Shoreline variation in ceará coastal zone (1984-2018)

Abstract

Coastal erosion occurs in several parts of the world. Sometimes, it destroys structures close to the shoreline causing economic damage. In the state of Ceará, Brazil, there are stretches with retrogradation. A classic example is from the area near the Mucuripe harbor (Fortaleza). From this context, the objective of this paper was to analyze the evolution of the State of Ceará shoreline between 1984 and 2018. To achieve this objective, the digital processing of satellite images was performed, developing maps of shoreline variation and quantification of progradation and retrogradation areas. In mathematical terms, at the coastal zone of Ceará there was a dynamic balance between the processes of accretion and erosion. However, there are some erosion hotspots in different sectors of the state shoreline. There is a need for continuous monitoring of the coastal zone in different spatial and temporal scales to better understand coastal behavior, as well as policies that inhibit the deleterious occupation of this region.