The sensitivity of sand barriers to the effects of sea level rise

Abstract

Many harbours in New Zealand are fronted by barriers. Sand-dominated barriers are highly sensitive coastal systems which alter their morphology in response to rising sea-levels, undergoing extensive sediment reworking as wave activity reaches further inland. Farewell Spit is a typical sand-dominated barrier spit which extends 25kms eastward from the northwestern corner of the South Island, New Zealand. The spit provides protection for Golden Bay from the deep-water swells of the Tasman Sea. It is composed of barchan dunes over 20m high, sand sheets over 1km wide and vegetated linear dunes up to 14m high. During spring tide cycles a few isolated low-lying areas of the spit become completely i..