NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF A GROIN SYSTEM ON SHORELINE EVOLUTION

Abstract

The South-west Black Sea Coast is facing severe erosion problems that threaten both the population and the immediate eastside properties. Some locations, such as the Karaburun region, are especially vulnerable. In an attempt to reverse the present erosional trend, a coastal defense scheme involving a groin system was introduced in a phased manner. In the present work, the shoreline changes under the influence of a groin system of a sandy beach in Karaburun, Turkey, are studied by using a numerical simulation model (LITPACK). The work is motivated by the considerable erosion and siltation problems caused a sediment deposition near and inside the harbor entrance which prevented the boat traffic and caused a vital problem for the harbor operations. The study’s scope is two-fold: to help in understanding the dynamics of the beach based on results of the field work and to study the responses of this beach by numerical simulation, utilizing the topographic and sediment field data and measured wave data. The validation and verification of the numerical model was performed by RTK-GPS measurements and satellite images.