SEASONAL CHANGES IN THE BEACH PROFILE OF CIENEGUITA, LIMÓN, COSTA RICA

Abstract

In the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica, an accentuated process of erosion has been reported in some sandy beaches, without being able to distinguish between erosion itself and the dynamics of the beach that responds to the swell climate. This study aimed to characterize, in a pioneering way, the morphological and sedimentary dynamics of Cieneguita beach, located in Limón. In this sense, beach profiles and sand granulometric analyzes were carried out at four points along Cieneguita beach, to characterize its seasonal behavior and the characteristics of the sediments, respectively. When analyzing the beach profiles, a dynamic is recognized in the backshore spanning a long of 40 m length on average, where the beach is destroyed and rebuilt in annual cycles according to the conditions of the marine climate. The sediments of the beaches are predominantly represented by very fine sand along their entire length. The results obtained showed that the Cieneguita beach responds quickly to changes in sea conditions, narrowing during the hemispheric winter and gradually recovering throughout the year until reaching its greatest extension during autumn or summer. During the most severe storms, urban structures near the beach have been damaged or even destroyed.