A morphometric analysis of embayed beaches: southern Sardinia Island

Abstract

Embayed beaches are widely distributed along the world's coastlines. They are characterised by a curvilinear shoreline and the presence of headlands (natural or artificial) that laterally constrain the beach. Several methods have been proposed in the scientific literature to estimate the degree of embaymentisation. This study carried out a morphometric analysis of embayed beaches along the southern coast of Sardinia Island and a classification comparison using the Platform Index (I) and the Embayment Morphometric Parameter (γ_e). Overall, 79 beaches were identified through the analysis of aerial orthophotos. Furthermore, the type of embayment (natural or artificial) and the degree of headland impact on the surf zone circulation, with the Non-Dimensional Embayment Scaling Parameter (δ′), were estimated. The results reveal that a detailed morphometric analysis of embayed beaches provides valuable insights into the beach dynamics that influence its morphology and response to hydrodynamic forcing. Given the increasing vulnerability of coastal zones to climate change, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events, such morphometric analyses play a crucial role in assessing the response of embayed beaches to these factors. Consequently, they provide a scientific basis for improving coastal management strategies, risk assessment, and resilience planning, particularly in beaches where data availability is limited or that has been alternated by human interventions, such as the construction of engineering structures.