Santa Catarina Beach systems

Abstract

The Santa Catarina coast is located in southern Brazil between 26° and 29.3°S. The coast trends south then southwest for about 430 km, and contains 922 km of open coast and bay shoreline, with 246 sandy beaches occupying 60 % of the shore. Based on geology and orientation the coast is divided into five coastal provinces, each of which contains a different suite of beach systems. The provinces and their beaches range for the highly embayed Penha to Baia Norte province which is dominated by short low energy reflective beaches, to the exposed high energy Cabo Santa Marta to Torres province which has long near continuous multi-barred dissipative beaches. This chapter reviews the provinces and their beach systems including spatial and temporal controls, as well as beach erosion, hazards and safety.