EurOCEAN 2000 - Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee

ALGARVE INLET PROJECT: (INDIA)
B.A. O’CONNOR 1 , J.J. WILLIAMS 2 , J.M.A. DIAS 3 , M. COLLINS 4 , M.A. DAVIDSON 5 ,
S.M. ARENS 6 , H. HOWA 7 , A. SARMENTO 8 , M. HERON 9 , D. AUBREY 10 , G.
VOULGARIS 11 , H KIM 12 , L. KACZMAREK 13 , F. SEABRA-SANTOS 14 ; A. SILVA 15
M.T. JONES 2
Liverpool University, Dept. Civil Engineering, Liverpool L69 3GQ, UK 1 ; CCMS-Proudman
Oceanographic Laboratory, Bidston, Birkenhead, L43 7RA, UK 2 ; Universidade do
Algarve,Campus de Gambelas, 8000 Faro, Algarve, Portugal 3 ; University of Southampton,
Dept. of Oceanography and Earth Sciences, Southampton, SO17 1BJ 4 ; University of Plymouth,
Inst. of Marine Studies, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA 5 ; University of Amsterdam, Institute for
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Physical Geography, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018
WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands 6 ; Universite Bordeaux, Department de Geologie et
Oceanographie, Avenue des Facultes, 33405 Talence, Cedex, Aquitaine, France 7 ; MARETEC,
Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av Rovisco Pais 1, Lisbon, Portugal 8 ; James Cook University of
North Queensland, Dept.of Physics, Townsville 4810, Queensland, Australia 9 ; Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute, Dept.of Geology & Geophysics, 360 Woods Hole Road MS 39,
Massachusetts, USA 10 ; University of South Carolina, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Columbia,
SC 79208, USA 11 ; Kookmin University, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, 861-1
Chungnung-Dong, Sungbook-Goo, Seoul 136-702, Korea 12 ; Institute of Hydroengineering,
Polish Academy of Sciences, Koscierska 7, Gdansk 80-953, Poland 13 ; Universidade de
Coimbra, Instituto do Mar, Department of Civil Engineering, Largo D Diniz, Coimbra,
Portugal 14 ; Hidromod, Taguspark, Nucleo Central 349, Oeiras 2780-920, Portugal 15 .
SUMMARY
The INDIA Project is a multi-disciplinary research study of interacting coastal processes in the
Barra Nova Inlet within the Ria Formosa National Park in the Algarve Region of Portugal.
Some twenty international research teams have combined to study the newly (1997) created
Barra Nova Inlet using state-of-the-art field equipment and a range of aerodynamic,
hydrodynamic and morphodynamic computer results. Measurements taken by the field teams
during an intensive campaign between January - March 1999 are presently being analysed.
Particular results as of May 2000 are presented.
1. INTRODUCTION
Cliff/land erosion in areas of rapidly changing coastline orientation or adjacent to low-lying
coastal areas often leads to the formation of quiet lagoon areas separated from the sea by lowheight
spits/peninsulas and islands. The tidal inlets between the islands are dynamic and move
in the direction of dominant longshore sediment movement unless prevented by engineering
works. Navigation through natural inlets is often difficult due to the presence of complex
patterns of flood and ebb bars as well as the interaction of tidal flows with coastal waves.
Interactions can also occur between inlets as the back-lagoon drainage paths over-lengthen and
new inlets are produced and old inlets are blocked by wave action. Lagoon circulations also
change as a consequence of inlet change and affect lagoon use.
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