system. The implemen…
Structural control on the presence and character of calas: Observations from Balearic Islands limestones rock coast macroforms
Calas are characteristic embayed rocky coastline landforms related to steep-sided drowned valleys that were deeply incised during low sea-level stages into carbonate plateaus. This paper studies the factors that control the presence and character of calas in three different islands of the Balearic Archipelago (Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera) by means of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) reconstructions, embayment and catchment morphometric analysis and through the compilation of fault and joint orientations. All islands exhibit emerged carbonate platforms (Upper Miocene in age) characterised by horizontal or very gently-dipping bedding. Two distinct patterns observed at all study sites are th…
Fan Deltas and Floodplains in Valencian Coastal Plains
The Valencian coastal plains are formed at the end of two important mountain systems: the Iberian Mountain Range to the north and the Baetic Mountains to the south. As a result of tectonic and neotectonic activity, several graben have been formed at the foot of these reliefs, which have been filled with Plio-Quaternary deposits. In all the coastal plains a depositional sequence is repeated in which the river deposits -fan deltas and alluvial plains- alternate with lagoons/marshes. Basin dimensions, sediment input, tectonics and neotectonics in the study area all determine the size, style and characteristics of fluvial forms, which in turn, influence the characteristics of the coast. Ephemer…
Seasonal precipitation interpolation at the Valencia region with multivariate methods using geographic and topographic information
The spatial pattern of precipitation is a complex variable that strongly depends on other geographic and topographic factors. As precipitation is usually known only at certain locations, interpolation procedures are needed in order to predict this variable in other regions. The use of multivariate interpolation methods is usually preferred, as secondary variables—generally derived using GIS tools—correlated with precipitation can be included. In this paper, a comparative study on different univariate and multivariate interpolation methodologies is presented. Our study area is centred in the region of Valencia, located to the eastern Spanish Mediterranean coast. The followed methodology can …
Morphometric indices as indicators of tectonic, fluvial and karst processes in calcareous drainage basins, South Menorca Island, Spain
This study proposes using morphometric indices to discriminate the processes that shape calcareous drainage basins. To illustrate this, a DEM of the southern part of Menorca Island (Migjorn) was created and basin slope, drainage density, hypsometric curve and integral, and the area occupied by open and closed dolines were extracted from it. These indices show an important dependence on tectonics, which govern the morphology of these drainage basins and encourage the predominance of karst and/or fluvial processes in the different sectors. The morphometric indices are clearly influenced by the geological Migjorn structure, a carbonate Upper Miocene reef platform gently folded as an asymmetric…
Análisis de la evolución de la línea de costa entre Alcossebre y Orpesa a partir de fotografía aérea (1956-2015)
[ES] El artículo presenta un análisis de la evolución de la línea de costa entre Alcossebre y Orpesa, a partir de fotografías aéreas y ortofotografías, entre 1956 y 2015. La digitialización de 12 líneas de costa ha permitido calcular los cambios netos y máximos, así como la tasa de cambio entre los diferentes años. Los resultados muestran una costa recesiva, con una gran variabilidad espacio-temporal. Conviven sectores con crecimiento sostenido provocado por la acción antrópica (deriva arriba de los espigones y regeneraciones de playa) o causas naturales (prominencias costeras), con otros claramente erosivos (deriva abajo de espigones). Además, el análisis de las isobatas del estrán sumergi…
Littoral Dunes on Valencia Coast
The dunes development needs an excess of sediment supply, wind speed able to transport sand to backshore and low atmospheric humidity. Foredunes, dunes fields and Pleistocene fossil dunes are the most characteristics features of the Valencian coast. Fossil dunes are abundant at the southern part. They are the main supply for the Holocene dunes and formed l’Altet field that survived thanks to be just in front of the L’Altet Airport. The foredunes have been mainly destroyed by human action and only few remains still are active. Guardamar and El Saler dune fields had a quite different evolution. Guardamar evolved covering previous fossil dunes and was fixed with pine trees to avoid the sand pr…
Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons
On the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula—between the Ebro Delta and Cape Palos—the conditions during the Pleistocene, and especially after the Flandrian transgression, favoured the development of beach barrier systems and lagoons along large segments of the coast. The very small tidal range made connections between the sea and lagoons difficult, and this favoured sedimentation processes, which was often accelerated by human activity. Three very different sectors have been differentiated: the Gulf of Valencia, where the largest number of lagoons is found; the cliffed Betic structural sector between Cape Sant Antoni and Cape de les Hortes, in which there are just a few very small lagoons…