Erosion and reorientation of the Sapodilla Cays, Mesoamerican Reef Belize from 1960 to 2012

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
The aim of this study is to reconstruct a 52-year history of the Sapodilla Cays (1960-2012) using a combination of historical topographic surveys, satellite imagery, and additional field data collection. Results suggest that the majority of islands are eroding with some islands having lost over 70% of their area, and many have become swash aligned, which suggests limited sediment availability. The proportion of area lost on each island is related to the width of the reef platform (to the 5 m isobaths) in the direction of the reef edge, while island area is dependent on the width of the reef platform in the direction of the resultant wind. This suggests that the width of the reef platform is a primary determinant of sediment supply between storms that tend to erode the eastern shoreline of the island through refraction along the reef edge. Extrapolations based on contemporary loss-rates suggest that the smallest cays will disappear by 2020, while the largest cays will begin to disappear by the end of century.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Physical geography, issn : 0272-3646, 2014, vol. 35, n°. 4, p. 335-354, nombre de pages : 20, Références bibliographiques : 3 p.

Date :
2014

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Abingdon, Taylor and Francis