Piauí beach systems

Abstract

Coastal plain of Piauí State is composed by variety of geomorphological distinct features including low sandy beaches, sandstone reefs, estuarine and marine complexes systems, coastal lagoons, tidal plains, sandy spits, extensive sand dunes, deltaic plain and others features. These features result from the combined action of waves, coastal currents, fluvial action, sea level variation and climatic and meteorological factors. Piauí State is located in the northeast Brazil covering an area of 251,578 km2 with a population of 3,118,360 (IBGE 2010). The territory lies between 02°44′ and 10°55′S and extends for 900 km in a north-south direction, but has a coastline of only 66 km in the north aligned in an east-west direction located between Ceará and Maranhão States. The range of geo-environmental conditions represents most of the Brazilian biomes. This chapter presents the coastal and morphological dynamics and the features of Piauí Beach Systems. It discusses the variables that control the active coastal processes, with the primary objective to understand the relationship between these variables and human interventions.